In this exclusive interview, Kate Zerrenner, a Texas-based writer and policy professional in politics, climate, strategy and energy, and environmental policy, shares her experiences with leadership and gives her opinion on human and political industry challenges and how to advance resolutions for energy, power and climate change.
This interview was originally published in The Global Power & Energy Elites 2022
WHAT’S THE BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ OR THE BEST PODCAST YOU’VE LISTENED TO THIS YEAR?
As of July, I’m the producer for the podcast Climate Rising from Harvard Business School focusing on the intersection of climate and business. I’d be remiss if I didn’t say that was one of the best podcasts. I also really enjoy The Big Switch, made by a professor from Columbia University. This podcast is all about the transition to a clean energy economy. The host really delves into the different components of how that happens. As a professor, she has a depth of knowledge herself, but she also invites interesting guests.
In terms of books, I have tended toward mostly history and fiction during the pandemic, rather than anything related to energy. The best book I read was ‘Song of Achilles‘ by Madeline Miller. The book is retelling the story of Achilles and it’s beautifully written.
WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES A SUCCESSFUL LEADER?
My first job out of graduate school was with the US Department of Defense. As part of that job, I did a two-week mission to Europe, led by a retired four-star Admiral who had been the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO. I spent two weeks with him as his civilian staff sergeant and he exemplified leadership to me in every sense of the word; to the point where I hold him up as my standard, which is a hard bar to meet.
He had a sense of mission, he knew what we were doing and he made that very clear to the team. He listened to the team members’ concerns and input and he considered those. He delegated where it was appropriate. He made decisions where he needed to but he was very inclusive.
The standards he set for himself and for the rest of us made me want to do a better job. To me, he is the epitome of leadership; that you are inclusive, you trust your team, you know when to delegate, you know when to make decisions, and you’ve got a clear sense of mission, which is also clear to the entire team. There also need to be open lines of communication, so that when things do go sideways, there’s a place to solve it and talk about it.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT LEADERSHIP LESSON YOU’VE LEANERED?
Teams work best when all relationships are built on trust. If the leader is open to doing what it takes to develop this trust, you will likely have a successful team. Realistically, you can’t always build trust in the same way as it depends on your team members. This goes back to listening to your team and delegating to people’s strengths while encouraging them to push out of their comfort zone.
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About Kate Zerrenner
Kate Zerrenner has nearly 20 years of non-profit and state and federal experience in climate, energy, and environmental policy, strategy, communications, and politics. Kate has extensive experience in state and federal legislative affairs, including writing legislation, preparing and giving testimony, working with and as legislative staff, and bill education. She is now combining these skills as a consultant and writer, mainly focusing on climate change and sustainability.
