Communications
Welcome to the first of a new Insider series aimed at getting to know our agency leaders. Steve Fuller has worked here for about nine years and is one of our newer assistant directors. He started with the agency as a non-permanent project manager, and worked his way up through program manager and policy adviser positions. I recently asked Steve some questions about leadership, motivation, and making hard choices. Below are his answers.
What led you to take on your current leadership role?
I really enjoyed working in policy and legislative affairs in the Director’s Office. I got to work on hard issues and I didn’t have to supervise anyone. When it became clear Food Safety and Consumer Services would need a new leader, I gave it a lot of thought. Do I stay in a job that’s comfortable for me or do I take on a whole new set of challenges?
Factored into that decision, I knew the division was undergoing some big changes that I genuinely cared about. Second, I didn’t want to just settle in to the status quo and become the stereotypical state employee.
Also, the world has felt kind of chaotic. That makes a lot of us feel vaguely adrift and vulnerable and a good leader can be helpful. I wasn’t so foolish as to think I would be a great leader on my first day, but I thought I might have the potential to become a good one. If I could, I had an obligation to try.
What motivates you?
Several things, but especially my family. My wife is a smart and giving person who is always looking for new ways to help others. Watching her spend her life in service helps me avoid the low-motivation trap. I also have four kids who are counting on me. Some days that feels like a second full-time job. Without them, it would be a lot easier to just go full hermit. My older kids even say thank you once in a while. One sincere thank you can keep my dad heart ticking for a month.
I’m also motivated by all the people working in the division. We’re working really hard to get things done, and I sure don’t want to be the weak link in that chain.
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| Steve and his family. |
How do you deal with the pressures that come with your role?
I feel responsible for people in a whole different way than I did before, so I’ve had a hard time letting work go at the end of the day.
One thing that’s helping is to stop holding myself responsible for every outcome. We make the best decisions we can with the information we have at the time, observe outcomes and let them improve our decision making next time. I only have the resources to deal with today’s troubles. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
How do you keep your team motivated and encouraged?
I’m pretty new to this gig, but I recognize what a fantastic group of program managers I have on my team. I never realized before just how much program managers have coming at them. They really keep the wheels on. It’s my job to create high expectations, make sure everyone knows what success looks like and that they have the resources to be successful, and then get out of the way.
I also recently figured out that my wife’s chocolate chip cookies are pretty popular, so they might have to make some more appearances.
What is the driving force behind your leadership?
This one is very personal for me. Public service is a big umbrella, and I want everyone on my team to bring their authentic selves to work each day. For me, I find that my faith informs how I lead and, in my better moments, gives me the desire to do my best and the courage to take chances. I still mess that up all the time, but I’m learning.
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| Steve (center) with Food Assistance programs staff, from left: James Scovel, Nichole Garden, Kim Eads, and Lisa White. |
What leaders (past or present) do you admire? What about their leadership skills do you emulate?
Being a UCLA alum, I’d say the Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden. His basketball coaching success speaks for itself, but it’s his integrity I admire most. He would often remind people that basketball was not the ultimate reality, and much more went into building a whole life.
One of his sayings that stuck with me - “If you don’t have time to do it right, when are you going to have time to do it over?”
What was your first job? What’s the weirdest job you’ve ever had?
My first job was as a cashier at Toys R Us (R.I.P.). It was really mind numbing and I felt like I was on display. I hated it so much that I even started to hate the road I drove to work on. And once a company hired me as a temp to “process their billing.” It actually meant “fold the bills.” I literally spent an entire eight-hour shift tri-folding a massive stack of paper. It was awful.
In summary: The first of a new “Meet the Leaders” series on Insider profiles Steve Fuller, assistant director of the Food Safety and Consumer Services Division. Learn what shapes Steve’s leadership style, and what was his first job?
