Mallory Mullis '18 Uses Her Hutchison Foundation to Empower Emerging Leaders in Dallas

As a program manager, I have the unique opportunity to work with and mentor leaders at various stages in their careers. Sometimes, supporting these leaders means providing guidance and encouragement through difficult situations, and other times it means providing opportunities for them to learn and refine their leadership skills through my programming. 

I think it is crucial to create an environment where young leaders feel empowered to take risks, and to make mistakes and learn from them. Mistakes are inevitable, but it is how we grow and move forward from them that defines us.

While at Hutchison, I had the chance to serve as the President of Rogers Scholars. This experience taught me how to effectively manage a group of my peers – something I do today with members of my Advisory Council – and to never be afraid to say yes to an opportunity. Rogers Scholars and the Wilson Society opened my eyes to all the nonprofit world has to offer and inspired me to pursue a career in this field.

What do you do in your role with the Dallas Regional Chamber?

As a program manager, no two days in my role are the same – this is what I love most about my job. I work on a team with three other amazing women to facilitate our three leadership programs: LEAD YP, Young Professionals, and Leadership Dallas, though my role focuses on the first two.

My primary program, Young Professionals (YP), aims to connect emerging leaders of the Dallas Region to broaden their networks and perspectives while also developing leadership skills for the future of their careers. We offer monthly programming that engages our members in four core pillars: policy, civic engagement, leadership, and networking. LEAD YP is our six-month program that seeks to deepen members’ understanding of their leadership styles and prime them to grow into leaders who champion our region. 

My days are mostly spent planning for our monthly YP events by locating venues, sending invites, ordering catering, and writing remarks. I also have the opportunity to curate and design the programming for our LEAD YP program.

What are some of the challenges you face? What are the biggest rewards? 

As a young professional, it can be challenging to lead others who are in higher positions of power, or even to lead my own peers – I think many people in the workforce struggle with "imposter syndrome" and feeling that they don’t belong in a space because they’re too young or too inexperienced. Some of the best career advice I have received is to remember that people are just people, regardless of age, position, or years of experience, and this has helped me to assure myself that I can manage anything thrown my way.

Providing feedback and initiating difficult conversations is a key part of any leadership role. These conversations are never easy, especially with colleagues or friends, but are necessary for growth. Even though I consider myself to be an honest, straightforward person, it is easy to avoid having these conversations for fear of upsetting someone. However, I find that providing constructive feedback deepens the level of trust in a relationship rather than destroying it. Sometimes, the most difficult conversations lead to the best partnerships!

How did your Hutchison experience help you get to where you are today?

Hutchison instilled in me a strong sense of self-confidence and self-worth that I will always carry – I was never told that I couldn’t do something. I share my opinions with conviction and am empowered to stay strong in my views.

I credit Hutchison for teaching me to create my own path if there isn’t one already, and for giving me the tools to be successful no matter where I go.