Technology CEO discusses collaboration and the importance of networking

Tina Dolph, president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies (SGT), Inc., joined Aileen Black on Leaders and Legends to discuss leadership and the importance of taking care of your people.

SGT is the separate but affiliated U.S. government arm of technology powerhouse Siemens. With
project teams across and outside the U.S., SGT is a cleared provider of Siemens products, technologies and software to solve some of the most complex government challenges in energy, automation and digitalization.

An accomplished executive leader with more than two decades of government industry experience, Dolph has often led large, diverse teams through complex transitions.

She held wide-ranging operational and functional roles at leading federal contractors including Lockheed Martin, PAE and ASRC Federal. During her time at Lockheed Martin, she was instrumental in the company’s integration of and subsequent divestiture of PAE, where she served as executive vice president of Company Operations for a $2 billion enterprise. Most recently, she served as chief strategy officer at CRDF Global, a non-profit focused on promoting global safety, security and stability through science and innovation.

Dolph described her leadership style as one centered around the people she works with. She said she encourages her employees to share their thoughts even if they disagree with her because it’s important to “create an environment where your team can be their best selves and do their best work. Include them in decisions, motivate them and create a culture that they feel valued.”

It’s a lesson she learned early in her career while working in the finance program at Lockheed Martin. She learned there is only so much a leader can control, and so effective leaders need to build strong teams around them, to help them avoid any “blind spots” when making tough decisions.

Dolph added that she continues to grow as a leader because “The minute you start to be complacent you will struggle to be the great leader you need to be. I use coaches as mirrors to help implement action plans to improve. You need to take chances and get into your discomfort zone if you are going to continue to grow.”

She also offered some advice for the next generation of leaders, saying, “The price of admission is working smart and hard but to grow yourself and your career you have to network. People underestimate the importance of networking. It is important to invest the time and grow those relationships in and out of work.”

Dolph has been recognized throughout her career for her contributions to the government marketplace. She was recently named as a 2020 NVTC Tech 100 executive for leadership and innovation in the Greater Washington region’s technology community, and has been named twice to
Washington Executive’s “Top 25 Execs to Watch” list. She is also a three-time recipient of the Wash100 award from Executive Mosaic.

In addition, Dolph serves on the Northern Virginia Technology Council Board of Directors and the Board Council for the post-9/11 veteran and military family serving national nonprofit Hope for the Warriors.

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