Episode #3
Kathleen Hicks: Leading the Pentagon as the First Woman in the Room
Kathleen Hicks became the first Senate-confirmed woman to serve as Deputy Secretary of Defense, the highest-ranking woman in the department's history. She left the role in January 2025, her third time leaving government, after three decades building a career she never approached as a burden to carry, but as a duty to hand off. This is a Work Unscripted conversation about leadership, confidence, and what it actually takes to lead the Pentagon as a woman in a role no woman had held before. In this episode: What her first week of civilian life looked like after leaving the Pentagon Why she calls public service jobs a duty and not something you own The weight, or lack of it, she felt as the first woman in her role How she built confidence without ever claiming to have all the answers Her advice to young women navigating doubt and discrimination at work CHAPTERS Leaving the Pentagon: what freedom looked like in week one Three exits from government and what changed each time Being the first woman as Deputy Secretary of Defense Confidence, curiosity, and why she never claims to know everything Advice for young women in mission-driven careers
