Carrie Hoffman, 32, is foundation director at Parkview Whitley Hospital in Columbia City.
Community and leadership involvement: Hoffman is on the Whitley County Chamber of Commerce Board, is member of the Rotary Club and is on the South Whitley Public Library Board. She was 2010 campaign chairwoman for United Way for Whitley County.
Most recent accomplishments: Began work on a master’s of science in management with a health care concentration through Indiana Wesleyan University, Fort Wayne, and will complete classes in February 2012 and graduate in April. She received the 2011 Excellence in Servant Leadership Award from Leadership Whitley County. She was part of the Leadership Whitley County Class of 2010. Also, Hoffman began her job with Parkview this summer after previously working at Indiana Wesleyan in corporate development.
What makes a leader: “Someone who is confident but knows their weaknesses and is not afraid to admit those and fill that hole,” Hoffman said. “I’ve felt connected to leaders who have said, ‘Oh, goodness I’m not good at that, but so and so is.’ ”
Leadership traits you most value: Honesty and integrity; good listening skills; and someone who is goal-oriented.
Best leadership book you’ve read: “Good to Great” by Jim Collins. “That’s the one I go back to as my leadership bible,” she said.
Best ways to overcome self-doubt: Hoffman said she sometimes writes down her thoughts and focuses on what she has already accomplished at age 32. Sometimes, she may simply look in the mirror and encourage herself, saying, “Hey, you can do this or you can overcome this.” Hoffman said she has been fortunate to work with some leaders who have let her know it’s OK to take risks, even though some initiatives may not turn out as she hoped. Hoffman also said her husband is supportive.
Time management tips: Writing things down and keeping an up-to-date calendar. Hoffman said she is a “list person” who knows how to prioritize. “I don’t get caught up in if I have to push something to tomorrow,” she said. “I get done today what has to be done.”
Role model(s) and why: Hoffman’s late grandmother Julie Erskine, who lived in Toledo. She raised two children as a single parent in the 1950s when divorce had more of a stigma. “She was the provider of her family, the leader of her family. She was a strong woman,” Hoffman said. “I’ve just grown to respect her probably now more than when she was alive.”
Describe one leadership challenge and how you resolved it: Hoffman noted that leaders always face conflict at some point, and she’s a firm believer in approaching it directly, partly because she values being able to sleep at night. “If somebody has honked me off, I go to them right away, or if I think I’ve offended somebody, I go to them,” Hoffman said. “I’m a peacemaker by nature.”
Email and voice mail make some communication easier, but Hoffman knows those tools can also complicate relationships.
“The other day, it seemed like I’d had a disagreement on email and I picked up the phone and said ‘Can you come and talk to me?’ ” Hoffman said. “Sometimes a two-minute conversation can really clear things up.”
What are your goals: “I just want to be the best mother to my children and make a difference for my community,” Hoffman said. “I wouldn’t say I strive to be a CEO or CFO; I just want to go home and be able to say I helped somebody today and go home and know that my kids love me.”
Hobbies: Scrapbooking, shopping, camping and boating with family. And Hoffman said she is “slowly finding enjoyment in reading again books that aren’t textbooks.”
Family: Husband, Marcus Hoffman; children, two sons, Aiden, 8, and Logan, 5.
Compiled by Lisa Green, The Journal Gazette
