Lessons Learned: Two Leaders Reflect on How and Why They Serve

Alison Hall Mauzé ’84

What are three rules you live by?

• Lead a life of integrity, honor, humility and service.
• Lead with compassion, respect and kindness.
• Elevate others.

How have these rules defined your leadership?

I have always understood that there are others who are smarter, faster, more creative, and able than I am, or ever will be, so the way to success has been to identify and enable others. Enabling talents to shine leads to the building of strong teams. The talent pool at Davidson is very deep, so the key was to encourage my colleagues to join me in the work and to bring their skills to bear.

Can you give an example?

Yes. I asked Anthony Foxx to consider becoming the vice chair and then shortly after that to become the chair of the Presidential Search Committee — dedicated time and leadership at a critical time for the college. How fortunate we all were to have him accept these roles and bring his talent so fully forward for Davidson. Such a star! Bring on talent and then get out of their way.

What do you view as your biggest personal success?

Raising four remarkable sons with Michael ’85. 

Raising the boys has been one of my greatest joys, the most amazing experience of my life. Each had special gifts that were a joy to witness — passion for music, love of reading, creative writing, natural leadership, athletic prowess and talent for problem solving. I will be eternally grateful and proud to have had the privilege of nurturing and loving them, of being their mother.

As the Trustees chair?

Leading through the pandemic was unbelievably challenging. There were no road maps or precedents to follow. I am profoundly grateful to President Quillen, the leadership team, trustees, Davidson’s extraordinary faculty and staff, and the resilient student community for all they did, individually and collectively, to take care of each other and make our community safe and strong.

I also deeply believe that Davidson’s exploration of its history as related to race and slavery has led to significant and meaningful change. We are a community based on a mission of inclusion and respect, and we are living that mission more honestly and successfully.

Finally, the board is much more representative of the broad Davidson community than when I joined in 2009. I am grateful for this representation as it reflects and extends who we are and how we most capably work.

Anthony Foxx ’93

What are three rules you live by?

• I keep my faith close. I consider it deeply personal, and it affects everything I do.
• Try to understand someone else before expecting to be understood.
• Titles come and go, so never get too caught up in them. The crucial work is making some sort of difference and giving others the confidence enough to do the same.

How have those rules defined your leadership?

I am guided by faith in all I do. I could not have charted my life as it has unfolded. So, I don’t try to chart it.

All of us are trying to be good people and do good things. What happens when someone else’s good crashes into mine? I try to understand what that person is thinking, what life experiences shaped his or her worldview and then I try to listen. Doing so may not change my own perspective — or it might. We live in a terribly polarizing time. But I try to practice with other people what I hope they will practice with me.

When I was in grade school, I wished for titles. I probably had a chip on my shoulder, a sense that my tiny life had no real importance to the world at-large. But then, as I learned more about leadership, I realized there is something much more profound and exhilarating involved: a chance to do something of significance to help other people.

Can you give an example?

Back when I was a college student, some of the Black staff members — the custodians, the cafeteria workers, the laundry staff — used to look at us with pride. I was in school and trying my hardest to figure out how to do well. But they were proud of us just because we were here. It’s a matter of perspective. I did not grow up in Davidson. I did not live across the tracks. I did not live through segregation and even the informal segregation that persisted long after segregation ended. But they did. It takes a degree of awareness and humility to understand what seeing Black students on this campus meant to them. So, I always spoke, I always minded my manners, I always said thank you. I wanted them to know that their lives were not in the background. They mattered and were part of how I managed to navigate my way through.

My friend and classmate Joe Cook was and is a deeply conservative guy, and he’s like a brother to me. Our relationship is built on mutual respect and appreciation, on a lot of time spent talking and growing up alongside each other. We had an equal curiosity about each other and the world. We could disagree strongly. Once you have a strong relationship like that with one person, it is hard to pigeon-hole anyone else.

What's your biggest personal success?

My children are my greatest point of pride. They are both very different. I see parts of myself in them. My daughter is a gunslinger like I was, meaning she has no fear of failure and carries an infinite belief in herself. My son is taller, more athletic and better looking. He gets those things from his mother! But he does connect easily with other people. He is a natural leader.