Exploration Leadership: NASA Astronaut On Boldness And Belonging
'If only people could see how connected we are, we'd know we could explore this world and others.' With this reflection, former NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Air Force Colonel Cady Coleman inspired an audience of 1,500 at The Chicago Network's Women in the Forefront luncheon.
Coleman, a chemist, space scientist, veteran of two Space Shuttle missions and a six-month stint aboard the International Space Station, spoke not only about outer space, but about leadership, inclusion and determination here on Earth.
Among her long list of accomplishments, Coleman is also author of 'Sharing Space: An Astronaut's Guide to Mission, Wonder and Making Change,' where she serves up insights on how to adapt, beat expectations and coalesce a disparate team. Although her experience is truly unique, she serves up universal leadership lessons.
First and foremost, Coleman emphasized the value of connection.
'Build bridges,' she said. 'Find partners who don't do things the same way.' From collaborating with international teams aboard the ISS – including an Italian and a Russian, both men – to sharing a historic space-Earth flute duet with Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull, Coleman exemplifies how joy and curiosity can fuel exploration.
The day's moderator Michelle Miller of CBS News added her perspective that 'we belong – to people, purpose and place.' It's up to each of us to foster that belonging.
NASA Astronaut Cady Coleman
NASA
Coleman also shed light on the unseen barriers that prevent people from contributing fully. In training to become a spacewalker, a requirement for landing the International Space Station mission, she discovered NASA had eliminated size small and extra-large space suits to save money. The decision, while financially efficient, sidelined qualified astronauts, including women, whose bodies didn't fit the remaining sizes. In one meeting, a leader remarked, 'Don't worry, we will have enough spacewalkers,' implicitly accepting the exclusion of smaller-sized astronauts.
Coleman didn't give up. She showed up at meetings where she wasn't invited, absorbing knowledge and demonstrating quiet resilience. If she had not persisted and learned how to train in the too-big space suit, her opportunity to serve on the Space Station would have been delayed by 11 years, she said.
'Put in the work,' she advised. 'So when things get tough, your training kicks in.'
Coleman's stories weren't grim, they were energizing. She makes the struggle look joyful, not because it's easy, but because she chooses to lead with enthusiasm. That energy is contagious. In addition to her space-Earth flute collaboration, she showed clips of fellow astronauts playing baseball alone and photographing easily-recognized visuals like Cape Cod and the Great Lakes. Finding that joy expanded into positive and productive relationships with colleagues who were quite different from her.
Throughout her talk, Coleman returned again and again to honoring her influences. She pointed to pioneers who didn't always get their due, including aviation trailblazer Bessie Coleman, who moved to France and learned a new language to get her pilot's license due to race and gender discrimination, and NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson, whose story was widely shared in the film Hidden Figures.
Like them, Coleman's career reflects a quiet tenacity and a belief in showing others what's possible.
The Chicago Network, whose membership includes the city's most influential women leaders, exemplifies Coleman's dedication to allyship, including for the younger set. During the Q&A portion of the event, several women stepped aside to let an eight-year-old girl ask the final question: 'How do you become an astronaut?'
Coleman didn't talk about physics or math. She offered this: 'Let them know who you are. If they don't know who you are, people can't pick you.' She added that even something as humble as being a camp counselor signals leadership skills like logistics, patience, negotiation. Moderator Michelle Miller served up her own advice about seeking mentorship. She encouraged the young girl to follow up: 'Rush the stage and get Cady's contact info.'
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