Aaron Williams talks about the Importance of Mentoring



"South Africa in those days was like Paris or Rome or London, that size of an embassy. Fifteen different agencies on the country team, all vying to show how they're furthering the United States' support of Nelson Mandela and his Cabinet. Those are conditions where you could have had a lot of interagency rivalries and battles, but none of that occurred because the Ambassador set the tone and provided leadership, so that we all worked together as a team." President Obama named RPCV Aaron Williams the Director of the Peace Corps on July 14, 2009.

Aaron Williams talks about the Importance of Mentoring

Working for change

By Jennifer M. Brinkerhoff

Aaron Williams was interviewed the book "Working for Change," a book that focuses on development management positions in international service employment and offers guidance on finding the right mix of service objectives, degree programs, job opportunities and personal lifestyle choices.

[Excerpt]

Especially at the beginning of his career, Aaron Williams placed a higher priority on his ability to learn from good leaders and managers than he did on salary, benefits, or location.

Aaron Williams was mentored and also learned by example during his work at USAID. For example, James Michel, former Ambassador to Guatemala, was the USAID Latin America Bureau Chief when Aaron Williams became Deputy Director. Aaron learned from him, incorporating some of Ambassador Michel's management style into his ow and eventually assumed his positon. "Everyone had a fair hearing. No one felt that they didn't have a chance to present their views on any given issue, and he listened very carefully. and listening is a very important part of being a good leader."

Later, in South Africa, Aaron benefited from the leadership style of Ambassador James Joseph, who set a climate for teamwork. "South Africa in those days was like Paris or Rome or London, that size of an embassy. Fifteen different agencies on the country team, all vying to show how they're furthering the United States' support of Nelson Mandela and his Cabinet. Those are conditions where you could have had a lot of interagency rivalries and battles, but none of that occurred because the Ambassador set the tone and provided leadership, so that we all worked together as a team."

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: January, 2005; Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams; Peace Corps Directors; Peace Corps Dominican Republic; Directory of Dominican Republic RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Dominican Republic RPCVs; Peace Corps Headquarters; USAID; Peace Corps South Africa; Directory of South Africa RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for South Africa RPCVs

When this story was posted in July 2009, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Obama names Peace Corps Director President Obama has nominated RPCV Aaron Williams for Peace Corps Director. Williams served as a PCV in the Dominican Republic from 1967 to 1970 and has spent 40 years working in international development . "It's exciting to have a nominee who served in the Peace Corps and also has experience in international development and management," says Senator Chris Dodd. Our congratulations to Williams and thanks to the President for making an excellent choice to lead the Peace Corps.

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