Female Leadership

Renee Whitby is an educator in her 17th school year. After teaching middle school social studies for over ten years, she transitioned to the role of Partnerships and Placements Manager for Towson University's College of Education (COE). Renee lives in Perry Hall with her 10-year-old son Everett and husband, Don, who is also an educator.

In the below Q+A, we dig a little deeper into Renee's wisdom on the topic of female leadership. Read to learn more about our incredible featured writer this month, and be sure to check out her full article in our June issue of En Root!

This month's theme is all about female leadership. Tell us how this theme has played a role in your personal or professional life.

I have been led by women my entire professional career! When I was a teacher, both of my principals were women and two out of three of my department chairs were women. The Dean, Associate Dean, and Assistant Dean were women for a majority of the six years that I have been in the College of Education (COE) at Towson University (TU). While teaching has been a historically female-dominated profession, the current Dean is the first female Dean of the COE. I am grateful to have had and continue to have so many female leaders as role models.

At OutGrowth, we believe in designing the space and time to reimagine the path forward. How do you think reexamining our approach to leadership can influence how we build our careers and lives?

For me, it is intertwined. We need to continually reexamine our approach to leadership to maintain fulfilling yet manageable careers and lives. After a few years in my current role, I realized that treating every issue as urgent was not sustainable and not very effective. We usually come to better decisions when we have time to gather additional perspectives and data. I think that leadership has traditionally been viewed as the ability to make swift decisions and people often equate solving a problem quickly by being responsive. We need to redefine responsiveness by taking an immediate step to gather more data rather than making an immediate decision.

What is one hard lesson you learned in this past year that contributed to your growth?

There may be times where you need to rely on your relationships and ask for flexibility in deviating from an agreed upon course of action. As much as we try to be detail-oriented, we all make mistakes and it’s okay to ask your colleagues to change the plan when you are in a tight spot. If you have been giving grace and understanding to others, they will do the same for you, and you shouldn’t shy away from proposing a change.

What is one competency or skill you hope to develop in 2026?

This year, I hope to develop my ability to “lean in” during tough conversations and solicit more information when facing hesitancy or resistance. I want to be able to ask “are you concerned about that?” rather than preemptively jumping to reassurance when I sense there is a concern in the conversation. It’s a nuanced skill and requires me to dig into hesitancy rather than try to dissolve it.

What inspires you?

I am inspired by my former students! I have had a few full circle moments where I have run into my former middle school students in my position at TU and I am so proud to hear about their growth and accomplishments. A few of them are even becoming teachers and they love to share the impact of their favorite teacher from the school where I taught. It reminds me of the immense impact of teachers and the importance of education.

At OutGrowth, we believe in preparing the next generation of leaders. What is one resource you'd recommend to those looking to carve out the time for growth in the next year?

I would recommend The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, with particular emphasis on the Sphere of Influence. For a leader, understanding the Circle of Influence versus the Circle of Concern helps develop emotional intelligence and resource management. Proactive leaders focus their energy on the Circle of Influence (things they can change) rather than their Circle of Concern (things they cannot change). By helping team members identify what is within their direct control, the leader reduces burnout and keeps the group focused on actionable goals rather than external frustrations.

What's next? What are you excited about in the coming year?

I am in the first year of a four-year appointment as the TU representative on the Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission. This Commission develops the application and interview process for the four at-large seats on BCPS Board of Education. The Commission also interviews applicants and recommends candidates to the Governor for an at-large seat appointment. I am excited to serve BCPS in this capacity as it is the largest district partner for the COE.