What can a children’s picture book about a school election teach about leadership? More than you might expect.

In this episode of Future Shapers, BRG Director Kelli Foy sits down with Rachel Gervin, assistant general counsel at NCR Voyix, to explore leadership, representation, and resilience through the lens of Grace for President by Kelly DiPucchio—the story of a young girl who notices there has never been a woman president and decides to do something about it.

Rachel reflects on the themes that drew her to the book as a mother of daughters: the weight of being “the first,” the reality that women so often feel they must be 110 percent prepared and check every box before raising their hand, and why representation matters at every level. She shares candid lessons from her own path: from becoming the first Black woman lawyer hired at a major Washington, DC, firm to serving as general counsel of a multinational software company. She also discusses the mindset she carried along the way: you are the captain of your own career.

The conversation dives into the difference between mentorship and sponsorship, why careers are rarely linear, and how leaders can use even the smallest moments—like the first three minutes of a virtual meeting—to build connections and create opportunities to shape the next generation of leaders.

Whether you are just starting out or leading a team today, remember that a career is a journey, not a destination—and the best leaders lift others as they climb.