87. Leading as a Generalist with Trail Blazers Senior Vice President of Innovation & Technology Christa Stout

87. Leading as a Generalist with Trail Blazers’ Senior VP of Innovation & Technology Christa Stout

 

Introducing Christa Stout

Today I’m talking to Senior Vice President of Innovation & Technology for the Portland Trail Blazers Christa Stout about leading as a generalist.

Her Career Journey

Christa earned her bachelors from Connecticut College and went on to play professional soccer internationally. She worked in sport and international development in South Africa, Australia, Central & South America, and Europe. Her next move was earning her MBA in International Business at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey after she became interested in corporate social responsibility. She then worked with the Portland Timbers first as the Director of Community Relations. Staying in the world of Portland professional sports, Christa began working with the Portland Trail Blazers Foundation in social responsibility and diversity, equity, and inclusion before her current role.

Leading as a Generalist

Christa’s work in international development required her to be resourceful and has given her more skills than can easily fit on a resume. Every situation required her to quickly learn new topics and lead teams into the unknown. This combination of experiences and her personality have made Christ the definition of a generalist. In her current role, she leads a team of technology specialists while always considering the big picture.

Inside this episode:

  • Despite playing sports in college and soccer professionally, Christa didn’t realize that she could have a career in sports until much later.
  • Christa worked internationally for many years, traveling to all corners of the globe with numerous non-profits. She turned to other jobs and bartending when her work in non-profits was on a volunteer basis or did not pay enough to make rent. 
  • Career advancement in international development is anything but a straight path. Christa took advantage of every opportunity offered to her and developed more skills that she could list on a resume. 
  • She began to consider the impact that multi-national corporations could have in developing areas and became interested in corporate social responsibility.
  • Christa describes how going to business school was like learning another language.
  • When it came time to find a job after earning her MBA, Christa wrote out her values and exactly what she was looking for in the workplace.
  • As a generalist responsible for leading specialists in their fields, she keeps a growth mindset to continue learning the ins and outs of every task. 
  • Christa advises everyone to learn their strengths and double down on them.

Resources

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