ACL in Action: Rep. My-Linh Thai
Representative My-Linh Thai is the first refugee legislator in the state of Washington and an LE ’17 grad. Rep. Thai’s territory includes parts of Bellevue, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Newcastle and Issaquah. Even though the legislature is in session, Rep. Thai sat down with us to talk about how she uses adaptive community leadership every day.
How does ACL benefit the 41st Legislative District (parts of Bellevue, Mercer Island, Sammamish, Newcastle, Issaquah)?
A lot! Honestly, as far 41st legislative district goes, I am the first LE Graduate to serve at the state level, and that's kind of cool. It's a concrete way of serving the community.
What situation have you found yourself facing that needed an adaptive leadership approach?
When you experience disagreement from other legislators you expect them to be your natural ally, but that’s not always the case. That is when I found the understanding of adaptive leadership helpful. A lot of it is being able to not be sulky and bring both sides to the table, and using active listening skills. I have found these tactics to be successful in moving legislation forward. It takes a lot of energy to work with opposing opinions of natural allies.
In what other aspects of your life do you apply adaptive community leadership?
I take pause quite a bit in my everyday life. I don't jump to conclusions quickly and I’m very aware that there is not one way of dealing with issues. There is not one outcome that is the “best.” In my personal life, my college kids call with issues, and I listen attentively so I can help them see multiple different paths forward. People without the ability to see multiple outcomes and paths forward lose out on opportunities. Having ACL in the back of my mind is helpful as a parent. I learned when to share what I think and when to just listen. I’m proud that my daughter is able to consider her options without losing her values.
What are your greatest achievements?
Having the opportunity to talk with youth and hold space with them is my biggest achievement. When I was their age, I didn't speak a word of English, and being able to speak with them about how to pass a bill is very rewarding.
While I didn't plan to be a stage legislator, the work is everything I’ve prepared for. I’ve allowed myself to stay true to what to I wrote about when answering “What is your purpose?” in LE class. All along I knew my purpose was to be useful to others. I didn't want to live just for myself. What's the point of having an incredible opportunity and not using it? When the opportunity to be helpful came up. I was ready and I ran for the state legislative position. My greatest achievement is being able to find the opportunity to live up to my purpose.
Going forward, how do you see ACL playing a part in what you want to achieve next?
ACL continues to help me when facing difficult elements in this work. There are always difficult tasks in our life, life isn't black and white, it’s full of different roads. With ACL, I never feel as if I come to a dead end.
