Leading in Times of Challenge with Cindy Axne

Cindy Axne is a U.S. Representative for Iowa’s third congressional district. She was elected to Congress in 2018 and began her term in 2019. She has offices in Washington, DC, Council Bluffs, Creston and Des Moines. Cindy previously served under Governors Vilsack, Culver and Branstad. She and her husband have also been small business owners for 18 years. Cindy is a proponent for employees, citing them as the most valuable resources you can have in your organization. As a manager, Cindy discusses wanting to ensure that employees had a voice, saying you’re only as good as your people.

Cindy Axne Leadership Tips

Cindy discusses how her leadership style is to hire good people and give them the resources to get things done. She says to stay positive during difficult times, her team went back to the goals they had set out prior to the challenging time. Cindy speaks about the way in which she recharges for the next day of work, including figuring out how to turn off at the end of the day and be more present in the moment. She says that turning off helps you to understand the priorities you’re facing and by doing so you allow for more innovative ideas to present themselves.

The Leading in Times of Challenge podcast was previously produced by the Greater Des Moines Partnership. To learn more about community events and leadership, check out The Partnership blog.