Command Sergeant Major Donna Brock

The longest-serving enlisted female Soldier still on active duty will retire Oct. 24, after more than 35 years of service to the Army.

In her role as senior enlisted advisor to the surgeon general and command sergeant major, U.S. Army Medical Command, she dedicated some of her time to conducting female mentorship sessions across the Army. Here are the top five traits Brock believes a female leader needs to be successful in the Army:

1. Willingness to accept the hard jobs

Brock has served for the last two years alongside Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, the Army's first female surgeon general, and commanding general, MEDCOM. A dual-female command team is a rare occurrence on the nominative level, she said, but that did not deter either woman from the job.

"You do have a part to play, and you're important to us," Brock said she tells female Soldiers regularly. "The Army really needed me as a senior leader to encourage our females to take the hard jobs, to be the leaders, to compete for positions like command sergeant major."

2. The right attitude

Leaders who are successful have the right energy, motivation and attitude, Brock said.

When describing the right attitude, she said, someone who is "motivating, positive, upbeat -- they actually love what they do, and they make you want to come to work each day."

3. Good communication skills

It's no surprise, Brock said, that communication is key to good leadership.

"We're a people business. If you don't know how to talk to people and know how to motivate them and get the best out of them, then you're in the wrong business," Brock said.
Command Sergeant Major Donna Brock leaves behind a legacy of leadership and mentorship, and she said she looks forward to continuing that tradition in retirement.