A Q&A with Elizabeth Kidd on leadership

Elizabeth “Liz” Kidd is helping chart the people-first course at DLA Disposition Services as the organization’s Culture Champion and Strategy Planner, a role she describes as pivotal to aligning mission and workplace experience. “My role as the DLA Disposition Services Culture Champion and Strategy Planner is to help leadership connect business and culture goals, ensuring DLA Disposition Services becomes DLA’s Major-Subordinate Command of choice,” she said.

Kidd joined the Defense Logistics Agency a little more than a year and a half ago after 15 years in private-sector human resources focused on employee relations and culture and engagement strategy. She holds a master’s degree in human resources from Central Michigan University.

Asked what draws her to the work, Kidd was unequivocal. “My favorite part of this line of work is the people.” She said she uses data to understand the “why,” connecting mission and strategy to culture to identify opportunities for improvement.

Her leadership philosophy centers on listening over leaping to solutions. “When working with people, it’s absolutely important to listen. It’s human nature, especially in leadership roles, to be in “fixer mode,” but in most cases, employees are not asking you to fix the concern,” she said, adding that trust built through understanding enables candor when it’s needed. “I seek to understand.”

Kidd emphasizes mindset in navigating change. “With any kind of change, it’s all about mindset,” she said. “Negative thinking is an easier default for the brain, so being positive takes practice, but the experience is much more rewarding when you maintain a positive outlook.”

Her motivation is simple and steady: “Learning. Learning has always kept me motivated.” She grounds execution in routine and preparation. “Making planning time a priority is my top best practice, and utilizing daily standard work tasks sets me up for a successful day.”

Kidd credits a piece of advice from a former leader with shaping how she handles difficult moments: when tensions rise, pause and consider perspective. “It reminded me to pause,” she said, noting that calm, experience-focused interactions can change outcomes for everyone involved.

On professional connections, Kidd said she prizes relationships that broaden perspective and open doors, noting you never know when a conversation could spark a new opportunity. Looking back, she has no regrets. “I wouldn’t change anything.”

Kidd’s ties to military service run deep—spanning her grandfather, father and husband—and her family life reflects that commitment. She and her husband, Josiah, have two children and spend weekends on the soccer pitch when they’re not traveling. Early in life, she lived in Germany and still seeks out castles, a nod to childhood memories abroad.

Her first job, as an HR and front office assistant at a retirement community, became a gateway to a career centered on people. She later joined DLA as a Labor and Employee Relations Specialist. Even before she came on staff, the agency left a lasting impression. “Even before I was on staff, the warm welcome I received was like nothing else, and ultimately, that is why I sought to be a part of the team.”

Kidd keeps a favorite line close at hand: “A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.”