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The Path To Leadership
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The Path To Leadership
Beyond the Gavel: A Judge's Leadership Journey
What does it mean to carry your professional identity everywhere you go? Judge Courtney Boehm of Kansas's 8th Judicial District pulls back the curtain on her journey from public defender to the bench, revealing the surprising reality that she's "never not a judge" – even during routine trips to Walmart.
Throughout our candid conversation, Judge Boehm shares vulnerable insights about battling imposter syndrome in a high-stakes role. "Were they right? Am I supposed to be here? Do I really know what I'm doing?" These questions haunted her early days on the bench, but through supportive relationships and self-awareness, she learned to recognize self-doubt for what it was – not reality. Her powerful advice rings true for professionals at any level: "If you're in the room, you belong in the room. Someone saw something in you."
The discussion takes turns through the power of networking, the value of mentorship, and the struggle with setting boundaries. Judge Boehm's biggest career misstep? Saying yes too often and becoming overextended. "By saying no to certain things, I can focus on what truly matters," she reflects, highlighting how selective commitment actually enhances leadership impact rather than limiting it. Whether you're navigating a legal career or any leadership path, this episode offers authentic wisdom from someone who's learned to balance professional responsibility with personal wellbeing. Subscribe now and join our growing community of leaders committed to authentic growth and connection.
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One of my favorite. We've had so much fun getting to know each other over the year. Welcome to Path to Leadership.
Speaker 2:I'm excited to be here. Thank you for inviting me Of course, of course.
Speaker 1:Well, before we jump into everything, can you just tell everyone who you are, what you do and all that good stuff?
Speaker 2:Sure, my name's Courtney Boehm. I'm a district court judge for the 8th Judicial District. That district covers Geary, marion, morris and Dickinson counties, but I live and work primarily in Geary County, junction City, perfect.
Speaker 1:Well, and I don't know that I ever shared this with you, but when I was growing up I wanted to be a lawyer, and then I looked at how much school you had to go through and I'm like, maybe not. And then, on the back end, I still went to way too much school, but your career took you through so many roles in the legal profession, from public defender, county attorney, private practice and now a district court judge. So what brought you to law and what keeps you there? What makes you passionate about it?
Speaker 2:you to law and what keeps you there, what makes you passionate about it? Yeah, so I knew starting in college that I wanted to enter a profession where I was helping people, where I was serving my community and I was serving others. Started as a nursing major, ended up with a teaching degree and then went on to law school. So that's kind of what got me into the legal field Started, like you said, as a public defender, which was the best first job as a lawyer, because I got a lot of experience right off the bat in the courtroom and then also really could see that direct impact, working with my clients, guiding them through the process, and I really found what I enjoy doing where I was helping others and coming through.
Speaker 2:And as a judge, I still feel that I still can see that. So when I have people in court be it for criminal or for domestic, when they leave they might not be happy with what happened, but I want them to feel like they at least could say their piece, that someone listened and that they actually got their day in court and that they felt like they could be heard. And so that's how I feel, like I can still have that impact on community by giving people a place to voice their concerns.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it's so fascinating too. We all watch the TV shows and the Judge Judy's and if you're old school like me, 49 year old like People's Court Wapner and all that stuff. What surprised you most when you became a judge?
Speaker 2:I think what surprised me the most was just that I'm never not a judge anymore. So even when I'm not at work, even when I'm at Walmart, even when I'm anywhere, people still call me judge and I'm still seen as a judge, and so that's been a big change where I don't ever feel like I'm off the clock. I'm always in my community where people know me. I still have to present myself a certain way, act a certain way, because I'm I'm the judge, and so it really surprised me how many people at the position and then really hold those in that position to a higher. They have higher expectations for you. I feel like.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it makes sense and I think people in many different professions go into it and don't really you know. You think about teachers and when you see your teacher in the grocery store you're like what are you doing? Absolutely, I eat sandwiches too. Yeah, and I saw that exact thing of you being a judge and the judge our time with Leadership Kansas. I referred to you as the judge right, and that was so much fun. It brought all of us together, this really unique group. So I think we learned and saw throughout the state what was your biggest takeaways from the experience.
Speaker 2:I really saw the power of connection, just how important it is to maintain old relationships to meet in new ones. So I had a network in the legal field and I had lawyers and judges. I knew, but I really didn't quite realize how isolated I was until I went through this experience and met people from all sorts of different industries and I just I have reached out to people multiple times since we graduated. It's just, it's amazing how many things that we've made and then how often the need to come up to talk to those connections and to follow up with people comes up all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it's interesting too, because I had never done anything like this either. And it, I guess, cause you're traveling by bus and you're spending so much time together. You just it's a very intense connection. Yes, from the beginning.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I was surprised at how close we all got. I knew we were going to be a united group and we had all these experiences together, but really by the end we are a very tight knit group, with our group me messages almost on a daily basis and then all the different get togethers that are going on throughout the state. It's just, it's amazing how close we've all gotten.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. I don't know if your son has experienced this, but my kids. Last last week we were in Wichita for my son's school and my son sets our plans and I'm like, well, we're having lunch with my leadership Kansas friends, and then we're having dinner with some friends, and then we're having breakfast with my Leadership Kansas friends and my husband says we can't go anywhere in the state without seeing your friends.
Speaker 2:Now yeah, your Leadership, Kansas connections Right right.
Speaker 1:Well, and through the time we all spent together we got to have so many really great conversations. I think that was probably some of my favorite things is getting to know what is good and bad and what we're doing well and what we're struggling with. And I just wonder, with you in such a high stakes role as a judge, have you ever faced imposter syndrome or anything along those lines with your role and what you're doing?
Speaker 2:those lines with with your role and and what you're doing, yeah, so, um, I know, when I first took the bench, um, I remember sitting in my office before I had court and just being like, were they, is this right? Like, did they? Am I supposed to be here? Like, do I really know what I'm doing? My mom has always been a great support for me and she's always encouraged me and so much confidence in me and by talking to her and having her to reach out to, she helped me recognize it for what it was, which was just self-doubt, not reality.
Speaker 2:I went through a rigorous process. I was it, I was chosen, I've been trained, I know what I'm doing, and so it's just that self-doubt, that voice in my head, that was just kind of undermining me and I feel like I've gotten over it for the most part. I've been on the bench now for six years, but I know whenever I'm in a new situation even Leadership Kansas at the beginning, meeting everybody and hearing everybody's titles and accomplishments, it's like, am I supposed to be here? So it's just a constant thing. I have to. You know, I hear I recognize it for what it is and then come to work through it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think it's interesting, I tell people all the time. I have that voice in my head. That's always like what are you doing? And I was telling someone the other day. Every time I go up to publicly speak or do something forward-facing, I still hear my mentor from 1997 was the very first time I ever gave a public speech and when I came off stage he was like we need to work on that. And he didn't mean it in an unkind way, but still to this day, like anytime going in front of people, I still hear that voice in my head.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, it's definitely something that comes up whenever I'm in like new experience or if I'm thinking of doing something new, and just that doubt and trying to work through it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what I would imagine in your role. You get an opportunity to meet young professionals, not just in the legal profession, but just all across your area. So how do you help them? You're thinking maybe I don't belong in the room or maybe I'm in over my head, like. What advice do you have to them?
Speaker 2:Yes, I think the first thing is, if you're in the room, you belong in the room. So either someone saw something in you, either your potential, your skills, maybe your perspective. If you're in the room, you're supposed to be in the room and I think recognizing that and just kind of knowing that you're supposed to be in the room and I think recognizing that and just kind of knowing that you're supposed to be there, kind of doing a better frame of mind about it. But I think also just as important is your network. So either, like me it was my mom, I can call her and she'll be my cheerleader I think it could be a friend, a mentor. Um Holly is someone that you can reach out to and trust and just say, hey, this is how I'm feeling, and just kind of um encouragement, that reminder that you know it's not reality, you're where you're supposed to be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think it's so important and I think, um, and mentors and I didn't really know about mentors early in my career, it's not something that, um, I came up which is weird because I came up through HR, but it wasn't a big thing back in the day Um, so did you have any, any mentors who were specifically impactful in your career, and what lessons did they teach you?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So I think one of my first real professional mentors was when I was County attorney um in Marion County. So the district judge there was very approachable with all the attorneys. He was someone you could go to with questions about things and we've just kind of this relationship. And then now he's still someone that I can go to when I have like career.
Speaker 2:So if I'm thinking about Kansas or I'm thinking about applying for a position, I can kind of him, I can bounce ideas off of him. I'm here from the bench. Now he's still somebody based on his experience that I feel like I can go to get a reality check sometimes and then also get some ideas about you know how to achieve my goals. So Kansas has the Kansas Women Attorneys Association which I'm now involved with but I didn't know about it when I was a new attorney and so that has mentors. It has this you know attorneys and judges go to and I try to tell everybody I know about that because I really wish I had had that as a new attorney work I could turn to to to go to with those questions. So that was just I didn't realize that there are a lot of resources in the state. Sometimes you, just someone has to tell you about them, you know.
Speaker 1:You don't think to go looking for them because you just you don't know what. You don't know Exactly, exactly Well, and I always tell people I didn't have a mentor, you know, up through my career, but I now have a board of advisors and I love that. You keep bringing up your mom, so my co-chair is at my board of advisors. It's my husband, who will be brutally honest, which you know five years you're like. Thank you, I appreciate it. And one of my closest friends and we have quarterly boards, just her and I, and we'll go out to dinner and we, while we love our families, we just talk about business and it's really powerful to have someone that you can make those decisions with.
Speaker 2:How long have you been doing that for have?
Speaker 1:someone that you can make those decisions with. How long have you been doing that for? Oh gosh, we have been doing it. Oh well, it's so funny Our daughters. We became friends when our daughters were in third grade together, and so now both of our daughters are now juniors in college, so probably about fifth or sixth grade. We started doing that because we were surrounded by really amazing people, but they didn't have the type of jobs we had where we were kind of leadership roles. We just needed someone that would say you know what that's a bad decision or that's a good decision, or or someone that's always in your corner, no matter what.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I haven't heard of that before, that's a really cool idea.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, it's fun. And then I have other people that come in and out of my board of advisors, depending on what I need and like finance or especially building a company. Sometimes I need marketing person, sometimes I need finance, but I always need those kind of like your mom, that's like, here's your rock.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly, I heard my dad had been very supportive and very encouraging and I know, no matter what's going on, personal or professional, there are two people I can reach out to and they'll give me a reality check, but then they'll also sometimes just be my cheerleader, which is what I need.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, and I would imagine, cause your son is 10, correct, right, yeah, yeah, kids are always such a great. Reality check for us too. Yeah, kids are always such a great reality check for us too.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, out of what I'm doing. Ever since he was a baby I've had to bring, I've brought him to work and so he's come up around law offices and courthouses and around a lot. So I actually ended up having to take off a year I was working as an attorney, ended up having to take off a year I was working as an attorney, had child care unavailability, so I took a year off time work and then got back into it and yeah, he's been a baby, he's been around it, so he's kind of seen progress throughout my career and yeah, he's been great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's so cool. Well, and it's so funny because today, as we're recording this, it'll come out later, but today's my son's 23rd birthday. And it's so funny because today, as we're recording this, it'll come out later, but today's my son's 23rd birthday and it's which I cannot believe. I have a 23 year old. But I think everyone always says there's just such a special relationship between mother and son and I think it's really great when sons can see their moms kind of be a badass. Yeah, yeah, we can do it all. Yeah, and so you know, thinking about your career and coming through, is there a piece of leadership advice that you receive that's come to you throughout your career?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that something I've been told is you don't have to have all the answers, but you have to be willing to listen and learn. And I think that sometimes, you know, when I started, I felt like I needed to prove myself, so I needed to talk a lot and I needed to throw my opinion in. But there can be a lot of power and learning and taking a step back and listening and hearing other people's perspectives and then your input, as you can. But that was really impactful for me because I just as you can, but that was really impactful for me because I just I thought I had to know all the answers. I thought I had to know it all to be successful. But you really can learn as you go and be willing to learn and listen to others. It's been very helpful. I've never been afraid now of asking questions. I have a case that I need to go over with a colleague talking to a colleague about it and not being, you know, afraid of just talking it out and listening to someone's perspective about it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that's so interesting. I think it comes back to that imposter syndrome where it's like realize you don't always have to be the smartest person in the room. That's okay, right.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and sometimes I think just kind of for that and being willing to listen and ask questions you know more impactful and more helpful.
Speaker 1:And yeah, you've said listen a couple of times and I tell people all the time I love uncomfortable silence because I think it allows, like it's to kind of allows you to breathe. But also I find when when you allow, allow for uncomfortable silence, people will just keep talking and tell you things, and I would imagine your position. That's pretty good too. People just keep. I'm just going to fill this, this silence here. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely you don't have to. Yeah, I can let things be quiet for a little bit.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah. Well, at the end of every show, I ask the same question, and the reason I ask this question is I want people to understand that your journeys are not clean or straight or perfect. Even how we plan them out, it's not going to always work. So so this is my favorite question to ask to the level you're comfortable sharing what's the biggest leadership or career misstep you've taken?
Speaker 2:I think that, um, kind of like the general, um, I really struggled with saying no and overextending myself.
Speaker 2:Um, at the beginning I may have gone too many cases.
Speaker 2:Um, I took on too many cases, took on too many responsibilities and getting involved in the community, took on too many board positions and you know, to get involved with so many organizations, which led me to just being spread way too thin, and then I couldn't do a good job at any of them because I was just you know, and so that was something that happened, because I was just you know, and so that was something that happened and kind of was a wake up call.
Speaker 2:And you realize, by saying no to certain things, I can what truly matters and really put my full self into maybe just a certain number of activity family and so that was something that I kind of, at the gate, a hundred miles an hour, I said yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, and then was too overextended and wasn't able to perform to my you know. So that was something that you could pivot, could say no and back out of some commitments, but it was an important lesson to learn at that level before you moved on to where I'm at now. And by saying yes to too many things can just kind of get you in trouble and can just make it so you're not performing at your best.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think that's such a powerful lesson and I think, yeah, in our career we're afraid to say no, because what if it doesn't come back around? And it's like, well then, maybe that wasn't your door Right, exactly Well, thank you so much. I have loved getting to know you over this last year. I cannot believe the new class is getting ready to start.
Speaker 2:That is crazy.
Speaker 1:I know it feels like we just started, so I need to add another group into the Leadership Kansas family and, more importantly, for us to have these amazing connections. I'm thankful. Thanks for joining me today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was wonderful. Thank you, Katie.
Speaker 1:You are so welcome. All right, everyone. Well, thanks for joining. That's a leadership and I will talk to you next time. Bye, everyone.
