Pivot: Getting the Best of Both Worlds

I’ve always been motivated by messy problems. After college, I worked as a field organizer trying to flip a tough gubernatorial seat and at a think tank focused on alleviating poverty. Being in those roles really drove home the idea that if I wanted to make progress on messy problems, a business toolkit would be invaluable — which is why I decided to come to Stanford.

I entertained growing up in consulting, because it was intellectually satisfying, my colleagues were brilliant, and it was fast-paced. But you don’t get to be in the operator’s seat, and I wanted to own outcomes.

When I decided to leave consulting, I didn’t know my next step. I got great advice: “Do not accept any offer until you stop running a hundred miles an hour and clear space to think.” And I’m so glad I did. It was not being in the grind and reflecting on what I wanted that enabled me to say yes to this job.

I’ve thought about how we make cities better for a long time. For me, there was no better place than San Francisco to work on this. This city had been through a tough few years — basically at the same time, we were hit with multiple crises: pandemic, fentanyl, public safety, and economic exodus. And Mayor Lurie was laser-focused on fixing this: To bring San Francisco back, we were going to invest in public safety, revitalize the local economy, and treat homelessness as a behavioral health crisis. That was galvanizing to me.

In this role, I get the best of both worlds. It’s still deeply analytical, because it’s about defining the city’s strategy around homelessness, addiction, and mental health disorders. But it’s also about meeting with community groups, the board of supervisors, and our service providers to make progress. I’m constantly in partnership with city departments, asking: What’s working? What’s stuck? And how do we move it forward?

One lesson I’ve learned is that public policy rarely has simple answers. Reasonable people can and will disagree. If you can’t listen and navigate that, you’re not going to be successful. The leaders I admire can hold multiple truths at once and build real, cross-cutting coalitions to chart a path forward.

Earlier in my career, I was advising clients and organizations. Today, I’m responsible for delivering outcomes to the residents of San Francisco. It’s hard work, but I get to spend every day tackling messy problems that matter with people who care deeply about solving them. That’s exactly where I want to be. — Told to Amara Holstein