Leading with Heart: Alisha Simpson- Watt of Collaborative ABA Services On The Power of Authentic Women’s Leadership

An Interview With Pirie Jones Grossman

Being able to reflect on yourself as a leader is important. Being authentic also entails knowing your own strengths and limitations as you grow as a leader. Remembering our own personal experiences shape our behaviors and how we respond to the behaviors of others. We all have stress at work and in our personal lives, but a leader needs to be able to recognize signs of stress in themselves as well as others, be able to maintain professionalism, accept feedback, and adapt to stress effectively.

In today’s dynamic world, the concept of leadership is continuously evolving. While traditional leadership models have often been male-dominated, there is a growing recognition of the unique strengths and perspectives that women bring to these roles. This series aims to explore how women can become more effective leaders by authentically embracing their femininity and innate strengths, rather than conforming to traditional male leadership styles. In this series, we are talking to successful women leaders, coaches, authors, and experts who can provide insights and personal stories on how embracing their inherent feminine qualities has enhanced their leadership abilities. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Alisha Simpson-Watt, LCSW, BCBA, LBA, executive clinical director and founder of Collaborative ABA Services, LLC

Alisha Simpson-Watt LCSW, BCBA, LBA, is the executive clinical director and founder of Collaborative ABA Services, LLC, an award winning accredited behavioral health practice. She is also a part-time school social worker and board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) for an inner-city school district. Alisha has extensive experience working with children and families impacted by various developmental and behavioral disorders across home, school, and community settings. Alisha specializes in applied behavior analysis and autism spectrum disorder. Alisha has conducted trainings and presentations to parents/caregivers and providers in school, home, and community settings on different topics including but not limited to autism spectrum disorder, mental health, parenting, applied behavior analysis, and behavior strategies for working with children of all abilities.

Alisha’s credentials include a Masters in Social Work with a specialization in working with women and children in families, family development credential, certification and licensure as a board certified behavior analyst, licensed clinical social worker, certified school social worker, and Certificate in Educational Leadership and School Intermediate Administrator. Alisha is a proud mom of 3 who enjoys cooking, and balancing time between work and family.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion about authentic, feminine leadership, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

Absolutely. I initially started out in the medical field studying as a nursing student and working as a certified nurse assistant. I always wanted to help others since I was younger. It turned out that my future plans of being a pediatric nurse practitioner turned into becoming a social worker after being interested in social services. I guess everything happens for a reason as I landed a job as a family service worker for an inner-city anti-poverty agency helping families of children ages 0–5 access resources in their community. From that point on, I wanted to grow as a social worker, going back to school and eventually landing a job as an intensive in-home child and adolescent psychiatric services clinician for youth involved in the juvenile justice system at risk for residential placement and hospitalization. From there, I found myself in a new position as school social worker for an inner-city school district. My career path continued to grow as I worked with a diverse population of students with different social-emotional and behavioral challenges including students with autism.

As a school social worker, I soon realized a need for more providers in the field of autism and applied behavior analysis as there were limited programs available for the population despite the increase in students impacted by developmental disabilities. As a result, there were lengthy waitlists for services in addition to limited mental health professionals that had training and experience in the field of applied behavior analysis and autism. The shortage motivated me to return to school in 2014 to obtain an additional specialty in applied behavior analysis and also become a board-certified behavior analyst leading me to my role today as the executive clinical director and founder of Collaborative ABA Services, LLC.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Most interestingly, as I started to learn more about autism, I started to realize that I too was an individual impacted by autism not only as a professional, but also from a personal perspective. Early in my career, there were family members that presented with symptoms of autism that went “under the radar” due to the diagnosis being so new at the time and people having limited knowledge about autism. In learning more about autism, I had an “ah ha” moment throughout the years, as I found myself becoming an advocate for my daughter who is now 7 years old and finally diagnosed with autism this year after waiting on waitlists and advocating for my child who is considered high functioning. In my own experience, I think about other families who may not have the education and resources available to identify their child early and obtain services and the importance of educating our communities about early identification and treatment.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Collaborative ABA Services, LLC stands out from other companies as an award winning and accredited woman owned small business. Throughout the years, Collaborative ABA Services, LLC has received recognition and achievements including obtaining accreditation from the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE), a third-party evaluator that requires an organization to demonstrate clinical quality by passing a vigorous clinical evaluation (1 of 9 ABA Providers in the state of Connecticut), winning the 2023 Connecticut Woman-Owned Small Business of the Year Award by the SBA and CBIA, recipient of the Outstanding New Business under 5 Years Award with the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce, featured as one of the 5 best ABA providers for 2024 in Insights Care Magazine, featured in CXO Outlook Magazine in 2024 for Most Inspiring Business Woman 2024, and recognized as a Silver 2024 Stevie Awards Winner in The 22nd Annual American Business Awards® for Achievement in Growth.

In addition to recognition for our services and leadership, Collaborative ABA Services, LLC is not owned by a third-party company or corporation. As the owner, I am very involved in the daily operations of the company including providing clinical services to children and families. At Collaborative ABA Services, LLC we pride ourselves in utilizing an interdisciplinary approach to treatment to meet the unique needs of our community. We realize that each member of our interdisciplinary team plays an important role in treatment and each family is different. In working with today’s population, we recognize our own competencies and when we need to reach out to other professionals for support/assistance. For example, most of our children have limitations in language and communication skills, and also may have sensory challenges. Our board-certified behavior analysts and social workers may consult with the speech-language pathologist and occupational therapist to support the child’s needs. Lastly, we also value diversity and cultural competency. We involve parents/caregivers in the treatment process, and we continually work to improve the quality of services provided through third party accreditation in addition to client and staff feedback.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Thank you. Three-character traits that were most instrumental to my success are empathy, being a good problem-solver, and a good learner.

Empathy involves being able to understand the feelings of others or “putting yourself in someone else’s shoes”. As a leader, it’s important to be understanding to the needs of not only ourselves, but of others. With our changing world comes different types of stress. We don’t know what someone else may be going through, which is why it’s important to be considerate of others. Empathy includes being flexible and understanding to create a healthy work-life balance, foster employee retention, client satisfaction, and inclusivity. For example, we may work with staff that have childcare barriers. In response, we may coordinate a work schedule with the staff for hours when they are available instead of mandating the staff to work evening hours when childcare is not available. Another example would be a family arriving to sessions late and the provider discharging services without following up with the family who were traveling to sessions by UBER. In this situation, an empathetic leader would work with the family on transportation barriers and assist by changing the session times or exploring in-home options instead of discontinuing services.

A good problem-solver includes being able to solve problems that may arise in the business with staff, clients, or other unexpected events. As a leader, it’s inevitable that challenges will arise both expected and unexpected, requiring strong problem-solving skills. When issues arise, a leader can’t panic, they have to be able to identify the problem, whom it impacts, brainstorm possible solutions, evaluate risks and benefits to each solution, carefully choose a solution that outweighs risks, and monitor the outcome to determine if further adjustments are needed to resolve the problem and help reach the company’s goals.

Being a good learner is the third trait of a successful leader as we are constantly evolving with changes in today’s society. In working with staff and clients, we as leaders should also strive to grow professionally and personally. This includes the ability to further seek out learning opportunities through professional development courses or furthering your education through degree/certificate programs. This can also include the ability to learn from your own experiences as a leader through feedback and evaluating your own strengths and limitations through experiences to develop resiliency.

Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader? I’m curious to understand how these challenges have shaped your leadership.

Change can come with difficult decisions or hard choices as a leader. This was my experience as the company started to grow from in-home applied behavior analysis therapy to transitioning to clinic, school, and community based interdisciplinary services. As the company grew, I also had to re-structure the dynamics of the leadership staff to adjust to the changes in staffing and needs of the company. This was a hard decision for me as a leader because this decision entailed evaluating the company’s needs, budget (to ensure sustainability of the positions), and overall goal. Throughout this process, I learned more about myself as a leader and the role I played in the company as a catalyst for change.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a personal experience where embracing your unique leadership style, which might not align with traditional expectations, led to a significant positive impact in your organization or team?

My leadership style is fluid as I may not follow traditional leadership styles. I consider myself a leader that is accessible, fosters diversity, inclusivity, and participation in decision making. I pride myself in motivating others to do well and valuing professional growth within the company. I am an active listener that encourages feedback from staff and have made reasonable changes to improve our culture based on feedback such as reduced probationary time for accessing PTO hours for new hires, adding mileage reimbursement with increase in cost of living, partnerships in the community, and additional benefits that support our staff wellbeing. Welcoming feedback from staff creates buy-in and helps motivate staff to work towards a common goal.

In your journey as a leader, how have you balanced demonstrating resilience, often seen as a masculine trait, with showing vulnerability, which is equally powerful, but typically feminine? Can you give an example where this balance created a meaningful difference?

I have balanced resilience in learning more about growing pains as we have grown tremendously throughout the years. With growth comes more responsibility, time, and resources. In working with children with disabilities, it’s important to hire the right staff for the job. The task of hiring the right person may not always be a good fit. Despite these challenges, I have recognized areas needed for growth within our onboarding practices and utilized this experience to take responsibility and accountability for improving our staffing policies. Taking responsibility and accountability demonstrates my vulnerability but also the ability to demonstrate resilience as a business leader to improve company operations and ensure we are providing quality services to the families we work with.

As a woman in leadership, how have you navigated and challenged gender stereotypes, especially in situations where traditional male-dominated approaches are the norm? What strategies have you employed to remain authentic to your style?

I have challenged gender stereotypes as a minority female business owner. When I first started Collaborative ABA Services, LLC, I was asked if my husband was okay with me opening a business by a male mentor. Additionally, that mentor assumed I was married, and thought to ask if I had my husband’s permission to open a company. That statement motivated me to work harder to become a successful businesswoman to defy the gender stereotypes. I did research, met with different mentors, signed up for mentoring groups, and did everything I could to learn more about being a business owner. I even went back to school to get certification as an educational administrator, which also further developed my skills as a leader as the program allowed me to obtain certification as an educational administrator. The skills developed in the program prepared me for positions as a school principal, assistant principal, and even a special education supervisor/director. The skills I learned in this program allowed me to remain authentic to my fluid leadership style as they could be applied across different settings.

How do you utilize emotional intelligence and active listening to create an inclusive environment in your team or organization? Could you share a specific instance where these qualities particularly enhanced team dynamics or performance?”

Being able to express, control, and understand my personal emotions as well as others is essential in creating a positive and safe work environment for everyone. I find that I use my social work background a lot in my role. I am able to “read the room” and find myself paying attention to both verbal and non-verbal social cues such as body language, tone of voice, facial expressions, etc. We value open communication as a norm at Collaborative ABA Services, LLC. Staff and families are always welcome to reach out to myself, members of our leadership team, and direct supervisors for any questions or concerns. To receive feedback on how we are doing as a business, we utilize staff and family surveys which may be anonymous to encourage open feedback as well. In addition to surveys, we also have contacts such as our quality assurance officer and ethics officer for families and staff to reach out if they have any concerns as well. When receiving feedback, I am able to actively listen, incorporate everyone’s thoughts and feelings into solutions to improve Collaborative ABA Services, LLC, adapt to changes, manage my own emotions, and take responsibility as the leader.

What role has mentorship played in developing your authentic leadership style, and how do you communicate authentically to inspire and empower both your mentors and mentees?

Mentorship has played a major role in developing my authentic leadership style. I value the feedback and guidance I receive from well-seasoned business owners who are both in similar fields as well as different fields of work. I acknowledge my strengths and not afraid to also acknowledge and take accountability of my flaws. This makes me resilient and human, which is appreciated by both my mentors and mentees. I am never too experienced to learn and grow as a leader.

Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways Leading Authentically As A Woman Will Affect Your Leadership”?

1. Stay true to yourself and be transparent as a leader. If you stay true to yourself, you will be able to stay focused on your goals and uphold your values. Being true to yourself also demonstrates why you do what you do. For example, I am transparent about why I started Collaborative ABA Services, LLC and I do what I do as both a professional and parent of a child with autism.
2. Build a supportive team that you can trust and add to your brand that also share the same values. As a leader, surround yourself with people that are going to be an asset to your company. Everyone has their own strengths that can contribute to the success and vision of the company. For example, although I am the owner of Collaborative ABA Services, LLC, I work with a leadership team that consists of a clinical coordinator, clinical program supervisor, administrative operations coordinator.
3. Establish and maintain effective communication as this is an essential skill as a business leader. This includes the ability to communicate in writing and verbal communication. The people on your team as well as key stakeholders need to know what you stand for and what everyone is working towards. Everyone can’t work together towards a common goal if they don’t know what they are working towards. Lack of communication can negatively impact the culture of your company.
4. Being able to reflect on yourself as a leader is important. Being authentic also entails knowing your own strengths and limitations as you grow as a leader. Remembering our own personal experiences shape our behaviors and how we respond to the behaviors of others. We all have stress at work and in our personal lives, but a leader needs to be able to recognize signs of stress in themselves as well as others, be able to maintain professionalism, accept feedback, and adapt to stress effectively.
5. Being able to embrace your vulnerabilities as a woman that positively impacts your leadership. Our vulnerabilities make us human and build connections with other staff, families, and key stakeholders. For example, I embrace being a mother of a child with special needs, as it makes me who I am today. I empathize with other parents who are looking for help for their child and not knowing where to go. I also understand the challenges that parenting can present for a worker who may need to leave work for a sick child. I get it and understand. Having care and compassion makes me a leader that resonates with our families as well as staff through mutual respect and ability to build connections.

Are there potential pitfalls or challenges associated with being an empathetic leader? How can these be addressed?

There can be potential challenges as you want to be understanding and meet people where they are, but unfortunately, there may be individuals that take advantage. This can be addressed by establishing clear expectations at the beginning of the working relationship with staff, families, and key stakeholders, and maintaining open communication.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I would love to start a movement on making access to ABA therapy and autism diagnostic evaluations more accessible for individuals as today there are so many barriers. This includes insurance modifying their requirements for qualifications of coverage for ABA therapy as currently ABA therapy is only covered by most insurances if the individual has an autism diagnosis. That means if the individual has an intellectual disability or other mental health and behavioral disorders, they cannot access the services through their insurance. Another issue is that the waitlist for autism evaluations has been very lengthy, which also impacts access to services as an autism diagnosis is needed for treatment through insurance. Barriers to accessing diagnosis include the availability of approved licensed mental health providers as insurance mandates have requirements of who can diagnosis autism, and access to the appointments. I have some future plans for addressing the barrier of autism evaluations in our community with the hopes that it will spread nationwide and bring good to people all over.

How can our readers further follow you online?

Readers can check out Collaborative ABA Services, LLC website at www.collaborativeabaservices.com, which includes links to our Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages. Readers can also check out my LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/in/alisha-simpson-watt-lcsw-bcba-lba-866083280

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!

About The Interviewer: Pirie is a TedX speaker, author and a Life Empowerment Coach. She is a co-host of Own your Throne podcast, inspiring women in the 2nd chapter of their lives. With over 20 years in front of the camera, Pirie Grossman understands the power of storytelling. After success in commercials and acting. She spent 10 years reporting for E! Entertainment Television, Entertainment Tonight, also hosted ABC’s “Every Woman”. Her work off-camera capitalizes on her strength, producing, bringing people together for unique experiences. She produced a Children’s Day of Compassion during the Dalai Lama’s visit here in 2005. 10,000 children attended, sharing ideas about compassion with His Holiness. From 2006–2009, Pirie Co-chaired the Special Olympics World Winter Games, in Idaho, welcoming 3,000 athletes from over 150 countries. She founded Destiny Productions to create Wellness Festivals and is an Advisory Board member of the Sun Valley Wellness Board.In February 2017, Pirie produced, “Love is Louder”, a Brain Health Summit, bringing in Kevin Hines, noted suicide survivor to Sun Valley who spoke to school kids about suicide. Sun Valley is in the top 5% highest suicide rate per capita in the Northwest, prompting a community initiative with St. Luke’s and other stake holders, to begin healing. She lives in Sun Valley with her two children, serves on the Board of Community School. She has her Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology from the University of Santa Monica and is an Executive Life Empowerment Coach, where she helps people meet their dreams and goals! The difference between a dream and a goal is that a goal is a dream with a date on it!