Voice of Experience: Kathy Nieland, U.S. Sustainability and Climate Change Leader, Managing Partner, New Orleans Office, PwC

kathy-nielandBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Kathy Nieland, PwC‘s U.S. Sustainability and Climate Change Leader and Managing Partner of the firm’s New Orleans Office, has had a lot of experience seizing opportunity. Throughout her career, when the unexpected has occurred, she hasn’t shied away.

From having leadership thrust upon her at a young age, to leading the rebuilding of PwC’s New Orleans practice after Hurricane Katrina, she’s been up to the challenge. “Often, the perception of what you are capable of is a bigger barrier than the challenge itself,” she said. “A lack of confidence can keep people from being successful.”

She continued, “Don’t limit yourself. Seek higher positions in the company. There’s no reason you shouldn’t be shooting for the stars.”

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Movers and Shakers: Antoinette Hamilton, Director, Diversity and Inclusion, L’Oréal USA

Image Courtesey The Network Journal

Image Courtesy The Network Journal

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

The best advice Antoinette Hamilton ever received came from a Mary Timmons, a former mentor. “I was nineteen years old, and she told me ‘Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.’ It set the tone for my career.”

Now Director of Diversity and Inclusion at L’Oréal USA, Hamilton’s own advice for young people entering the workplace is just as encouraging: “Be curious and be great,” she said.

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Replenishing Resilience: Tips for Bouncing Back

laurie fergusonContributed by Laurie J. Ferguson

How is it that some people encounter significant failures and setbacks, and yet keep showing up and producing? There are those who collapse from the stress and those who navigate through rapid change with style and grace. What is their secret and where does it come from?

Social researchers call it resilience, a quality that is ever more important in our current work climate of constant change and shifting demands, and a key skill of effective leaders. Losses can be a valuable learning opportunity – ask anyone who’s played team sports – and studies have indicated that leaders who are able to learn from failure and move on are able to build more effective companies and organizations.

The word resilience comes from the Latin verb “salire” which means to jump. When you add the “re” it connotes back, so the word resilience means jumping back, or rebounding. It has an almost tensile physical feel, a kind of active energy.

Resilience is about jumping into the game – being flexible and involved even in stressful times. Resilient people have a bounce that keeps bringing them back even when they have been pushed down.

The great news about resilient energy is that it is not a trait or the product of your genetics. It can be cultivated and deepened. With some attention and intention, you can become more resilient and create reserves to draw upon when needed.

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Voice of Experience: Tarazeta Huntley, Managing Director, Audit & Risk Review, Citi

By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)
TJHuntley
Tarazeta (TJ) Huntley, Managing Director of Audit & Risk Review at Citi had three pieces of advice for professional women – all equally inspiring.

On Believing You Belong:

“Regardless of the level of people you’re dealing with [at the table], at the end of the day, everyone has a vested interest in making the company successful and your voice counts. Never feel intimidated when engaging with more senior individuals. Believe that you’re there to contribute, and you will be successful.”

On Knowing Yourself:

“Early in my career, someone told me never be afraid to stand up for what you believe in. Acknowledge who you are and your background. Regardless if those around you have a different background or perspective, don’t lose sight of who you are as an individual or your values.”

On Values:

“Stay true to your values. Never compromise them. As you grow in your career, management and influential people will appreciate that.”

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5 Quick Tips to Build Better Work Relationships

IMG_3383EnhancedColorContributed by CEO Coach Henna Inam

Is there someone at work you don’t get along with and yet need to influence? And, yes, you tend to avoid them because you just don’t see eye to eye? It could be a peer, a boss, a direct report. Here’s the best advice I have seen recently on a TED talk by Elisabeth Lesser, co-founder of the Omega Institute.

Her advice is simple, “Take The Other To Lunch”. Here are 5 Tips to start to turn the corner on the difficult relationship.

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Voice of Experience: Linda Singh, Senior Executive, Health & Public Service, Accenture

Linda Singh AccentureBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

As both a Colonel in the National Guard and Client Account Lead for Veterans Affairs at Accenture, Linda Singh has devoted her career to the service of her country. She has spent almost 30 years total service time and 20 of those years with the Maryland Army National Guard. She was deployed to Kosovo from2006 to 2007. Besides her current client work at Accenture, Singh is passionate about the company’s corporate citizenship focus.

“Our corporate citizenship theme is Skills to Succeed and the goal, by 2015, is to equip 250,000 people with the skills to get a job or start a business. We are teaming with clients as well as nonprofits to get individuals trained, re-employed and transitioned back to work,” Singh said. “We are working to apply this program to help our veterans.”

She continued, “It gets to one of the key issues that Veteran Affairs that is facing. It’s our most daunting issue – there are 1.2 million veterans unemployed and over 100,000 who are homeless. And the fastest growing population within the veteran community is women. There are increasing numbers of women in both of those groups. This is something I would love people to rally behind and support. It’s something we can fix together but it will take more than just one organization to do it.”

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Where are the Black Women Executives?

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iStock_000005966600XSmallBy Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

A little more than two years ago, The Executive Leadership Council Institute for Leadership Development & Research published the findings of its Black Women’s Research Initiative [PDF]. Executive Director Ancella Livers, Ph.D., explained, “Some of our female members noticed the numbers of black women in executive roles seemed to be fairly small. They wanted to know why.”

“We really wanted to be able to understand what’s going on, and to give some of our younger women markers on a pathway.” She continued, “Younger women have the intelligence and the skills, but not the access to the experiences of the women who went before them to guide the way.”

Unfortunately, according to Dr. Livers, in the years since the research was published, there has not been much change regarding the number of Black women in senior roles, or in the pipeline. And while she noted the importance of Ursula Burns as the CEO of Xerox, Dr. Livers said, in general, many black women perceived a lack of role models, as part of the reason why. Others suggest that black women lack strength in their strategic relationships with those in power, as another reason.

This week and throughout the month of February, The Glass Hammer will highlight some of those Black women who have achieved a high level of success in the corporate environment, who can serve as role models for the women climbing the ladder behind them.

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