Tag Archive for: career advice

The Impact of Emotional Labor on Women Managers

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emotional laborEmotional labor, although not intended to be a gendered term, has significant implications for female managers. In the workplace, women often find themselves disproportionately burdened with unrecognized tasks, like planning office events, or ensuring Bob from marketing isn’t upset with procedural changes.

It might be even more jarring to feel expected to mask your real personality traits to fit in with the men by being the right kind of female manager, according to the false generalized stereotype of all women being compassionate, as this also is emotional labor to mask.

These efforts are expected from women in the workplace because they are stereotypically seen as more nurturing and empathetic. However, the same expectations aren’t placed on their male counterparts. Let’s find out why — and how you, as a manager who happens to be a woman, can use emotional labor to your benefit.

What Is Emotional Labor in the Workplace?

Emotional labor consists of the intangible, mental hoops people go through to ensure smooth operations and relationship maintenance, and often requires managing your emotions. This can happen in the workplace or, most recently recognized, in the home.

To cater to the needs of others, women often have to mask their own emotions. This can be cumbersome when working in leadership. If a home environment that requires much of the same is added to the mix, it can be even more taxing. Emotional labor in the workplace should be distinguished from simply exhibiting emotional intelligence. Of course, you need a certain level of emotional intelligence, or knowledge of how to manage and interpret emotions, to be successful in the workplace. The labor aspect is where you can find yourself masking your true emotions or experiencing burnout from too much emotional involvement at work.

Emotional labor is often devalued in and outside of the workplace. Productive work, like creating goods and services, is rewarded for its tangible results. However, ideal work environments are also ripe with mental and emotional care.

Surface Acting and Deep Acting

Emotional labor can consist of surface acting and deep acting. Surface acting involves the emotional laborer putting on a fake show of emotions to keep things running smoothly at work and fit in with norms. This is often exhibited by female leaders who are expected to not act “bossy,” “overbearing,” or “too emotional.” Deep acting exists when the laborer tries to, and often successfully does, change their true emotions to match what is expected of them. This way, emotional displays are more characteristic of what they are really feeling and, therefore, less emotionally and mentally draining.

While managing emotional displays is a crucial part of success in the workplace and interpersonal relationships, it can be problematic if taken to the extreme. Women in leadership also find themselves having to manage the emotions of others at work, such as mediating a dispute between colleagues or talking down angry customers. Traditionally, leadership roles don’t include this type of work, as it is delegated to those in lower positions. This sequestering of emotional labor can be traced back to patriarchal structuring.

This still seeps into how women are treated in the workplace, today. However, female leaders can take control of the narrative.

Reclaiming Control Over Emotional Labor

The inherent ability of women to not only enact emotional labor but do it exceedingly well is a desirable trait. Although this need is typically unspoken, many organizations could benefit from an open and honest conversation about how emotional labor is required to make their company tick.

Even if you are reluctant to lead, you may be more suited for a leadership role than you think. It’s within the realm of possibility to teach your team why emotional labor needs to be valued and recognized. You can point out flaws in gendered assumptions, and help higher-ups and colleagues focus on your strengths and achievements. It’s important to also set boundaries around emotional labor so that you aren’t expected to take on every burden. Learn to prioritize yourself and delegate emotion-laden tasks, and your leadership skills will flourish.

There are strategies women can employ to assert themselves effectively without shouldering unnecessary emotional burdens.

  • Establish Boundaries: One of the most crucial steps in asserting oneself at work is setting clear boundaries. This means delineating what is and isn’t acceptable in terms of workload, communication, and emotional involvement. Communicate these boundaries assertively but respectfully, ensuring that colleagues understand your limits without feeling personally attacked.
  • Communicate Directly: Direct communication is key to assertiveness. Instead of resorting to passive-aggressive behavior or expecting others to infer your needs, express yourself clearly and directly. Whether it’s negotiating for a raise, delegating tasks, or addressing conflict, approach conversations with confidence and clarity.
  • Use “I” Statements: When expressing needs or concerns, frame them using “I” statements to assert ownership of your thoughts and feelings. For example, instead of saying, “You always overload me with tasks,” say, “I feel overwhelmed when I’m assigned too many tasks simultaneously.” This approach fosters open communication while avoiding blame and defensiveness.
  • Practice Self-Advocacy: Advocating for oneself is an essential aspect of assertiveness. Take credit for your achievements, express your career goals, and actively seek out opportunities for advancement. Don’t wait for recognition to come to you; assertively showcase your skills and contributions.
  • Cultivate Assertive Body Language: Nonverbal cues play a significant role in communication. Maintain good posture, make eye contact, and use confident gestures to convey assertiveness. By adopting a poised and assertive demeanor, you can command respect and influence in professional settings.
  • Seek Support: Building a support network of allies, mentors, or professional groups can provide invaluable encouragement and guidance. Surround yourself with individuals who value your assertiveness and can offer constructive feedback and perspective when needed.
Resonating With Your Team

Along with your qualifications, your ability to be a present, concerned, clear, and genuine leader is a clear advantage. Educate your team when possible about what it means to be a woman in leadership and how they can support the emotional labor you are doing behind the scenes. Empathetic leadership can foster a more balanced workforce, allowing you to focus on your strengths and advocate for change.

Effective leaders are well-versed in emotion management, which can help you get team buy-in when it matters most. You can use your emotions to share your vision and emphasize the importance of teamwork on the project. A supportive environment will be worth the work once your team starts managing their emotions effectively and working toward a common goal.

Moving Forward

Recognize and advocate for the emotional labor you do as a woman in leadership. Some of your colleagues or higher-ups may be reluctant to accept that this is a large part of how businesses treat female leaders. However, pushing for a more inclusive environment can help women in the workplace everywhere. Plus, you’ll feel better knowing that you don’t have to suffer in silence any longer. You can use your emotional labor skills for good, paving the way for a more equitable and supportive work environment.

By: Indiana Lee is a passionate writer from the Pacific Northwest, specializing in business operations, leadership, and marketing. Connect with her on LinkedIn.

(Guest Contribution: The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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Forget the Glass Ceiling, Women Stumble on the “Broken Rung”

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Women Broken RungA study was just released by McKinsey & Co, in collaboration with Lean In, the nonprofit founded by former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, and it turns the idea that women only need to shatter the glass ceiling in order to find equity at the top on its head. It found that women face their most formidable challenge not at the top, but when attempting to transition into managerial roles. For every hundred men who are promoted from entry-level to managerial positions, only ninety-one white women make the first step. This powerful disparity is even more pronounced for women of color, with only eighty-nine Asian women, and fifty-four Black women being promoted for every hundred men. The study names this barrier in women’s careers “The Broken Rung”, and it is a major hurdle for women trying to climb the corporate ladder.

The study is not breaking new ground but is a reminder that women are not responsible for the broken rung. They are not failing to seek promotions or leaving their careers more often than men. Instead, systemic biases and workplace dynamics are the root cause. The second key point underscores that women who have similar track records and work experiences relative to their male peers are judged by a different standard. Women often receive promotions based on their past achievements, while men are promoted based on their perceived future potential. The impact of this inequitable orientation has a huge effect on women early in their careers. As the study states without equivocation, until the broken rung is fixed, gender parity will remain out of reach.

While the study does an excellent job of identifying what the broken rung is and why it happens, it falls short when making suggestions for remedies. What do we do to solve this problem? It suggests companies must track inputs and outcomes, de-bias performance reviews and promotions and establish clear evaluation criteria. While these are important, they are the absolute bare minimum.

Below are three things women can do right now to build an unbreakable first rung.

  1. Ask questions
    If you are passed over for a promotion, take steps to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. The first thing to do would be to ask the following question, “I thought Chad and I were similarly situated in terms of our accomplishments. What can I do differently that he is currently doing to make sure that next time I’m able to take the next step in my career?” Often people do not know that their implicit bias is getting in the way of their decision-making process. By having a lengthy conversation about it, this will help the other person not only give you tips on what to do differently but also, in the best-case scenario, self-reflect on what happened. Going in guns blazing can cause people to be defensive, but asking a question is one of the more effective ways of getting people to look more deeply and can be very powerful.
  2. Brag Tactically
    Women are taught not to brag. Men don’t seem to have as hard of a time bragging. To back up this point, visualize Thanksgiving dinners. Often women will do most of the cooking, and then when everyone sits down to eat Uncle Bob proudly announces that he cooked the beans! Men don’t have it wrong. In fact, women should not be afraid to take a page from their book. If you’re uncomfortable bragging, use The Brag Sandwich by bookending your brag with thanks and gratitude. For example, don’t say, “I closed that deal and the company made $2 million. It’s really great!” Instead use the Brag Sandwich and say, “I’m so thankful I was able to work on this project. I closed the deal and the company made $2 million. It’s really great! It was a lot of hard work, but I’m so happy I had the opportunity.” The brag sandwich is easier to say for many, but still gets the point across about your accomplishments.
  3. Turn around
    If you were able to somehow jump over the broken rung, make sure you reach down and pull other women up with you. Given how difficult it is for women, it’s easy to get exhausted. How can you focus on other women when you’re fighting a daily batter yourself? Unfortunately, this is exactly why many women don’t advocate for the women coming up behind them. The flipside of this, however, is that there is safety and numbers. The more women who rise the more we can support each other as we create spaces that are welcoming for all.

The broken rung is not new, but the attention it’s getting is. This is the moment for women to capitalize on this new awareness and push for systematic change. The more women who get past the first rung, the more women can occupy all rungs – and that is how we shatter the glass ceiling.

By: Eliza VanCort, Transformation Teacher and #1 bestselling author of A Woman’s Guide to Claiming Space: Stand Tall. Raise Your Voice. Be Heard (named Maria Shriver’s book of the week), who has dedicated her life to empowering women to live bravely and claim the space they deserve.

(Guest Contribution: The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com)

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Empowering Black Female Professionals: Navigating Career Advancement and Corporate Support

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Empowering black female professionals. Nicki GilmourIn today’s corporate landscape, diversity and inclusion initiatives have gained significant momentum, yet the journey for Black female professionals remains a unique and often challenging one. Everyone is an individual coming to work from different places and backgrounds and it is true that personality traits and opportunities from a young age makes a difference. I speak as someone who lives in a town with many successful Black professionals, and I have a daughter of color myself so I would only want a fair opportunity for her by equipping her for the world and the workplace. Writing this, however, feels somehow repetitive as founder of theglasshammer.com because things only change if we make them change.

People of color are still facing systemic barriers and yet Black female professionals continue to show up to bring invaluable perspectives, skills, and talents to the table. However, to fully harness their potential, it’s crucial to address the obstacles they encounter and recognize the pivotal role that both managers and companies play in their career advancement. It is worth checking out our extensive past coverage on Black women’s advancement and how the Black feminist movement was completely different to the names that we might associate with the topic – bell hooks is less of a household name for example.

Black women in corporate settings often encounter a multitude of challenges that can impede their career progression. These challenges include systemic racism, gender biases, and intersectional discrimination. Tsedale M. Melaku’s book You Don’t Look Like a Lawyer: Black Women and Systemic Gendered Racisim highlights how race and gender create barriers to recruitment, professional development, and advancement to partnership for Black women in elite corporate law firms.

Stereotypes and unconscious biases may lead to being overlooked for promotions or opportunities for growth. Additionally, navigating corporate culture that may not fully embrace diversity and inclusion can be isolating and exhausting with a researched psychological toll of being one of the only senior women of color.

Despite these challenges, there are several strategies Black female professionals can employ to advance in their careers:

Building a strong network is crucial. Cultivating a supportive network of mentors, sponsors, and peers can provide valuable guidance, opportunities, and advocacy. Seeking out individuals who can offer mentorship and sponsorship can help navigate challenges and open doors to new opportunities. Goldman Sachs has a Black Analyst and Associate program that enables connection and learning and has proven to retain and help develop Black and African American talent. Investing in continuous learning and skill development is essential for staying competitive in today’s rapidly evolving workplace. Pursuing professional development opportunities, acquiring new skills, and seeking feedback can enhance capabilities and increase visibility within the organization.

Developing strong communication skills, including assertiveness, can be instrumental in advocating for oneself and expressing career goals and aspirations. Assertive communication involves confidently articulating one’s achievements, skills, and ambitions, as well as setting boundaries when necessary. However there has been research that suggests that women of color fall foul of a negative stereotype of the “Angry Black Woman” so there is a difficult and unfair line to tow as that is not applied to others. #SoftBlackGirl offers solid advice regarding celebrating and communicating wins regularly.

Actively seeking visibility within the organization by volunteering for high-impact projects, participating in cross-functional teams, and contributing thought leadership can increase recognition and demonstrate leadership potential. Advocating for oneself is crucial in ensuring that achievements and contributions are recognized and rewarded. Black female professionals should feel empowered to speak up about their accomplishments, express career aspirations, and negotiate for advancement opportunities.

Corporate organizations play a pivotal role in creating an inclusive environment where Black female professionals can thrive.  To support their success, companies should implement the following initiatives:

Diversity and Inclusion Programs: Establishing robust diversity and inclusion programs that prioritize representation, equity, and belonging can foster an environment where Black female professionals feel valued and supported. These programs should include initiatives such as mentorship programs and leadership development opportunities. These programs have to be useful by design and will not be unless they are supported from the top with an integral place in the talent strategy. These programs need to be structural not superficial. Unconscious bias training has become in mode – and the research is mixed on it- some say that awareness of bias reduces bias but studies show perspective taking is more effective and lasting.

Accessibility and Transparency: Companies should ensure that advancement opportunities are accessible to all employees based on merit and potential, regardless of race or gender. Implementing transparent promotion processes and addressing biases in decision-making can help mitigate disparities in career advancement.

Mentorship and Sponsorship Programs: Creating formal mentorship and sponsorship programs that pair Black female professionals with senior leaders who can provide guidance, advocacy, and career support is essential. These programs should focus on fostering meaningful relationships and providing opportunities for skill development and visibility.

Leadership Accountability: Holding leaders and managers accountable for promoting diversity and inclusion within their teams and advocating for the advancement of Black female professionals is crucial. Leadership accountability can be demonstrated through setting diversity goals, measuring progress, and fostering a culture of inclusivity. You would think it would go without saying that companies must actively address bias and discrimination in the workplace by implementing policies and practices that promote fairness and equity. This includes addressing microaggressions, providing diversity training, and creating channels for reporting and addressing discriminatory behavior.

The journey for Black female professionals to advance in their careers is multifaceted and requires both individual resilience and organizational support. By employing strategic career advancement strategies and advocating for systemic change within companies, Black female professionals can overcome barriers and achieve success. It is imperative for corporate organizations to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace where all employees, including Black women, can thrive and reach their full potential.

Diversity work requires organizational development, leadership, and commitment from everyone. Gatherings in employee resource groups, big ticket speakers and requested assimilation to the model of work, which was built postwar for white men, just isn’t the answer.

Evolved Employer, the organizational development consulting arm of theglasshammer works with companies to ensure companies understand systemically the work that creates a more level playing ground for all to thrive- true talent meritocracy.

By Nicki Gilmour, founder and CEO of TheGlasshammer.com

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Op-Ed: Reshaping the Work Landscape – Women’s Work and the Longevity Revolution

women leaders and longevity revolutionLeadership succession is key to project a company forward. Identifying and training new leaders is essential to diversify and spur healthy and creative growth. At the same time, it is critical to ground succession solidly on the acquired experience of older leaders: their knowledge, practices, criteria, ideas, values, and vision.

As leaders, we focus on the company’s interests, and we are committed to the transition process. But it is not easy. Transitioning out of a strong leadership job can be difficult. We love what we do; we know how to do it; we do it well; we have energy. So, we train, we mentor, we transfer, we give power away – and then, we unconsciously may take it back, here and there. It is a struggle, because – as in any transition – emotions arise: the fear of losing relevance, power, purpose. We are excited about what succession opens for others, but we also need to get excited for what the transition brings for us.

Introspecting is necessary to envision a new purpose. Purpose ignites; but it takes time to mature. Consider:

  • Ways to Transfer Value: How to transmit the technical, managerial, creative, or leadership capital we have? Can “transfer methods” – coaching, writing, speaking, training, teaching – become a path to new leadership?
  • New Opportunities Within: What is possible now that was not possible before, within our organization? Can we cross-discipline, create new paths, develop unused skills to open new opportunities?
  • Explore New Enterprise: Is it time to depart in order to focus on long-held ideas that never had their time before? Enterprising anew around services, products, ideas, people.
  • Time to Re-Frame: A gap-time to follow curiosity may help re-frame and re-wire in new directions that may not be visible in the heat of transition.

As we explore, life may feel fragmented; gaining clarity is a process. A third party can be helpful in facilitating introspection and help us redirect our energy and strengths from what we are leaving to what is ahead.

Typically, a company’s succession plan focuses on grooming the upcoming leaders through mentoring, coaching, training – but rarely puts focus on the above re-invention strategies or coaching for leaders who are transitioning out of their roles. There is an underlying assumption that they should figure it out on their own (aren’t they leaders?) or that they will simply disappear, retire. This is old thinking, a 20th century mentality of an 85-year life cycle of Learn-Work-Retire.

We need new thinking about the work cycle: a longevity revolution is taking place.

The global population over age 60 is growing at an unprecedented pace: from 1 billion in 2019, it is estimated to grow to 1.4 billion in 2030 and to 2.1 billion in 2050. High income countries lead this trend: people over 65 are now 30% in Japan, 24% in Italy, 23% in Finland, and 17% in the US. The fastest growing age-group is people over 75, and the second fastest, centenarians. People in their 60’s today, have over a third of their life ahead! My own father, aged 102, is an amazing centenarian, independent, public speaker, learner, friend, traveler, partner. And this phenomenon is even more relevant for us women: we tend to live longer than men; in 2024, a whooping 78% of all centenarians are women.

Not only do women live longer; many women still earn less, comparatively; women may have slowed down work during childrearing years or may be responsible for parents who live longer too, resulting in less overall accumulated resources and wealth. We, women live longer, but we also need to work much longer.

Many older women are still shown or insinuated the door, but the landscape is changing. Women over fifty-five has been the fastest-growing age segment in the workforce. In contrast, the number of men over fifty-five working is projected to decline by 3 percent.

In 2021, Forbes launched its first yearly “50 over 50”, a selection of female leaders in their 50’s, 60’s and beyond, who are making it happen – creators, entrepreneurs, scientists, leaders, CEOs. Natalie de Vries, selected as a leader in my own field of work (architecture) said: “Visibility for women in architecture is crucial to improving equality in our profession.”

How can we support women rising to executive level and then beyond? Below are some key strategies, further developed by Carson College of Business and Harvard Business Review:

  1. Mentor & Sponsor: Support talented females; share, guide, meet.
  2. Hire with Focus on skills, whoever has them.
  3. Deepen Networks: Interact, connect, enrich mutual networks. Connections are crucial for growth.
  4. Intentional Training: Provide talented women with the management tools they need to rise and succeed; even more so to women in fields that traditionally do not educate on management.
  5. Creative Collaborations: Intergenerational, cultural, and thinking-style diversity provokes new thinking and creative solutions. It also breaks stereotypes we may carry about age groups.
  6. Visibility: Public speaking, writings, awards, and public expressions of Thought Leadership
  7. Add Women to Corporate Boards: Executive diversity has shown to correlate with financial health. Role models will inspire other women to reach and achieve.
  8. Cultivate Identity: With growth and age, cultivate a broad identity to include talents, skills, experience, interests, and passions. A broad identity (personal brand) can be instrumental to open future paths.

Women in their 50’s and beyond may have their best working years ahead: with family mission completed, they are highly experienced and driven. They tend to be more team and company focused than self-focused. A study by McKinsey reveals a correlation between gender diversity at executive level and financial performance.

The future of women’s work is also influenced by the tightening labor markets in developed nations, given their declining populations. Companies will be driven to retain their older talent and leaders, who were traditionally transitioned out. This is an emerging imperative for business and illuminates a new angle to diversity.

Myself, l love to work, and I am proud to be a role model for women in the workplace. We are the first generation of women working past our 60’s, changing old age narratives in society, in companies, and within ourselves. We are open to reboot, redirect, recreate, but we have no role models ahead of us. Here we are again, a generation leading how women work. We trailblazed before; we can trailblaze again.

Age offers enormous potential – accumulated knowledge, techniques, wisdom, insights, stories, relationships, ability to ideate, manage, mentor, and speak up. We can continue contributing to companies or to the world as leaders, strategists, problem-solvers, creatives, coaches, speakers, or storytellers. It is up to us to continue to make ourselves visible and relevant, for us, and for the women coming up after us. Soon, they’ll be sixty too.

We summon the courage to reinvent ourselves again and again. We tap into our next superpower – our age.

By Liora Haymann, Managing Director, OBMI International

(Guest Contribution: The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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2023: Words of Wisdom from Women In Leadership (Part 2)

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women in leadershipThis week, we continue with more words of wisdom from women leaders we’ve interviewed throughout 2023. Through the months, we’ve spoken to women who are impacting change, shaking up leadership and transforming perspectives. We’ve talked to women in top leadership positions and founders introducing their own new visions into the world.

Please make sure to check out Part 1 of this year round-up! Below we share more words of wisdom and inspiration. Thank you each for the gift of your energy, time and insight!

“I feel strongly about focusing on doing right by others. Ambition goes awry if you don’t have respect for individuals, and if you don’t think about what motivates them. I want to understand what’s important to the people with whom I work. I focus on treating individuals how I would want to be treated – including respecting their differences, talents and expertise.” – Alexandra Tyler: Managing Director, Digital Transformation Leader, Accenture Song

“Some people believe that passion will help you find what you want to do. I don’t really believe in that. I believe that you have to know what you want. Knowing what you want and doing something actionable towards it will bring the passion.” – Nadiya Kreynin: Chief Executive Officer, Forte DGTL and Chief Operations Office, Forte Group

“As leaders, we have to be willing to hear some difficult things and have better self-awareness, which isn’t always easy. If we do, we can become better leaders by being open-minded to making changes based on what people are telling us. This has enabled me to take pride in the leader that I’ve become.” – Tiffany Fleming: Vice President, Client Onboarding & Trading Documentation, PGIM Fixed Income

“I subscribe to the theory that the best leaders – not only with words but through their actions – encourage and inspire others to achieve their best. That is how some of the most influential leaders have impacted me in my career, and I aspire to have the same impact on others.” – LaShonda Fuselier: Head of Multi-National Corporations Subsidiary Coverage, Corporate and Investment Banking, Wells Fargo

“If you have the right skills and are prepared, don’t be afraid when the opportunity comes to you. No one can tell you it’s not possible… If you have the passion for the work, there’s always a way. Pick the right field, pick the right industry, pick the right job that you have passion for.” – Wanda Woo: Partner, Capital Markets, Shearman & Sterling LLC (Hong Kong)

“There’s an obsession with very young entrepreneurs, like Mark Zuckerberg, who quit college and go off to start their companies. But I think building a new scalable business is really, really hard. I don’t think I could have done it when I was in my 20s. There’s a lot of evidence that the most successful entrepreneurs are people who start their companies in their late 30s and early 40s. I started when I was 37. I think that coming to entrepreneurship a bit later, after I had done a lot of different things, made me much more prepared for the resilience and patience that was required and is still required for what we’re building.” – Sylvana Quader Sinha, Founder and CEO of Praava Health

“There’s power in the pivot. You can’t get stuck. You don’t want to plateau. You always want to stay fresh and connected. Pivoting is inevitable. You can’t not pivot, and if you feel like it’s not working, that’s your sign. For every single problem, there is a solution. You just have to spend enough time to let it present itself. Sometimes, the solution is a tweak. But recognize where you are – and be willing to turn where you want to go, in whatever you are doing, whether it’s a 180 or a few degrees.” –Sherin Dawud: CEO at Nura Co. and Co-Founder at Power Pump Girls

“If we’re having a discussion, my focus is on the topic. I’m assuming that we’re both focusing on the content. But, with time, I’ve learned that many people focus on the relationship, and may sacrifice items in the topic to protect the relationship. For example, they may not contradict. They may not bring up their ideas because they may be different from what somebody else in a more powerful position may be saying. They may feel vulnerable in expressing something. I make sure to say upfront I value the discussion of viewpoints and being contradicted.” – Liora Haymann: Managing Director, OBM International

“How constructively you approach anything is going to be the difference-maker for you and for all those who work with you and for you. When you hit those roadblocks and it’s tempting to pivot to feeling captive or negative, I force myself to remember that the only way out is forward. Approach issues constructively and that will help you rise above the challenge or circumstance, to focus on a solution.” –Vanessa Rodriguez: Head of Community Lending & Investment, Commercial Real Estate, Wells Fargo

“When you have different cultures, there’s a lot of things that can be misinterpreted. For example, I use my hands a lot and I might find certain hand movements mean something else in another culture that I did not intend. One thing that is helpful that I’ve learned, and work with my leadership team on, is to start with your intent. Because there’s a lot about communication that doesn’t land the way you want to say it. Often, simply leading with your intent before you even start the conversation can change the ability to have difficult conversations.” – Dr. Sheena Menezes: Co-Founder and CEO, Simple HealthKit Inc

“When you’re junior and hungry, you work late, so you can take it all on. However, I think it serves your growth to start setting boundaries as you advance. I don’t have children yet, but I am still going to sign off at a reasonable time and have a nice dinner with my husband. You need to set boundaries, and sometimes, it means saying no or that you’ll look into something at a later time – as your schedule and workload permits.” – Alison Taylor: Investment Vice President, PGIM Real Estate

“In my opinion, being a true leader is not just about managing up anymore or trying to get the next job. I genuinely think I should be judged based on the teams I build and how I encourage and empower them…When I was progressing through my career, a lot of it was about me and developing my technical skill set: I’ve got to manage up, I’ve got to manage sideways. I’ve got to manage down. All of those facets still exist. But that’s the big leadership pivot people don’t realize: You don’t have all the answers. You’re there to listen. You’re there to serve and support others to be successful.” – Lola Ninonuevo: International Chief Operating Officer, Wells Fargo

“So many big decisions have been made by people who were all thinking alike. I feel it’s critical to have different perspectives on solving problems, especially big problems. More than one thing can be true. I try to remind people that it doesn’t have to be either/or. It can be and. I like to consider how we can meld ideas to come up with a good solution. If there are two opposing ideas, rarely is one or both entirely wrong.” – Rhonda Johnson: CEO, Different Like You, Inc & Acting Deputy Director, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau

“Don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled, because as you do, you will find new horizons that will take you to the next level. Finding something you’re passionate about is important because you’ll do better than if you’re forcing yourself into a career or role that isn’t the best fit for you.” – Helen Chang: Managing Director, Head of Asia Pacific ex Japan, Client Advisory Group, PGIM

“It’s a trap to believe there is a certain way we are supposed to be to be successful. For example, we equate leader mentality to an ‘early bird gets the worm’ mentality. I’m a night owl. My hours are more bartender than typical Corporate America. You’re supposed to wear heels. I can’t wear heels. You’re supposed to not talk too much about your kids. That’s the most important thing in my life! The more you can just be who you are, the more powerful that is. Whatever it is that you have that’s different, it can be something that truly makes you unique, but you can’t be scared of it. You have to let that difference shine and that takes courage and vulnerability.” – Lindsey Roy: Hallmark Cards, SVP Strategy & Brand & Motivational Speaker

Interviewed by Aimee Hansen

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2023: Words of Wisdom from Women In Leadership (Part 1)

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women in leadershipThis year, we’ve interviewed impact leaders, change makers and women who are shaking up senior leadership and creating new roles. Once again, it’s our honor to amplify the voices of the women who are becoming the change they want to see – whether that’s recalibrating leadership approaches to shift the paradigm, birthing their own vision tangibly into the world, or elevating the voices that remain underrepresented.

Looking across our leader profiles in 2023, we share words of wisdom and inspiration from each woman we’ve talked to this year (look out for Part 2 next week). Thank you for the gift of your energy, time and insight!

“Get in there early with a contribution to the discussion. Other people feel relieved and appreciate it when somebody says something first and are likely to even build on it. And I learned that contributing early liberates you to relax and enjoy the discussion, because you’re not beating yourself up about not having said anything yet. You may find you are building up to something even bigger to say, but at least you feel good because you’ve contributed.” – Ruth Harper: SVP, Chief Communications & Sustainability Officer, ManpowerGroup

“We’re all drops in the ocean, but together we can move the moon. Small things matter. Because if we all do one small act, together, collectively and as a community, we can move mountains, and that’s always been the case. I think we each create a ripple in the water from just a drop, and that if we all work together, this change can really occur. It’s not just one thing that’s going to be the answer to our issues, it’s going to be an ecosystem of many things working together to create resilience.” – Alice Chun: Female Inventor, Founder and CEO of Solight Design, Inc.

“We are all humans having a human experience and so you ought to be able to connect with anybody on some level. Different perspectives are something to embrace, not something to close yourself off to, because they help you to think and see things from different perspectives.” – Loretta Pearce: Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Shearman & Sterling LLP

“I have walked into several rooms where I wasn’t invited, but I acted like I belonged. Then what are they going to do except welcome me? You walk into a room, and you act like you belong. Take a seat at the table. Not in a chair along the wall, but at the table. And then raise your voice when you speak so you can be heard.” – Avis Yates Rivers: CEO at Technology Concepts Group Int’l., LLC

“I walk into every new thing I do with an understanding of ‘I know what I know’ but ‘I know what I don’t know,’ too. I’m comfortable about being vulnerable enough to ask people to help me. Women put too much pressure on themselves by thinking they have to walk into a role fully capable and qualified, when the reality is that long as you have the core of what you need to do the job, you can build and learn. As long as you’re willing to be vulnerable enough to admit that you’re going to need help or to learn new skills as you navigate, you can take on those bigger jobs.” – Judith Barry: Co-Head of Global Equities, Wells Fargo

“Somewhere along the way of observing women progress in their careers, I realized that no one ever got very far if they cared too much about: What do others think? How did I come across? Was I likeable? And so on. You get to a certain place because you channeled that energy not on worrying about whether people like you or your answer, but on asking how do I get the job at hand done?” – Marcella Sivilotti: Chief Strategy Officer, PGIM

“Confidence is so important, yet sometimes ‘confidence’ can be felt by women as a negative because we don’t want to come across arrogant or as a know-it-all. We need to take these words that have negative associations and switch them into positives. There is also a huge amount of negative connotation around the phrase ‘being selfish.’ But it is so important that at times you put yourself first. Prioritize your own development, personal learning journey, self-care, and look to make choices that help you, not just other people all the time. I think it’s breaking those associations in our head that suggest ‘If I’m confident…I’m perceived as arrogant’ or ‘If I’m selfish… I’m a mean person.’ It can feel very uncomfortable, but it is these simple things that can make a massive difference and it is not about changing your values, just your priorities.” – Loretta Franks: VP, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Kellogg Company

“I’ve had many experiences where I felt uncomfortable raising a topic but I did it anyway, because there was merit in it. If we’re going to have diversity of thought, then as leaders and as professionals, we have to evaluate the things that make us uncomfortable and really decipher, what is this individual trying to say? What is the goal here? Because if you believe intentions are good, you might want to tune your ear and try to better understand what is being said, versus dismissing or disqualifying it.” – Melinda Cora: Principal, Head of Product Implementation and Project Management at PGIM Quantitative Solutions

“Many people have idea ‘sparks,’ small or large, and too many people squash their sparks. But it’s with those sparks that you can improve organizations and improve yourself. It could be as small as a change in process or as massive as complete transformation. Being able to embrace the spark is the essence of organizational and personal development.” – Geneviève Piché: Head of Sustainable Finance and Advisory, Corporate & Investment Banking, Wells Fargo

“Part of a leadership vision includes incorporating a learning curve in how you get there. None of us are always right and we’re all going to make mistakes as we go along. But the objective is still the right objective. You’ve got to move and learn along the way how to best make it where you want to go.” – Kelley Conway: Head of Corporate & Digital Strategy, Northern Trust

“I think that we have to fight. I think that we need to ask for what we need. I think we need to stop apologizing. I think we need to not think something is wrong with us and instead see the system as broken and demand for it to change.” – Reshma Saujani: Founder and CEO of Moms First

“Many women in leadership roles still don’t give themselves enough credit that we are, indeed, leaders. We feel like we never get ‘there.’ The first time someone reached out to ask for time on my calendar, I had to take a step back and realize I have gone through this 25+ year career path and people are interested in connecting with me as a leader. But I also know it’s a two-way street. There is always something we can learn from each other, no matter what your level is within an organization.” – Tiara Henderson: Corporate and Investment Banking Head of Women’s Segment and Commercial Real Estate Head of Diverse Segments, Wells Fargo

“By focusing on internal gratification, I’ve naturally been given more opportunities without necessarily focusing on what I have to do to get to the next step or to get promoted, because those are external focuses. By doing what I want to do – to grow and to learn and to do it for myself – I’ve just had those opportunities come to me…Everyone’s way towards internal gratification is different, but I feel that when you do things for yourself, you exude different energy and attract more of what you want.” – Mikaylee O’Connor: Principal, Senior Defined Contribution Strategist, PGIM DC Solutions

“In my team, we’re all scientists and we want to get things done and we want them to be perfect, so we give our best and go above and beyond. But I always like to remind my team that the job is important, but so are your health and family. While there are times when you may have to work extra hours to meet your objectives, doing so is never sustainable in the long run.” – Fabiola Gutierrez-Orozco: R&D Director, Global Nutrition Science, Reckitt

“The more I go through life, the more I realize we do not know what challenges people have every day. So above all, we need to practice kindness towards ourselves and others.” – Graciella Dominguez: Vice President of Investment Operations, Operations and Innovations, PGIM

Interviewed by Aimee Hansen

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Making Your Mark as a Female Entrepreneur (+Statistics)

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female entrepreneurFemale entrepreneurs have been making waves in business, breaking barriers, and defying stereotypes in male-dominated industries. Despite their challenges, women are creating successful companies that are making a significant impact in their industries. In this blog, we’ll explore the strategies that female entrepreneurs can use to build a successful business in a male-dominated world.

From identifying a niche to building a solid network, developing a business plan, and embracing digital marketing, we’ll provide insights and practical tips that can help women entrepreneurs achieve their goals and overcome obstacles. Then, we’ll share some women in business statistics so you can see real-world examples of how women are currently leading the charge.

So, whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting as a young woman in business, read on to discover how to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into a reality.

Find a niche:

When starting a business, identifying a gap in the market that you can fill is essential. This could be a product or service that’s not currently available or an area where there’s a lack of competition. Conduct market research to identify potential opportunities and validate your ideas.

Steps to building a strong network:

Networking is an essential part of entrepreneurship. Building a solid network is an integral part of entrepreneurship—especially in industries completely dominated by men. Here are some steps to help you build a strong network:

1. Identify your goals:

Before you start building your network, you must identify your goals. What do you want to achieve? Who do you need to connect with? Having a clear idea of your goals will help you focus your efforts and build meaningful relationships.

2. Attend events:

Attend networking events, conferences, and industry associations. Look for events that are relevant to your industry or interests. This will help you connect with other like-minded individuals and potential customers.

3. Join online communities:

Join relevant online communities and participate in discussions. This could be on social media, forums, or other online platforms. This will help you build relationships and gain insights from others in your industry.

4. Leverage existing relationships:

Remember your existing relationships. Reach out to former colleagues, classmates, and acquaintances. Tell them about your business and ask for introductions to potential customers or other relevant individuals.

When building relationships, it’s important to be genuine and helpful. Refrain from approaching networking with a transactional mindset. Instead, focus on building meaningful relationships with others. Offer value and help others whenever possible.

5. Follow up:

After meeting someone, be sure to follow up. Send an email or connect on LinkedIn to stay in touch. This will help you maintain relationships and keep the conversation going.

By following these steps, you can build a strong network to help you succeed as an entrepreneur. Building relationships takes time and effort, but it’s worth it in the long run. You can also nurture an inner circle of women as you network — this can help support your growth and advancement in your industry.

Develop a business plan:

A business plan is a roadmap for your business. It outlines your goals, strategies, and financial projections. A well-written business plan will help you stay focused and on track. It will also be useful when seeking funding or investment.

Embrace digital marketing:

Digital marketing is an effective and cost-efficient way to promote your business. Use social media, email marketing, and other digital channels to reach a wider audience. Develop a content marketing strategy that provides value to your audience and positions you as an expert. This is especially important in key job markets where women are underrepresented, like STEM.

Continuously learn and adapt:

Entrepreneurship is a learning process. Stay up-to-date with the latest industry trends and innovations. Attend conferences, read industry publications, and seek out mentors and advisors. Be open to feedback and adjust your strategies accordingly. Continuously improving and adapting will help you stay ahead of the competition. These statistics are a great way to learn from the past to be a force to be reckoned with in the future:

  • Currently, women wield approximately $10 trillion in financial assets within the U.S. This number is expected to surge to $30 trillion by the close of the decade. (CNBC)
  • Women-led companies generated approximately $1.9 trillion in earnings, employed 10.9 million people, and maintained an annual payroll of $432.1 billion. (Census)
  • Women-owned businesses are projected to contribute to approximately 6% of the anticipated global economic growth. (Mastercard)
  • In 2022, 45% of female-owned business loan applications were accepted. (FED Small Business)
  • 71% of women business owners feel prepared to navigate through an economic recession. (Bank of America)
  • 44% of women-owned businesses experienced an increase in annual revenue in 2022. (FED Small Business)
  • In 2022, 21% of women-owned businesses had an annual revenue between $100,001-$250,000. (FED Small Business)
  • In 2022, 60% of women-owned businesses displayed profitability. (Guidant)
  • A significant 59% of women business owners acknowledge having to exert more effort to achieve the same level of success as their male counterparts. (Bank of America)

By following these strategies, female entrepreneurs can increase their chances of building a successful business. Staying focused, working hard, and persevering through challenges is important for success. With dedication and some luck, you can turn your entrepreneurial dreams into a reality.

Women in Business Statistics

(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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First, The Glass Ceiling – Now, Women Fight Robots for Their Careers

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Eliza VanCort(by Eliza Vancort) The Terminator will kill us. The Matrix will grind us down into batteries. And yeah, Ex Machina. Humans have a time-honored tradition of being terrified that sentient machines are going to destroy everything.

Recently McKinsey Global Institute released the study, Generative AI and the future of work in America. The report was a measured exploration of “Which jobs will be in demand? Which ones are shrinking? And which ones could be hardest to fill?” The headlines in the media were quite different. “Nearly 80% of women’s jobs could be disrupted, automated by AI.”

In reality, what the studies said isn’t really new. It’s the same American story, different facts. Replace “AI” with “pandemic” or “economic downturn” and experts arrive at the same conclusion. In times of upheaval, the people who are hit the hardest in America are women, particularly women who are members of targeted groups with less power and privilege.

Here’s how women can prepare and optimize opportunities for the AI era.

     1. Take “STOP AI” off the table
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We can no better stop the AI train than we can stop capitalism. Despite this, many people are working to stop companies from using AI technology instead of humans. This is a losing battle. We live in a capitalist society where maximizing profits is the priority. There are some uses of AI which absolutely can be regulated, such as the demands outlined in the SAG strike. That said, AI isn’t coming, it’s already here. McKinsey estimated that “half of today’s work activities could be automated between 2030 and 2060.” The question isn’t if, or even when. The question is what can you do to prepare?

     2. Give the right support to the right people.

Women and people of color in low wage jobs without higher education are most likely to be impacted by AI. They are fourteen times more likely to have their jobs disrupted than higher-wage positions. For these women, education and training to keep up with this emerging technology is a must. Unfortunately, childcare responsibilities still disproportionately fall on women, and this takes a toll. For example, according to the KFF Women’s Health Survey, during the pandemic, “Three out of ten working mothers said they had to take time off because school or daycare was closed.” If women don’t have access to affordable childcare, they are the childcare. Women must have access to training and education, but this is impossible for many without care for their children. They must go hand in hand.

     3. Make a difference.

One critical way to claim space is to support other women. If you’re a leader in the public or private sector, work to implement new practices and programs now to position your employees for success in the new era of generative AI. For example, even if your organization doesn’t have the budget for in-house education, experts are now predicting that “Implementing AI can bring about a transformative change in access to education through the creation of personalized learning programs that are tailored to suit each student’s unique learning style, preference, and aptitude.” In other words, AI can help you scale and tailor education for your employees affordably. Get creative about making a difference.

     4. Robot-Proof Your Job.

Women are conditioned to be caretakers both in their actions and their communication. This has often resulted in women doing jobs which capitalize on our ability to read people and communicate well, the jobs that require soft skills. The great irony is that soft skills have traditionally been devalued by many because, well, when women go into fields, the field gets less respect and pay. Yet in the new world of AI, those are the very skills that AI just can’t do well. For example, teachers, nurses and therapists are not predicted to be replaced by AI any time soon. If you have soft skills, go into fields that require them, or use those skills to help you stand out in your field. Jobs where humanistic tasks are required, or will augment the job, will be much safer from displacement. If you don’t feel your soft skills are strong, it’s time to brush up on them.

     5. Take Advantage of the Positives
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AI is positioned to help women more than men in ways we really need it. One example? Domestic labor. Women have been held back for years by the amount of time they spend on domestic labor. A Pew Research study just recently reported that, “Even when earnings are similar, husbands spend more time on paid work and leisure, while wives devote more time to caregiving and housework.” Should relationships be more equitable? Of course. But they aren’t, and AI has the potential to allow women with the financial means to lessen their domestic load. In fact, research suggests AI may be able to automate about 39 per cent of domestic work within 10 years. Find every advantage like this and capitalize on it.

     6. Position Yourself for Success.

This is a pivotal moment in history where women can jump into a field that men do not yet fully dominate. Take every opportunity to educate yourself about this emerging technology while it’s developing. By doing so you will not only survive, but you will position yourself as a leader. If your employer doesn’t support continuing education, get ahead of the problem and think about finding a place that does now. Think ahead so you don’t get left behind.

We can’t stop the AI train. But unlike other times in history, we know this train is coming, and we can prepare for it. This is a moment for women to uplift each other and succeed in a field we have not yet been shut out of. Technological apocalypse need not be our destiny. Women shouldn’t just survive the AI train. With the right preparation, we can thrive.

By: Eliza VanCort, Transformation Teacher and #1 bestselling author of A Woman’s Guide to Claiming Space: Stand Tall. Raise Your Voice. Be Heard (named Maria Shriver’s book of the week), who has dedicated her life to empowering women to live bravely and claim the space they deserve.

(The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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Op-Ed: Want to be a CMO? Learn to Pivot.

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Learn to Pivot (by Marcy Comer) I’ve spent my career working to get into the C-Suite, because I wanted to have the challenge and opportunities that come from leading a company and being at the top of my discipline. Now in this role, I’m continuing to learn that the secret to making it to, and staying in, the role of CMO is based on learning to pivot.

I grew up playing basketball, and a pivot is a classic move in which the player stops, holds the ball, and looks around for an opening on the court. You can apply this move in your job and your career. It requires you to stop and evaluate potential next moves. You have to stop the daily grind and evaluate. The more you look around, the more opportunity you find to make the next big move. And, making a big move is the way that you help to accelerate your career and the success of your team.

Here are five ways you can actively bring a pivot-first mentality to your career:
  1. Embrace the struggle as an opportunity: Most people avoid the pain of having to learn something new. But, when you take on painful work, you’re relieving the pain for your manager, coworkers, etc. Start finding the fun in learning and it will no longer be a pain; and it will make you a valuable asset in the organization. This is a pivot from just doing your job, to becoming someone who does hard jobs or unwanted jobs can be a big step towards career success. I’m not the only one who believes this: in a survey of more than 50,000 learners who completed MOOCs on Coursera, 72% reported career benefits such as doing their current job more effectively, finding a new job, or receiving a raise.
  2. Be your own futurist: Find out what’s on the horizon from people that are already respected and be that person for your circle; this means staying on top of news, ideas and conversations and learning from leaders in various fields. The only way to see which way to pivot is to be paying attention to the ever changing horizon and landscape around your business. CNBC has listed “futurism” as the number one skill for leaders.
  3. Don’t just talk about it, try to apply it: Get a trial of a new product, sign up for a course on it and experience the new thing for yourself. Bring it to your organization with your own point of view. Recently I spent a lot of time learning ChatGPT because I wanted to understand how it could impact the marketing function and what it could do to help the aerial imagery business, EagleView, where I work. I was able to apply those learnings to improve business processes, by pivoting to embrace the future, I was able to then lead others within the company on the new tech.
  4. Get better at your weaknesses: A weakness is only a weakness until you make it a strength. The pivot is in skill but also it is mental: if you believe a weakness can be turned into a strength, you will. Once I was in the final stages for a marketing role I really wanted but I didn’t get it because they said I didn’t have enough B2B experience. So I went out and learned as much as I could about it, started consulting companies as a B2B marketer and turned it into a strength. 77% of organizations report they are currently experiencing a leadership gap. Fewer than 20% of organizations have a bench of capable leaders ready to fill critical roles. You have to improve your areas of weakness to step into leadership roles.
  5. Don’t believe everything people tell you: People will always try to put you into a bucket, because it is easier for them if you are exactly who and what they think of you as. However, the pivot is to make sure that you don’t believe people who aren’t seeing your pathway to success. Once, I had a terrible manager at Amazon who kept telling me I needed to learn SQL to get ahead. While coding is definitely a weakness that I *could* get better at, what CMOs are writing SQL every day?

There are similarities between these examples and all of them ladder up to mindset. The key to bringing the pivot forward is to be constantly learning, understanding the world around you and then leveraging that knowledge to help those within your team and company. The more you scale and grow yourself, the better you will be able to find roles that interest you and a career with exponential growth opportunities.

Marcy Comer is the CMO of the EagleView Commercial Business, a role she stepped into after leadership roles at Amazon, Sears, 7-Eleven, Dosh, and Spruce. As a leader who has worked across B2B, B2C, B2B2C and D2C, she has developed a perspective for herself and her team on what it takes to succeed. Her unconventional approach is this: focus on the pivot.

(Guest Contribution: The opinions and views of guest contributions are not necessarily those of theglasshammer.com).

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