Top Women in the Business World Discuss Their Careers

They talk representation, making big decisions and their go-to advice.

What are the 3 top tips you would give a young woman getting started in her career?

Read and research. I spent a lot of time during my 25th summer reading thinkers like Schopenhauer and pop-sociologist Alain de Botton. Second, whatever you’re doing now, do it really well. Third, it’s okay to be afraid.

What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your career that was related to your gender?

When we were first seeking funding for MM.LaFleur, many investors — most of whom were male — had trouble seeing the value in what we were doing.

What is one of the greatest triumphs you’ve had in your career?

Building my team. My employees are so smart and driven, and they each bring something different to the table. I see my role as being the facilitator of their success and development.

How does having women represented in leadership help an organization?

I find homogeneity disturbing. As a woman in business, I believe there’s nothing creepier than a boardroom chock-full of old white men. I think it’s a fiduciary duty to solicit differing opinions. Your business will be better and more profitable the more diverse you are — and not just gender diversity, but diversity of all kinds.

How can companies encourage more women to pursue leadership positions?

First, by putting in policies in place to facilitate their long-term success at the company. At MM.LaFleur, we have equal maternity and paternity leave polices because I think it’s important to build support systems for both male and female employees. Beyond that, I think it’s important to create a culture where women can truly be themselves and where each voice is valued and heard.

What are the 3 top tips you would give a woman aspiring to leadership to get started in her career?

There’s no replacement for hard work. Be right and have your facts checked thoroughly. Don’t be afraid to tell people when you are right.

What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your career that was related to your gender?

Working at a company where harassment was widespread and and women who complained had their careers completely sidetracked.

What is one of the greatest triumphs you’ve had in your career?

Building a company where diversity of every type is simply part of the company culture and fabric.

How does having women represented in leadership help an organization?

Women seem to be very collaborative.  As a company grows quickly and scales, communication and collaboration are critical to success.

How can companies encourage more women to pursue leadership positions?

Mentorship is very important.  Role models are very important. Helping all employees increase their skills in all areas does more than result in valuable employees — it also helps increase an individual’s confidence so that they can lead.

What are the 3 top tips you would give a young woman getting started in her career?

Develop meaningful professional connections with people in your industry. Apply for every opportunity you want, even when you’re not sure that you are the perfect candidate. Follow your passions and your values to be the best that you can be.

What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your career that was related to your gender?

I had a complicated pregnancy with my son and was forced on bed-rest when I was still pre-tenure. There were times that it felt impossible, and I’m very grateful for the people who supported me.

What is one of the greatest triumphs you’ve had in your career?

Many years ago, a male senior colleague advised me not to waste time on women’s issues. I’m glad I didn’t. Now gender work is officially part of my job.

How does having women represented in leadership help an organization?

Having women in an organization’s leadership helps both directly and indirectly. The research shows that the clearest direct benefits are tied to decision-making—diverse groups make better decisions and women can bring valuable perspectives related to core business that men overlook (example cite: http://www.catalyst.org/knowledge/bottom-line-corporate-performance-and-womens-representation-boards). The indirect benefits to having women truly represented in organizational leadership (not in add-on leadership roles to pad the numbers) are about what happens within an organization when employees look up and see gender balance in key leadership positions. This facilitates women’s motivation and effectiveness. In many organizations women fill roughly half of entry-level positions, and having gender balance at the top can better engage the talent of both men and women at all levels.

How can companies encourage more women to pursue leadership positions?

Companies serious about improving gender balance among their leaders need to encourage women’s pursuits in ways that engage them and enable them to reach their full potential. This means identifying organizational practices that may exclude women or contribute to biases in evaluation and/or compensation. It also involves being thoughtful about how the organizational culture affects the psychological experiences of women, and ultimately influences women’s performance and motivation in the company.

What are the 3 top tips you would give a young woman getting started in her career?

1. Base early career choices on who you will be working for rather than focusing on the job title or even the company.  Go to work for people who see your potential and will give you opportunities.
2. Find models who you can relate to – you need to see enough of yourself in that you can emulate them.  I never saw myself as a CEO until I worked for a female CEO who I could model myself after.
3. Ask for things.  Too many capable women miss opportunities because they hesitate to ask, while many men never give a second thought as to whether they deserve something.

What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your career that was related to your gender?

In David Mayer’s article “How Not to Advocate for a Woman at Work” he wrote about the dangers of benevolent sexism and compliments that actually serve to undermine.  This is something I’ve experienced at key moments throughout my career; receiving “compliments” that made me feel smaller instead of stronger.  These compliments feel like they serve more to affirm that giver’s superiority than they serve to genuinely build up the receiver.  For example, I’m surprised by how often men respond to my saying that I am a CEO with “Good for you!”  Or make unsolicited statements such as “You’re doing great as a first-time CEO.”  I’ve learned that a) it’s not crazy for me to feel offended by such “compliments”; and b) to smile while I’m rolling my eyes on the inside!

What is one of the greatest triumphs you’ve had in your career?

Last year I brought my daughter and her entire 3^rd grade class to my office for a field trip to learn about work.  She was beaming the entire time, and she told me that everyone thought it was so cool that I was her mom AND ran the whole company.  Working mom guilt is a real thing, especially in the early years when your little ones openly question why you can’t stay home with them.  So to hear my daughter tell me she was grateful that I have my job was so validating of my choices and my career path.

How does having women represented in leadership help an organization?

Individuals are more likely to hire and promote a) people that they can relate to and b) people from their own network.  As a female CEO I have hired more women into our C-suite.  Not because I intentionally set out to create a gender-balanced team, but because female candidates with whom I could identify resonated with me.  And, I leaned heavily upon my own network, which contained a lot of women.  I believe that the more women we have in leadership roles now, the more women will rise to these positions in the future. My hope is that when young women look at our execs, it feels more attainable for them to become leaders too.

How can companies encourage more women to pursue leadership positions?

The most important thing that companies can do for women is establish a proactive process for talent identification and development.  I have found that women do not consistently put themselves forward for stretch opportunities, where men are more comfortable doing so.  So we set out to proactively identify promising talent, tell them that we believe they have a big future in our company, and suggest new opportunities.  We now find that women and men are more balanced in their success, and that as a company, we more successfully retain and promote top talent.

What are the 3 top tips you would give a woman aspiring to leadership to get started in her career?

Find a mentor you trust and respect, and then give back to younger, more junior women. Get as much information as you can and do what feels right. Lastly, always be yourself.

What is one of the greatest challenges you’ve faced in your career that was related to your gender?

Remaining strong and assertive, especially with the risk of being called “aggressive” or “too direct,” has been a challenge. It’s rarely easy but it’s important.

What is one of the greatest triumphs you’ve had in your career?

Building our current HR team into the world-class organization it is today is a triumph. While we still have more to do, our current culture is a great source of pride.

How does having women represented in leadership help an organization?

It demonstrates to both women and men of all levels and functions that demographics are not limitations. Of course, how women behave in those positions is key, so I’d give those women leaders the same advice as I’d give to younger women.

How can companies encourage more women to pursue leadership positions?

Ensure you’re promoting your top-performing women and give them visibility to the entire company. Help them work effectively across functions and levels so that they’re positioned for promotions and success once they’re in those leadership roles.