truly believe that we are capable of much more than we give ourselves and others credit for. As businesswomen, we must find ways to stretch ourselves and step out of our comfort zone to realize our full potential. Throughout my career,
I have been fortunate to have many mentors who challenged me and helped me realize my full potential. There are three key principles that I have learned from each of them that continue to steer my life and career today.
First, choose to make a difference. Each day, I wake up and choose to make a difference in the lives of my employees by inspiring them to deliver results, have satisfying careers and support their families. Our employees, in turn, make a difference in the lives of our customers.
Second, take advantage of the career opportunities that take you out of your comfort zone. I have always been more concerned with the challenge than the title. This has allowed me to gain cross-functional, cross-business and international experience and, as a result, become a well-rounded leader.
Third, intentionally form partnerships with key members in the organization. I have found that you can’t just sit around and wait for the CEO to invite you to lunch; you often need to make the first move and put time into building a quality partnership. Similarly, you must strike a balance between not taking things personally and being personally invested. On one hand, business is business; it’s about making money and getting the best return for investors. On the other hand, it’s all about the people. I believe that people are our company’s true competitive advantage, and being personally invested in our people has been key to my success.
