Effective leadership transforms organizations. Diverse and inclusive leadership teams bring multiple perspectives to the table and provide deeper insight to ensure institutional success. Over the last few decades, women have made great strides in being represented in leadership roles across a multitude of industries. To mark the progress and to commemorate Women’s History Month, we asked Vector women leaders what advice they would give to empower other women who want to become effective leaders in their fields:
Jenny Fergason, Vice President, Program Management: “Play to your strengths! Empower yourself by understanding your strengths and using them to overcome your weaknesses. If need help identifying your strengths, DISC Assessments and StrengthsFinder are great resources to help pinpoint strengths that you can leverage. Also, be a great teammate and don’t forget to lift up the women around you.”
Danielle Hayek, Customer Success Manager: “Fight for the things that are important. Use your voice to empower those around you and refuse to be quiet in moments when your voice needs to be heard. Lean into your empathy and push yourself to be the best version of yourself both personally and professionally, because believe it or not, they go hand in hand. And find a mentor! Someone who gives honest feedback. And lastly, don't be afraid to fail. Take ownership when you do and learn from it. Showing others that it's okay to make mistakes only makes your team stronger.”
Brandi Howe, Senior Director of Renewal Management: “Be true to yourself; integrity is everything. Passion can be easily misconstrued as being emotional, so women in a leadership role have to communicate clearly and concisely. It's important to stay grounded in your values.”
Heather Lauer, Associate Director of Talent Acquisition: “Really spend some time thinking about where you want to go in your career and then take every opportunity that allows you to learn and grow in that direction. Do not shy away from an opportunity because it scares you or you think you do not know enough, because that is how you grow. Finally, network with women leaders who are willing to give you feedback to help you develop your skills.”
Tessa Mattis, Sr. Director, Marketing Operations: “Don't be afraid to fail! Not every campaign or project is going to net the results you hoped for. The important thing is to own it and find the value in what you learned so that every time you get better at what you are doing. Sometimes you learn more from what doesn't work than continuing to do the same things and never improving.”
Michelle Menghini, Sr. Director, Human Resources: “Don't let obstacles prevent you from pursuing your goals. Stand true to yourself, be your own best advocate and always remind yourself of your worth!”
Jamie Newton, Demand Generation Manager: “Be consistent in your work, reliable in relationships, and trustworthy in your intentions. When people trust you, know they can rely on you, and respect your decisions and opinions, even if they don't agree, it sets everyone up with a recipe for success.”
Laureen Ranz, Director of Content: “Above all else, be confident in yourself - and I don't just mean your current talents and skills. Believe in and express your own potential - that unique value only you could bring. So many times in my early career, I found myself making myself smaller to allow room for the bigger, more intimidating, physically dominant voices in the room, believing my input couldn't possibly be as important. The minute I started truly believing in my own value is when things started happening for me in my career. Be courageous in sharing those thoughts and ideas. You will probably experience micro-aggressions in all aspects of your life as a female, and you'll be tempted to just brush them off. Don't. Point them out (in a very professional way) when they happen so that others can learn what is not ok. You'll help open minds and opportunities for the next female leader. And when you do get that chance, be the kind of leader for others that you would like to have for yourself.”
Laryssia Williams, Manager of Accounts Receivable: “Do not compare yourself to others, demonstrate strength with grace and kindness, practice resilience, and have humility. The essential attributes required to lead include communicating, collaborating, connecting, and empathizing. Also, it is necessary to establish goals and achieve and empower yourself by understanding your strengths and using them to overcome your weaknesses and engage others. Motivate your peers, seek advice from those senior to you, encourage your peers, and coach and mentor your staff for success.”
Elizabeth Wolff, Manager, Customer Success: “To me, being an effective leader is all about building relationships, effectively communicating, and leading change. Always remember, your voice is important and you belong at the table! Empowering others to share their ideas is also a key action for me as a woman in leadership. You're never ‘too old’ to keep learning!”
Victoria Zambito, EVP Communications and Brand: “Always care. Always care about the quality of work. Always care about meeting your deadlines and being accountable. Always care about how you communicate, and how gracious and kind you are. Always care about your customers and your teammates. Always care about enjoying what you do and having fun along the way. Always care about your own happiness and staying healthy and balanced. Always care about making a difference and being part of a company, organization, or institution that makes the world better.”
Motivating others is one of the marks of a good leader. Vector is proud to have so many inspiring women lead the charge and change across our industries. Representation and mentorship matter. Focusing on providing women and other underrepresented groups a seat at the leadership table will help all organizations create a culture of success and equity.
