Women Making Their Own Rules
FountainBlue's September 12 When She Speaks, Women in Leadership Series event, on the topic of Women Making Their Own Rules, featuring:
Facilitator Brenda Rogers, HR Strategies
Panelist Erna Arnesen, VP Global Channel & Alliance Marketing, Plantronics
Panelist Petra Hofer, Chief of Staff to Mark Carges, eBay
Panelist Xiaolin Lu, Fellow and Director of IoT Lab, Texas Instruments
Panelist Shveta Miglani, Talent Development Manager, Sandisk
Panelist Monica Shen Knotts, Senior Manager, Senior Manager, Enterprise Technology Strategy, Cisco
Please join us in thanking our speakers for taking the time to share their advice and thoughts and to our gracious hosts at Texas Instruments. Below are notes from the conversation.
We were fortunate to have a range of women leaders on the panel. There was much diversity as they represented different companies, different educational backgrounds, different cultural experiences, and divergent paths to success within the corporate sector, but they also had much in common:
They consciously made their own rules for success, in environments which did not necessarily embrace women in leadership in general;
They rose to positions of impact, where they influence the executive direction, strategy and tactics for tech organizations across the valley;
They have touched the lives of many, and supported the growth of those around them;
They are clear, inspiring and direct communicators who speak from their heart and their experience, for the good of all.
They have changed roles, perspectives, product lines, and even industries, and continue in their forward growth personally and professionally.
They were generous enough to share their advice and wisdom.
Women who make their own rules don’t always get what they expect from doing so, but those who do it well, always benefit from doing so, and positively impact those they touched because they did so.
Being open to what others think, say and do helps you understand where others are coming from and why specific rules are in place. Understanding the purpose of these rules helps anyone break them in a way which makes better sense for all, should that be the choice.
Focus on whether a rule should be broken, and what the long term and short term consequences are for breaking these rules.
Build relationships with others so that you can socialize a concept before you take actions to shift, change, transform a rule.
Understand the spoken and unspoken rules, and always question whether these rules are the right rules and why.
Do what it takes to keep yourself and those around you engaged and impassioned, even if it means stirring the pot and breaking a few rules.
Know yourself and the values you stand for, and keep connected with that core self, as it will help you see rules which are overtly or subtly imposed on you, rules you may not necessarily choose to shape you or the direction you choose.
Be courageous enough to transcend social and other rules, letting your results and impact speak louder than social norms.
Consider the motivations of others who support or obstruct you from the breaking of rules.
Communication is key. Know your message, your purpose and your audience before you break any rules.
Celebrate creativity and innovation: Embrace the opportunities to think, speak and act differently. Do the uncomfortable by surrounding yourself with people who don’t think like you.
Memorable quotes from our dynamic panel:
Be the bamboo that bends but does not break.
Prove yourself in the boardroom, and go in wearing your Birkenstocks.
Ignore the voice on your shoulder that keeps telling you that you’re in over your head.
Assume positive intent from others who question your words, thoughts and actions (even if you know they don’t have your best interest in mind). It will help you be courageous enough to break a rule that must be broken.
Strategy, empathy, and passion are magical elements of the emotional intelligence you need to break those rules.
Effective rule-breaking must be a conscious, strategic choice.
Eggs will break when you make an omelet. Be prepared for the backlash, but also embrace the possibilities and up-sides.
An acronym for FEAR - false evidence appearing real.
Be respectful and appreciative of those who come before you, breaking the ground. Namaste, I honor you by bowing down
Resources:
Daniel Goldman’s blogs, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-goleman/
Fred Kofman - conscious business blog, http://consciousbusinessblog.com/tag/fred-kofman/