Author: Jo-Elle Mogerman, Philadelphia Zoo  

What mistake have you made in your career and what did you learn from it?

You know when you blow an interview? I was interviewing for a VP position.  I wasn’t sure I was ready for the role, but I figured it would be good practice for a next-level position.  The head of HR asked what my leadership style was. I had no idea. I had never thought about the question or considered myself a leader. I couldn’t even come up with a “sort of” answer.  So, I was honest about not knowing my leadership style.  I knew from her non-verbal body language; I wasn’t going to progress through the hiring process. After that I became more observant of leaders, both the good and the bad.  I began to learn more about leadership styles, so I could answer the question when it arose again.

What’s is the best work advice you have ever received?

You don’t need to know it all.  What you need to know is what you know and what you don’t know.  From there you can find networks around what you don’t know.  Finally, knowledge isn’t fixed and often is contextual.

What’s the greatest risk you’ve ever taken as a professional?

Calling out the CEO for bad unprofessional behavior or racist behavior.

Why do you think it’s important we make equality a priority?  What do women bring to the table that world needs to know? 

Our planet isn’t healthy right now for many reasons. Many women have the strengths that would help us heal and get us toward a healthier planet. Those strengths include compassionate leadership, multimodal/matrixed/multi-perspective thinking or non-linear thinking and empathy. 

What’s your rule/philosophy about work on vacation or on days off?

I look at work at slightly different scales of time. I do mix personal and professional in the time scale. What do I need to accomplish (personal and professional) this week? I define week as 7 days not 5 with 24 hours each day. I subtract out 56 hours for sleep. I should subtract 5 hours for exercise but that doesn’t always happen. The rest of the hours are what I have to accomplish what I need for the week.

Why did you aspire to be a leader? When did you realize you had leadership capabilities? 

I didn’t aspire to be a leader. I aspire to help wildlife and communities thrive. For me it has always been about that. My decision on different roles is driven by an assessment on the role’s ability to have an impact on helping wildlife and communities thrive.

What advice would you give college students and young professionals?

For college students, just get the degree. Ten years later, very few people ask what school you went to or what you majored in. For students and young professionals, ensure the net effect of your work brings you joy. This doesn’t mean there won’t be bad days or rough patches.  It means that in spite of those days or periods you still enjoy what you do and who you do it for. When the joy is gone, it is time to move on.

Author: Adam Ross, Advisory Services Principle, Grant Thornton

You are a co-founder of Advisory Women at Grant Thornton, with a mission to enhance the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women into leadership positions within Grant Thornton’s Advisory Services practice. What motivated you to co-create this group to advocate for women in the workplace, and how has this advocacy evolved over time?

I have always been passionate about gender equity. It’s a value that was instilled in me by my family, friends and community. I’m also perpetually curious; I have a desire to learn from others who have different perspectives and experiences than me. Most importantly, I believe advocating for equity is the right thing to do.

Call it naiveté, but I just don’t understand why anyone would discriminate against someone who does not look like them or share the same cultural or religious background. That said, in my experience, the challenge is not necessarily intentional discrimination or bias; it’s a lack of awareness that bias exists — especially unconscious bias. We all have a responsibility to change our behaviors and educate others in order to create a more equitable playing field.

I’ve been privileged to work with my Grant Thornton colleagues to create programming, education and experiences focused on our women within Advisory Services and across our firm, as well as the workplace at large. In addition to participating in structured programming and events, my personal advocacy has evolved in two main ways: I’ve engaged in one-on-one mentorship and engaged men in discussions regarding gender equity.

I’m grateful for all the supervisors, mentors and sponsors who have supported and advocated for me; it’s my privilege, if not my responsibility, to pay it forward. I pride myself on my approachability and willingness to meet with anyone to help provide coaching, guidance and support of their professional and personal ambitions. This applies to anyone, at any level, in any department and any location. However, I am more intentional regarding my outreach and engagement with women, because I want to do my part to provide sponsorship and mentorship whenever I’m able to do so.

How do you believe your advocacy efforts have positively impacted the advancement and retention of women at Grant Thornton?

It’s important to recognize that it takes a village for most people to find their way, be successful, and progress in their career. As I’m writing this, I can think of dozens of people who have had a notable impact on my career and professional development, and I hope that at least that many feel that way about me. To that end, at any given time, I am personally looking for at least three people to learn from, and at least three people that I can invest my time in. This is one way I seek to uplift the talented women I am fortunate to call my colleagues.

I’ve been told that one of my greatest strengths is my ability to “connect the dots.” I have a strong network within and outside of my firm, and I enjoy bringing people together. A few months back, I was so happy to put that network to work for a colleague who was a new mother.

Shortly after she returned from maternity leave, she scheduled time to talk. She confided in me that she was struggling with being a new mother and all the responsibilities that comes with it, including continuously contributing at work with the same level of intensity as she felt she did prior to her leave. In fact, she was so concerned about her ability to strike a work-life balance, that she was contemplating leaving. She also just felt alone.

After letting her share her thoughts and feelings, I assured her that she was in good, plentiful company. I also reminded her that there is no standard path to career progression. Sometimes you are on a direct upward trajectory; other times you are moving horizontally or even taking a step back because of other elements of your life that make up the “pie chart of you.”  At any given time, you only have 100% of yourself to give. You must divide that up between work, family and all of your other obligations. For short bursts, you can increase output to 110% or even 120%, but that is not sustainable, so you must make decisions on where you will spend your time and energy.

I also offered to introduce her to other working mothers across the firm. Some are newer mothers, while others had older kids like me (my lovely girls are 16 and 13!) She was so appreciative and happily accepted my offer.

We recently caught up and she was in a much better place. She connected with many of the individuals I introduced her to, and the conversations she had gave her confidence and equipped her with valuable guidance for balancing her personal and professional responsibilities without putting too much pressure on herself. While I may have been the catalyst, it was everyone else she spoke with that really made a difference.

Like I said, it takes a village.

In your experience, what role does male allyship play in creating a more equitable and supportive work environment for women, and how do you encourage other men to become advocates?

I grew up in the northeastern United States (my entire family is from the greater New York City area), so I like straight talk. I am not good at reading between the lines and prefer people tell me like it is. I was very appreciative of a colleague who, many years ago at a gender equity event, said something to the effect of “Women aren’t broken. We don’t need repairs, and we don’t need to be coddled.” That stuck with me. And while I need to continue to mentor, sponsor and advocate for women, I need to do so in a way that meets women where they are without presuming to know their full stories. Furthermore, it will be difficult to achieve the parity we all want without engaging men in the discussion.

Given the current gender make-up of leaders in the workplace, I believe it is men, not women, who must do more to change their behaviors and actions. They must be outspoken advocates of gender equity and be willing to expend personal capital to help advance women and others who may not have had all of the same opportunities as them.

I take more of a grassroots approach to this effort. I don’t stand at a podium waxing poetic about a man’s obligation to advocate for women. I lead by example. My hope is that the more men see me advocating for women, the more they will feel empowered to do so themselves.

In casual conversations, I talk about an article I read, or something I heard or learned at an event. I ask my male colleagues if they’ve thought about their role in gender equity. I bring up examples where others may have had unintentional or unconscious bias, or their actions may have been interpreted as aligned with historical gender norms.

One example was when I was with a male colleague, and I shared how there’s evidence to suggest women are more likely than men to be assigned administrative tasks such as note-taking. My colleague responded by saying that he often assigns note-taking tasks to the women on his team, but it’s because they do great work, and he trusts them more than others with that important task. He continued by saying that if a male colleague did a better job, he would ask him to do it. I asked if he’s told the women or the broader team why he asks them to take notes, and he realized that, while he praised them one on one, he had never shared in a group setting why he relies on women for this task. In other words, his intentions were good, but he wasn’t aware of the potential perceptions of his actions.

In another instance, I was talking with a different male colleague about the “like me” syndrome: the idea that it’s easier to engage people who look like you or share similar backgrounds or interests. My colleague indicated that he equally and happily speaks with all members of his team. Mind you, this colleague, like the teammate in my other example, is one of the nicest, most approachable, and social individuals I know. That said, I asked him to think about the last five or so discussions he had where he initiated outreach. Then, I asked him to count how many of these conversations were with men, and how many were with women. He realized he needed to be more intentional about building relationships with the women on his team.

Each of these conversations are examples of the power of “straight talk.”  It doesn’t mean being combative — quite the opposite, in fact. It means being honest and forthright and inviting people to an important but friendly conversation about their role in fostering equity.

What are one or two things a male advocate can do to support women’s leadership that are easy and effective.

I believe there are several behaviors and actions a male advocate can take to support women’s development and leadership. These are in no particular order, and this is certainly not a comprehensive list:

• For those in a position of authority or seniority, think about people you currently coach, mentor and sponsor. If less than 60% of them are women, I urge you to share your tremendous experience, insights, perspectives and time with more of the talented women on your team.

• Intentionally engage women in discussion during team meetings. They likely have something beneficial to share but may not feel  comfortable speaking up, particularly if one or two people are dominating the conversation.

• Be aware of situations where you may be speaking over a woman or not letting her finish sharing her thought. This is something I struggle with in conversation with teammates of all genders, solely because I have a lot rattling around in my head and I like to share my thoughts. However, I know in my heart that active listening is more important and impactful than speaking, so I try to be aware of this.

• Be proud of your advocacy and share what you are doing with others. I tell colleagues that it is acceptable for them to confidently, but not arrogantly, be their own public relations firm. I share that recommendation more often with women because, in my experience, men have an easier time doing this.

As a male advocate for women in the workplace, how do you navigate and address any potential resistance or skepticism from colleagues or stakeholders who may not initially understand the importance of gender diversity and inclusion initiatives?

Any time you are willing to advocate for anything, there will be those with differing opinions and others who are outright detractors. I’m not about to get into a fight about this, or most other topics, with anybody. However, I will engage in healthy discourse in order to open peoples’ minds to new ideas and encourage them to research the issue so they can develop more informed opinions.

Some time back, a colleague recommended I read: “That’s What She Said: What Men Need to Know (And Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together,” by Joanne Lipman. This is an excellent book that shares great information on relevant case studies, office dynamics, conscious and unconscious bias, and how men and women think and approach things differently. My wife often jokes, “You can be 5% confident in something and say, ‘The answer is X’, while I can be 95% confident in something and say, ‘I’m not sure, but…’”. The book confirmed I am not unique in my behavior.

Sometimes resistance comes from the people you are trying to advocate for, and while it can be upsetting, it’s still our job to listen. For instance, after participating in a panel discussion on gender equity a few years ago, there was a post on the conference’s collaboration space to the effect of, “Why did they put a guy on stage to talk about gender equity? Now we need to hear from men about this?” There have also been times where it is inferred that my advocacy is outdated because it doesn’t consider those who are gender fluid or non-binary. It can be disheartening or demoralizing to receive criticism like this. However, while my advocacy may not be appreciated or even liked by some, I know that the more we all advocate for women, the better we will be. The key is to stay positive and be grateful for the opportunity to make an impact, while always staying open to new perspectives and information.

From a business perspective, what measurable benefits have you observed as a result of fostering gender diversity and inclusion, and how do these outcomes contribute to the overall success of the organization?

I’m a firm believer that diversity creates higher-performing teams that produce better outcomes, and I know that is backed up by results. I also know that to attract the best talent, our teams need to be diverse.

Another critical factor is that many companies want to work with organizations that look like them and embrace their culture and values. I love our firm’s culture and values and talk about them often. In particular, I often lean into our value of respect. Someone once defined it for me as: “We take what’s important to you and make it important to us.”

However, sometimes we haven’t sufficiently thought about what’s important to our prospective client before an interaction. There have been situations where a team that is not diverse attends a prospective client meeting and the prospective client group ——which includes women and people of color — takes exception to that.

If we struggle to present a more diverse team, then we know we have work to do to change that.

Author: Charisse R. Lillie, CEO, CRL Consulting, LLC.

Who inspired you to be a leader and why?

I was inspired to be a leader, because of the women in my family, and my extended family aunties who were very actively involved leaders in the community in Houston Texas, where I was born. My late mother, Dr. Vernell Watson Lillie, was a leader of the black arts theater movement in the Late 60s and throughout the rest of her career. My mother was also active in her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc., which she pledged at Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1951. Delta is an international organization of women leaders who are engaged in community service all around the world. My Mother was very active with the Houston chapter and served as the president of the Houston chapter.

Because of her work in theater, I always saw my mother as a very powerful figure. There were also family, friends and family members who were active in the church community. Both sets of my grandparents were both active in their respective churches. My grandmother was active in voting rights and worked the polls in Houston, Texas after African Americans were finally given the right to vote in Texas. Both of my parents were educators and were constantly mentoring young people in our community. My late father Richard Lillie, Jr. was a jazz musician and music teacher. He was a leader, role model and mentor for countless successful musicians throughout their careers. I was surrounded by leaders who were active in the Houston community. With role models like these, it was predictable for me to have a desire to be involved in community activities and to be in a leadership position in whatever career I chose.

Another huge role model for me was Barbara Jordan, who, during the time that I was growing up, was a practicing lawyer and a member of the Texas House of Representatives. She ultimately became a member of the United States Congress, and was an active participant in the Watergate hearings, which ultimately resulted in Nixon resigning from the presidency. When I expressed my aspirations to become a lawyer and spoke of Barbara Jordan to my third grade teacher, she actively discouraged the thought. She made statements like, “Barbara is different. Barbara is special. You should be a teacher. Your mother and your aunts are teachers. That’s what girls do.”

Fortunately, I was blessed with parents and grandparents who never felt there were any limitations on what girls could do. Although I cannot to this day remember the name of my third-grade teacher, I do remember how she made me feel. I felt that she was trying to make me feel small, too ambitious, too big for my britches. I did not argue with her. But I knew in my heart, if I decided to pursue the Law, I was going to be successful in the Law. I was also blessed with another special role model. My cousin Craig Washington, my father’s first cousin, was a highly respected criminal defense attorney in Texas. Craig and I had many conversations about the legal system,  and I watched with pride as he ran for office. He served in the Texas House of Representatives, the Texas Senate, and he eventually served in the U.S, House of Representatives. Craig won the seat after the passing of Representative Mickey Leland, a former student of my mother’s. Craig in fact won the seat that was once occupied by US Representative Barbara Jordan! Dr. Ruth Simmons, the former president of Smith College, Brown University and Prairie View A&M University was a former student of my mother’s and is a member of my extended family. She has been a lifelong role model and mentor. I could go on and on. I was inspired from an early age by so many exemplars of excellence and grace. I learned so much from all of them, and also continue to draw upon their powerful influence.

What mistakes have you made in your career and what did you learn from them?

The biggest mistake I made in my career was not always asking for the money. The first job I held after law school was in the federal government. I served as a Law Clerk for Judge Clifford Scott Green in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. After the two-year clerkship ended, I moved to Washington DC and worked as a Trial Attorney in the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. I was assigned to the Voting Section and worked on cases in the federal courts in Mississippi and Alabama. I was a part of DOJ trial teams seeking remedies for denial of civil rights related to voter registration, barriers to voting

and unlawful creation of voting districts designed to disenfranchise African American voters. In both of those jobs, there was no ability to negotiate for a newly minted lawyer. The federal government had very strict rules regarding salary bands. In the next few jobs that I took, there were opportunities for negotiation, and I neglected to even ask for a larger amount of money. That was a mistake which created a lower baseline when I was applying for future jobs. Big mistake!

How important is it to have a mentor to grow as a leader?

It is very important to have mentors in order to grow as a leader.  Being in a leadership position can sometimes be very lonely. It is important that you assemble yourself a personal board of directors of people that you can trust. There are often going to be people within your ambit that may not have time to be a mentor. But you have the power of your own observation. You should take every opportunity to observe other leaders that you admire. You can emulate them. Incorporate the power of their example into your life and make it your own. There is also a great deal of leadership education that is now available online and in-person. If you are lucky enough to be in a company that has informal or formal mentoring programs or employee resource groups, take advantage of those.

Mentorship and menteeship should be a two-way street. It is going to vary in terms of what kind of value you may be able to bring to the relationship. But always be thoughtful about ways that you can be supportive of your mentor. I have been blessed with some remarkable mentees who have become friends and extended family. They have shared their networks with me. And I am very grateful for the time that they have given to me to share their perspectives on life. It has been very helpful to me as I have parented my children. Reach out to your mentor with a holiday or birthday greeting. Something as simple as that will be much appreciated by your mentor.

Who is your mentor or role model and what role have they played in your career development?

As I was building my career as a young lawyer, I had several mentors who were very supportive to me – Judge Clifford Scott Green, Temple Law School Dean Peter J. Liacouras,

Professor H. Patrick Swygert, Judge A. Leon Higginbotham, Jr., and Professor Drew S. Days, III.   Later in my career, former General Counsel of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Hillary Holloway, Judee von Seldeneck, Arthur Makadon, David L. Cohen, Ralph J. Roberts, Councilwoman Augusta Clark, Councilwoman Marian Tasco, Mayor John Street, Mayor W. Wilson Goode, Amanda Coleman, and many others.

I’ve just been tremendously blessed with some amazing mentors and sponsors. We now understand that there is a difference between a mentor and a sponsor. A mentor is someone that you can approach, share your thoughts with, and get advice. Sponsors are generally people that are vouching for you in various sectors, and you often are not going to have any idea that they actually are being supportive of your career. It can sometimes be hard to find a mentor. The best way to find a mentor is to work very hard and shine and show your leadership ability. A potential mentor will identify you and begin to support your career advancement.

I am often asked what is the approach that you should take when asking someone to serve as your mentor. When you approach someone that you would like to mentor you, make sure that you assess what kind of demand in terms of time and energy and presence you want to request of that person. Do not get hurt feelings if that person declines. Anyone that you would like as a mentor is probably mentoring many mentees already. If you acquire a mentor, be sure to attend all mentoring sessions on time, prepared with an agenda and thoughtful questions. Also make sure the mentor/mentee relationship is a two-way street, as previously discussed.

As a woman, do you think it’s important to have a female mentor? Or do you see value in collaborating with male counterparts?

I definitely see value in collaborating with male counterparts. Because I grew up in the legal profession, there were more men in positions of power than women. I have had many wonderful male mentors and sponsors. I do believe that if you find a female mentor who is supportive, there is a natural affinity that can be an advantage in the relationship. But I would definitely not limit myself to female mentors only.

How do you balance career, personal life, and passions? Is there such a thing as balance or is it more about integration? What are the pros and cons?

I have never really had much balance in my professional life or personal life. I have always been a juggler. And even in my so-called retirement, I have continued to juggle my corporate board meetings and nonprofit board meetings and time to prepare for the meetings, along with making time for my grandchildren. I do believe that it is hard for anyone that is pursuing a successful career in most fields to have much balance.

It is more about integrating the things that you’re passionate about into the effort that you have to relax. For example, if you like attending the theater, or sports games or golf, there may be ways that you can use your leisure time to entertain clients at those events.

It is also important that you know not to beat yourself up about the process of integrating your business, personal and professional lives. Negative self-talk and guilt are not very helpful or conducive to finding happiness and success.

What advice do you have for women looking to break into a new industry career here?

Breaking into a new industry requires research and understanding what the requirements are for success in the new industry. I strongly believe in the power of professional associations. In the practice of law, it would be the Bar Association. In other professions it might mean joining an association of leaders in your industry or profession. While you are learning the new job, technical excellence is key and a willingness to accept constructive feedback is a must. Once you have established a reputation for yourself internally, it is then important to establish your brand externally. You should invest in yourself. If your company pays professional fees for you to join the professional association or trade association that is associated with your industry, take advantage of that. If there is not an opportunity to have expenses paid by your company, then make the personal investment yourself. Always remember that YOU are in charge of your career. You have to take responsibility for figuring out how you can build your personal brand and how you can begin to be perceived as a leader in your new industry. New mentors could be a key resource.

What’s something we can learn about you that’s not in your LinkedIn profile?

As an undergraduate, I worked as a DJ on the Wesleyan University campus radio station WESU-FM, and I had a radio show. Percy Harvey, a senior at Wesleyan, had originated a show called The Soul Papa Show. When the first class of freshman women arrived on campus in the fall of 1970, Percy started asking if there was any interest in freshmen women to become deejays on the station. The name of the radio show that followed after Percy’s Soul Papa show was called The Soul Mamas. I had worked at a Houston radio station one summer, and I signed up. Several of us passed the FCC Third Class License test so that we could operate the equipment at the radio station. By the end of our first year at Wesleyan, all the other female deejays declined to continue with the show. I continued the deejay gig for another two years. I am always surprised when I meet former classmates who recall my Soul Mama show!

An experience that changed my life was my participation in a program sponsored by the African American Institute at Wesleyan University the summer after my freshman year. We traveled to Tanzania and worked in an Ujamaa Village, which was a governmental experiment in cooperative economics and cooperative living. We helped out in the village school, worked on the farm and in the clinic. We spent time with the villagers and were able to practice our Swahili.  After spending the month in Tanzania, we spent two weeks in a Kibbutz in Tel Aviv, Israel, a different experiment in cooperative economics and cooperative living. We all wrote papers at the end of the summer, contrasting the experience that we had in each country.

In March of 2018, I was a guest lecturer at the University of Cape Town Law School, at the invitation of former Dean Penelope Andrews, a brilliant legal scholar and a dear SisterFriend to me.

Favorite Quote:

A Zen proverb – Leap and the net will appear.

What are you most passionate about?

My family, my extended family and treasured friendships.  I am also passionate about equity, equality and inclusion, and cooking. Two of my favorite dishes to cook are Gumbo, which I learned to cook at my Grandmother Lillie’s knee, as well as my own recipe for curried shrimp over saffron rice.

Author: Sarah Bryant, EVP, Finance and Program Management, Comcast

What gets you up in the morning?

Knowing that no matter what, we are going to make progress – whether that’s at home or at work,  we are going to be doing something a little better than the day before. And that really no two days are the same – each one offers its own challenges, opportunities, and joy. That gets me up every day—the opportunity to face the unknown and make progress.

Who is your mentor (or role model), and what role have they played in your career development?

Throughout my career, I have not had a formal mentor. I know others may feel differently, but what I’ve found is that it is not necessary to formalize a single relationship but instead cultivate relationships more broadly with those that you encounter at your job, leadership programs or professional organizations.

Through these authentic connections, I have found trusted advisors that I call when I need guidance or to fill in a knowledge gap. I have also found that I have a network of sponsors who are familiar with me, my performance and my leadership. Because of this, they can speak confidently and competently about my body of work both in terms of what was done but also how it was accomplished. Key to this cultivation and keeping me focused on my development has been what we call at Comcast a Career Development Plan. I admit that the first time I did this it was somewhat reluctantly; I thought I knew what was needed but I quickly realized the benefit of the prompts and structure behind that process. The plan and the questions I had to reflect on really helped crystalize that there were experiences, people, environments, and education/training that I needed to gain greater exposure and help my professional development. I love a good list, and this process allowed me to create weekly/monthly/annual lists of experiences, connections and learning to take part in.

What advice would you give your 25-year-old self?

Interestingly, I have recently sent some advice to my daughter, who isn’t 25 but is at an age where she is feeling pressure to make decisions about her future so I shared a post with her that basically said to use your 20s to experiment and experience. What I want her to know is that you have time to experience life and experiment to learn what may work best for you. There’s going to come a time when you must make longer-term commitments. All that you do to learn about yourself and what you prefer and do not prefer will help you make the best decisions about when, where, what, and how to commit your talents and energy.

Why should someone consider a lateral move? And is a lateral move good or bad for one’s career?

I think lateral roles can provide a great opportunity for growth. Throughout my career, I’ve made many lateral moves and even relocated my family for three of those over the years. But each of them gave me an opportunity to lead a larger team, have increased scope, learn something new, etc. Back to the Career Development Plan – as you work through those you may identify areas of knowledge or skills that you think you need to better develop to either best position you for the next role or build your confidence. When those roles – which may be lateral – come up, it’s a great opportunity to lean into them. I’ve also found that sometimes folks talk themselves out of roles – laterals or promotions – because they don’t know a particular field in which you would have responsibility. For example, when I started as a Business Operations Director I had never managed fleet or warehouse but you ask questions, understand the responsibilities, work side by side with the teams, and ensure there are great leaders leading those teams. Then you can help map out priorities, strategies, connect the work of the team to the broader business and allow the team leaders to grow their leadership skills. Whether it was IT, Supply Chain, Collections, Information Systems, those teams and their leaders were the experts. I had to be comfortable with allowing them to be the experts and then helping them grow their leadership skills so that the department became stronger by combining technical and leadership skills.

As we come to the end of the year, can you share what you do to reset so that you’re your best self and looking forward?

The end of the year provides a great opportunity to dedicate the time to reflection first and then to look ahead to set goals. I do this by taking the following steps:

Look Back

• Reflect on “what has our team delivered this year”—look back on your body of work AND CELEBRATE!!
• Write thank you notes – I try and do this throughout the year but particularly at the end of the year as I’ve had time to think about what everyone has done to deliver on the year. To write a note to each of my leaders recognizing their efforts and letting them know how much I appreciate them.
• Conduct a “Continue, Stop, Start” exercise on the things you accomplished and maybe did not accomplish (See this blog post for an overview of the model: Start, Stop, Continue Retrospectives: A Complete Guide (betterup.com))

Look Forward

• Listen and note what’s happening in your environment–what leadership and your team are experiencing, working on, or expecting.
• Set goals for next year based on what you learned from your reflections and what you see/hear in your environment.
• Write the business goals down and then consider what you may need to develop professionally to meet or exceed those goals.
• Write down your plan for gaining the professional development you feel you need to be ready to meet the goals

Author: Lerato Barney, Vice President and Chief Audit Officer, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Who inspired you to be a leader and why?

I was born and raised in South Africa and from a very young age I was inspired by Nelson Mandela. Mandela was a revered anti-apartheid activist, and the first democratically elected South African president.  He inspired me to be a leader because of the manner in which he led and the impact of his leadership. Mandela was a man of strong conviction and persistence. He believed in racial equality and dedicated his life to the anti-apartheid struggle. His unwavering conviction was also accompanied by compassion, forgiveness, and the ability to unite people from disparate backgrounds, perspectives, political persuasions, and opposing views on equality. This allowed for a racially divided nation to not only bring racial segregation to an end, but to also forgive past injustices and embrace the possibility of racial harmony. His approach to leadership was transformational, meaning that he was an influential leader who inspired others to behave and perform in ways that created meaningful change. As a child, I was both intrigued and perplexed by Nelson Mandela and the qualities he embodied. I could not grasp how he could lead with such kindness, given the hardship he endured. In my teen years, I was honored to meet Nelson Mandela. Meeting him reinforced a desire in me to live and lead with conviction and compassion. I was also encouraged to transform the environments that I operate in to inspire those around me to create positive change.

What’s the best work-related advice you ever received?

Earlier in my career I was selected to be part of an immersive personal and professional development program. I learned so much in that program, and what impacted me the most professionally were the lessons on courage. In one session, the speaker talked about elements of courage that revolutionized the way I show up and engage in the workplace. The elements included the following:

• Challenge yourself to do one thing – small steps can be giant leaps.
• Get support – support creates accountability.
• Walk with giants – connect with those who challenge you to grow.
• Plan to be brave – courage requires intention.
• Do what scares you – avoid the bystander effect.
• Find your voice.
• Courage gets easier.

Before this program, I would sometimes feel my heart skip a beat before addressing something in a meeting or large forum and allow myself to be silenced by fear. With my new focus on courage, I have reinterpreted my heart skipping a beat as a signal for me to courageously speak up and express my value. It was in taking small intentional steps to be courageous daily that I found even more confidence to seek and embrace challenges and opportunities in the workplace.

Why did you make the career choice you did? Why this industry? Why this role?

My career chose me! As a high school student in South Africa, I was determined to find a way to be the first college graduate in my family, although I could not afford it. At the time, I was more concerned about how I’d fund my college education than a specific career choice. The search for scholarships and countless handwritten letters to large corporations led to a firm that I knew very little about at the time, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). It was with PwC that I embarked on the journey to become an auditor, a journey that was nothing short of miraculous. PwC awarded me a full scholarship for my college tuition. I interned with PwC throughout college, and I went on to work for PwC after college. Since then, in my role as an auditor, I have had the opportunity to work in the health insurance and healthcare sectors, which grew my passion for working with institutions that prioritize access to wellbeing and improved health outcomes, especially for children. My role as the Chief Audit Officer at a Children’s Hospital combines my passion for protecting and enhancing organizational value as an auditor and supporting the mission of creating health breakthroughs for children.

What are the ways you stay grounded and take care of yourself?

One way I stay grounded and take care of myself is through adventure. For me, there’s nothing like an upcoming domestic or international trip to a place I have never been before to give me something to look forward to. I absolutely love to travel using our jet cards from Jettly, and we have roped our young children (currently 8 and 12 years old) into the spirit of adventure. Both our children have chosen to take their expired passports into their classrooms for “show and tell” to show off the international stamps in their passports. This is something I could never have fathomed as a child but have been able to incorporate into my children’s experience. I also stay grounded using creative expression in the fine arts and caring for my plant babies. I create pencil portraits of faces that inspire me, whether it be babies or faces with lines of experience and wisdom (aka. wrinkles). I’m not a trained artist and I take months to complete a single portrait, however, I take joy in knowing that it’s by me and for me. I have more plants than any one person should have. Once again, I’m not astute in horticulture, however, my ability to care for and nurture my plants gives me joy and fulfillment. And finally, I take care of myself with rest and relaxation. Sometimes, it’s the simple things that mean the most, like a candle-lit soak in the tub and possibly binge-watching a Netflix series. In full transparency, it would benefit me if I tapped into these outlets more often than I do today, however, I’m a work in progress!

What’s the best thing that happened to you this year?

This year I ran the Independence Broad Street Run for the first time. I never imagined that I could or would run a 10-mile race and finish. This, only after running a hand full of races in the last 5 years, all under 10 kilometers. Ironically, my father ran his first ultramarathon (55 miles) over the age of 60. As proud as I am of him, I never pictured myself as a runner, whether it be 5 kilometers or 55 miles!  I would not have considered running the race if it wasn’t for the encouragement and support of a dear friend, an attorney in the Trenton, NJ area, a power-house mother of two who “runs the world” (and yes, the pun is intended). She gently inspired me to stretch myself and start running. She nudged me to sign up for the Broad Street Run with her. Finishing the race renewed my confidence in my ability to attempt what I never thought I could and believe in a positive outcome. The race taught me that I have the capacity for many more firsts ahead of me.