Amplifying Her Voice: Part 1 – How Women Executives are Heard

From the family room, to the boardroom, and now in the White House, we celebrate the immeasurable impact of women in our community and in our companies.

Female voices are rising up, and we are turning up the volume. In honor of Women’s History month, we’re recognizing the women who helped shape the present and are looking towards the future to empower the next generation. We asked female business leaders to put in their own words how they found their voice, as well as the challenges they’ve overcome throughout their impressive careers.

Nikki Darden, Head of Global Marketing Integration, Citi

After working in corporate America for about eight years, I earned a highly sought-after role as Chief of Staff to a key senior executive. I was confident that the behaviors and judgment that enabled me to get to this point in my career would continue to serve me.

Then one day, the Division President’s Chief of Staff – who’d been in her role for several years – pulled me aside after a meeting. She let me know that my role in meetings was just to take notes and manage to-dos and project plans after-the-fact and not to speak up and have a POV. I was devastated. Here was someone who’s been in my shoes telling me that my role is to recede into the background. I took her words to heart and I changed my behavior, becoming a shell of my former professional self.

Months later, after a big meeting, I asked my boss why a certain decision was made and humbly expressed the reasons I thought it was the wrong decision. He was taken aback. My line of thinking was spot on, he said. Then, he chastised me for not speaking up during the meeting. Why had I become so reticent? Without naming names, I told him about the feedback I’d received. In response, my boss shared something he’d never articulated before: he hired me because I had the strongest voice and the steeliest spine. How dare I let someone take that away from me!

There continues to be a dearth of Black, Indigenous, and Latinx women in mid- and senior-level roles in corporate America, resulting in so many assumptions about our place in the business world. And, as a Black woman, I’m often mistaken for an administrative assistant.

I used to go out of my way to signal my level in the organizational hierarchy: always wear heels, a blazer, and red lipstick (unmistakable boss mode, but make it fashion); in an open floorplan, don’t sit near the aisle or the printer (inconvenient but effective); and always introduce yourself with your full title (obnoxious but necessary). These are the kinds of things that men would never think about, while women of color must consider them constantly as we climb the corporate ladder. But why? Like so many things, I’ve learned with age to wear, sit and introduce myself however I want. Do I still face biases? Absolutely. But I look forward to the day that we can show up as our full, authentic selves – without bias or assumptions. In the meantime, don’t ask me how to work the printer because I have no idea.

Every day, I strive to show up as my whole self. This is easier said than done, especially when viewed through the intersectional lenses of race, gender, and gender expression. But for me, there isn’t a single way of being or a mold in which I’m trying to fit. I was raised by a single mother who reinforced that I had it within me to be whoever and whatever I wanted, that the roles and stereotypes presented to girls – presented to Black girls – didn’t apply to me if I didn’t want them to.

This belief that I can transcend other people’s expectations is foundational to me. It means that I simply insist on being authentic – wherever that may fall on the spectrum of gender roles and expectations. I show up as a strong, confident woman, not in order to fight gender biases, but simply because that’s who I am. I’m so lucky that my mother gave me permission to grow into exactly who I was always meant to be. And, I hope that my confidence helps inspire all girls who rise up the corporate ladder after me.

Helen Lin, CDO, Publicis

Digital has been core to every role I’ve had.

One of the biggest challenges is that in the areas I’ve worked – touching digital, investment and technology – is that the population skews more male than female when it comes to executive makeup. Obviously, we’re seeing this shift over time, and companies are making concerted efforts to bring inclusivity to the forefront. But one thing we all struggle with is not having as strong a bench of female talent to pull up when opportunities arise. We still have to make a concerted effort to maintain representation. And when there is representation, I feel the balance is still rather precarious. I’m a huge believer in active sponsorship. Mentorship and sponsorship are both important, but I lean on the active sponsorship side. Whether that be making sure my own leaders are exposed to the brilliant women inside our own organizations, as well as across our industry. Every diverse leader that is given a platform, organically creates more platforms of their own for others to shine, and so on and so forth. I’m always trying to do my part to contribute to the groundswell and work toward the overarching goal of inclusivity. You need all participants in any community to feel valued and productive, as we are only as strong as our weakest link. So I try my best to lift all tides. I serve as executive sponsor for Publicis Groupe’s Women’s Business Resource Group POW! (Power of Women). I also love volunteering and advocating for New York City children who are overcome with the stresses of growing up in poverty, by working with Partnership with Children, which is run by an incredible visionary female CEO, Margaret Crotty. Sometimes people ask how I do it all, of course the answer is that I don’t, but having positive intentions and always expressing sincere gratitude for those who help me achieve allows me to ask for forgiveness when I can’t.

Tara Ataya, Chief People and Diversity Officer, Hootsuite

Growing up, I was told that I could be anything and do anything—my gender had nothing to do with my dreams. From a young age, I always knew I wanted to work with people and help make the world a kinder, more equal place; this naturally led me into work as an HR professional, and in my career, I have strived to leave every role that I’ve entered better than when I arrived.

Early in my career, I wasn’t aware of the sometimes subtle and not-so-subtle biases and discriminatory comments or actions of people around me. These biases were found in both men and women. As I became more aware of the discrimination, I struggled with imposter syndrome and underpromoted my abilities because of self-doubt. I found my voice by pushing myself to work harder, smarter and faster than was expected of me. I realized that this wasn’t going to solve the problem. So I surrounded myself with people of all genders and walks of life, who were self-aware, allies and inclusive. I also made a conscious effort to learn in spite of some of the experiences I have had. Lifting up other women around me and taking risks despite my fears of judgement

I once worked with a female leader who would say things like, avoid hiring women in their 20-30’s because they are more likely to go off on maternity leave or we should only hire men. I experienced microaggressions like being praised for being logical and level-headed rather than being praised for the work I do. I’ve also been paid significantly less and being given a lesser title for a role that had a larger scope than a man in the role. Of course, I’d love to say that these issues have been overcome, but unfortunately, they haven’t been. Women are still faced with biases in the workplace.

The number one way to deal with it is vulnerability. Seems counterintuitive right? Why would you want to be vulnerable when someone has been sexist? Vulnerability allows you to feel the way you have the right to feel about what has happened, and then respond to it. It allows you to address it head-on. It means that you have to allow yourself to feel hurt and call it out. The hardest situations to address have been the ones that are less obvious, where self-doubt creeps back in. Did he not hear me, or was he ignoring my viewpoint? Was I not clear?

Sarah Glasser, VP Americas, Enterprise Commerce, Adobe

I have always been passionate about sales. I have also always been mindful of the fact that there are far fewer women who pursue this performance-based, competitive and rewarding career, and even fewer female sales leaders. Throughout my career, I have relied upon male mentors to help me problem solve, build relationships and find my voice. These men did not disappoint. Not only did they inspire confidence and help develop my career, but they made certain that I was on a level playing field with my male colleagues. They helped me become the leader that I am today, and I am truly grateful for their invaluable support.

Despite the incredible guidance that I received from my mentors, I still wonder if there is an unconscious bias present when I am the only female at a meeting, whether it’s a pitch, client meeting or leadership conference. I often think to myself, “Does anyone else realize I am the only women in the room? Will I be perceived differently?” While a greater number of women in the field and an increased awareness of gender bias in the workforce has helped alleviate my concern, this past year I have noticed a dramatic change. Why? What is different? Like most of us, my professional life is now fully remote. In every meeting I attend, all participants appear as equals, side-by-side in an identical size window on the screen. With just my face visible in a box on a screen, it is virtually impossible to feel different or to feel judged because of my gender, size, or height. I dare to hope that this remote experience has eliminated gender bias forever and that it will not resurface once we start meeting in person again.

This article was originally published on the Adobe blog. Explore more from Adobe here. Read more celebrating women in business. 

Do you have examples of inspirational women in business to share? Or are you a businesswoman willing to share your career story and advice? We’d like to hear from you in the comments below.

And stay turned for more editions of the “Amplifying her voice” series throughout this month!