The Q&A
Human Resources VP Susan LaPointe: “Women have tremendous confidence today. We are no longer willing to sit on the sidelines.”
Human Resources VP Susan LaPointe: “Women have tremendous confidence today. We are no longer willing to sit on the sidelines.”Susan LaPointe, VP of Human Resources of the Web Division at Akamai Technologies (a leader in content delivery network services and cloud security systems) shares the best and boldest decision she ever made, what she’s learned about success, and more.
Q: What was your dream job as a child?
I wanted to be a graphic designer because I loved to doodle.
Q: What do you love about the work you do now?
You Asked. She Answered.
Q: Is there a good comeback for when someone repeats your idea and takes credit for it? I usually just sit there and think: What just happened?
A: Charmaine McClarie, leadership expert and executive coach says: You can simply say, ‘Excellent idea. I’m really glad that you agree. And I have three strategies that will make a difference as we move this forward.’ Then send out an email and identify what they are so that everyone knows it’s you.
5 Smart Steps For Future Entrepreneurs
Ann Miura-Ko, a founding partner of Floodgate
So you have a great idea for a business. What’s your next move?
First, take an honest assessment of your personality. Claire Lee, head of early stage banking at Silicon Valley Bank, has noticed three traits in successful entrepreneurs.
“Number one is adaptability: the ability to pivot, really be open to feedback and advice, knowing which to take and which to ignore,” Lee says. “Number two, and perhaps as important, is resilience and grit—you’ve really got to develop a thick skin. And third is resourcefulness—being able to leverage your network, know where to get help and not be afraid to ask for help, is critical.”
Did you check all three boxes? Great! Here are five more starter steps to help you forge a path forward: Read More
What Women of All Races Need to Know about Success
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While only 1 in 5 C-suite leaders are women, only 1 in 25 are women of color. What can women of all races do to change that? In this episode, Michelle Gadsen-Williams, award-winning author and Accenture North America’s managing director and inclusion and diversity lead, shares her ideas and experiences about finding your voice, being seen, and “the bold-faced lie of having it all.”
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Want to Advance? Set up Your Own Personal Board of Directors
By Deb Pine, Executive Director, Gloria Cordes Larson Center for Women and Business & Bentley University Executive Education
As experienced and trusted advisors, mentors can have a significant impact on your career trajectory. Research has shown that people who have mentors are more likely to get promotions and are more satisfied in their jobs. When Indra Nooyi became the CEO at PepsiCo, she credited the mentoring she received for helping her break glass ceilings in business, “If I hadn’t had mentors, I wouldn’t be here today.” Read More
3 Facts About Ambition That Will Help You Succeed
Hana Schank
When careers don’t go as planned, what went wrong—and how do people adjust? Seeking to find answers that would help them navigate their own paths, Hana Schank and Elizabeth Wallace interviewed all of their sorority sisters who graduated with them from Northwestern University in 1993. What they learned was “life-changing,” Schank says, because it gave validity to their choices, and she saw “I wasn’t just flailing here and there.”
But you don’t have to be going through a midlife crisis to be helped by their findings, which they published in The Ambition Decisions: What Women Know About Work, Family and the Path to Building a Life. Here are three key facts about ambition that every woman should know: Read More
4 Ways You Can Help Grow Female Representation in STEM Organizations
By Irene Lam, VP, Product Development, Johnson Controls, and Melissa Jean, Product Marketing Specialist, Johnson Controls
Last year, women made strides in the professional world. We showed that we have a strong collective voice that can create palpable change across the nation. That momentum will no doubt continue in 2019, and will hopefully extend into previously male-dominated spaces, such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Businesses in the STEM sphere are in need of greater female representation to succeed in this modern era. Read More
Real Advice for Women Seeking Mentors and Allies
If your mentors all look like you, you have a mentor problem. Same goes if they all have similar backgrounds and work histories or if you have only one—or none.
“Your mentors should be a diverse network,” says David Smith, an expert on gender workplace issues and co-author of Athena Rising: How and Why Men Should Mentor Women. “If they’re not, you’re missing out on key perspectives and information, and you’re probably not being challenged enough in your thinking.”
Of course, for women in male-dominated fields such as the military (Smith’s background), the problem isn’t having too many mentors who look like you (i.e., female). The problem is having a mentor, period. Read More
Making It Work at Work Is a Family Affair
By Renee Connolly, Global Head of Communications and Corporate Responsibility, MilliporeSigma
After the loud “thump” comes an even louder cry. It’s 3:15 a.m. “I’ve got this…you have an important meeting today…get yourself a couple more hours,” one parent says to the other.
Sound like a scene from a TV show? Or like one taken from your life?
Unsettled nights are common among young families, but for an increasing number, what’s new are the roles partners play in making complex families work—for everyone. It’s taken time to acknowledge juggling both at home and work, and for many, this is a very personal situation that partners are grappling with. Read More
How to Stop a Bad Boss from Impeding Your Career
If you have a difficult boss, you know what it is to feel stuck. You can always quit, of course, but leaving without a new job is risky. Most people can’t take the financial or professional hit. Or maybe you are at a great company and simply don’t want to leave.
The thing to remember in this situation: “Your career is a marathon and not a sprint,” says Mary Abbajay, president and CEO of management consultancy Careerstone Group. “Every long run has rough patches, but that’s when you grow—when you’re being challenged.” Read More