It’s no secret that women in business leadership are master communicators, leaning on empathy, strategic word use, and other amazing qualities that make us the best choices for innovation and advancement. In fact, research has shown that women’s use of positive communication styles is beneficial in times of crisis, their board perspectives lead to more profits, and their skills as mentors enhance workplaces for generations.
These Power Women have all leaned into strategic and effective communications skills in order to not only advance in their careers but also serve audiences, shareholders, clients, and teams to forge dynamic change, inspire evolution, and spark innovation.
Here are snippets of jewels dropped over the years:
On Building Trust And Inclusion
Nadine Karp McHugh, Founder & CEO Evolve Up
When asked about building highly functional teams, she told Her Agenda, “One of the biggest things that you need to do is create a trusting environment. We had a culture within the team that permeated all divisions where it truly was one team. And it took a while to get there. You need to make sure that you mean what you say and say what you mean. [When] people see that in a consistent way, they know that you’re coming from a place of good. The other thing that we did that I thought was really important was we created a mantra for the team, which was ‘no divas, no wallflowers.’
“What it meant was nobody was too big. No one could have too big of an ego. We’re all in it together. That was the ‘no divas’ piece. The ‘no wallflowers’ piece was everyone should feel that they have a voice and that their ideas, any idea, could be a good idea, and they should feel comfortable enough in this space to speak their mind, give their opinion, and share ideas if they have them. It really helped to create this wonderful team spirit and vibe that helped us to do a lot of great work together.”
On Being Transparent About Macro Goals
Major General Mari K. Eder, Retired United States Army Major General
When sharing her experience leading at a senior level in the Army, she said, ”I made a list of the top 10 goals I wanted to achieve in my role so that whether you were in Omaha, Nebraska, or Florida, a poster listing these goals was on the wall. As a result, everyone could see [how] their individual milestones [work] towards reaching the overall goals. There was an understanding that no matter what your job was there was a clear way to contribute towards what we were all working to achieve. In leadership it is important to bring everyone back into the fold so they have a grasp on where we are going as an organization.
On Targeted Approach And Connection
Julie Hochheiser Ilkovich, Managing Partner, President of Editorial Operations, Masthead Media
“It’s really important to communicate with people the way that they need to be communicated with,” she told Her Agenda. “I know that sounds so obvious, but it’s really not that common. So if you’re working with a coworker, or you’re working with a boss, or you’re working with a client, understanding how they need to be communicated with versus just doing what you usually do [matters]. For example, if you’re a big, long emailer but they’re never going to read your long email, understanding that that’s ineffective communication is really important.”
On Playing The Long Game
Ama Romaine, General Counsel at Progress Residential
“So what I’ve learned is that it’s important to plant seeds,” she said, referring to advice for other women who are interested in becoming general counselors or working in the C-suite. “I may not always get someone to do exactly what I want them to do because I’m not sitting over the business unit. I don’t have the decision-making authority, but I can influence people. It’s thinking about how you use your skills as a counselor to advocate, to convince and sometimes you do have to let it go. Plant seeds and know that you can come back to it. Over time, the arch of the universe bends towards justice. If you can get people to really believe that you are aligned with them and in the boat with them on advancing their business outcome, you stand a much greater chance of getting them to hear you. So I think it’s about planting seeds, being patient, and believing you’ll get the outcome that you want to get.”
On Authentic Vulnerability
Arlesha Amazan, Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development, SC30, Inc.
Arlesha was able to see the benefits of timing and unapologetically getting vulnerable when expressing career goals in leadership, and it paid off. “He asked, ‘What’s your five-year plan?’ We were talking about the plans that the team was putting in place for Dwyane [Wade]. I had a very honest conversation. And I said, ‘I want to pivot. I’m ready to make a move. I want to pivot to the brand side.’ Obviously, he had seen how I worked with him, contributions I’ve made for his brand partnerships, the strategies I was bringing to the table.
“I said to him, ‘Maybe it’s Gatorade, maybe Nike, but I want to make a move.’ Unbeknownst to me, Dwyane and CAA were working on starting this marketing group within the agency. I actually had no idea it was happening behind the scenes. That was one of my biggest lessons. This goes back to the advice, speak up. Don’t be afraid to, even if it’s your boss, say, ‘Hey, I’m thinking about this.’ You never know if the company or the business has plans that you’re not even aware of. You not speaking up might not give you the opportunity that you’re seeking, or you speaking up might make you head of that new department.”
