In devising the editorial thrust of this month’s State of the Industry report on women in leadership roles, our panel of dealer executives was asked, in hindsight, a wholly unfair question. The query: Do you make a conscious effort to develop women as leaders, and if so, what does it entail?
The question is flawed on several levels. For one, any effort to drive leadership development must be a top-down effort embraced by the entire organization. Similarly, it is not incumbent upon only women to take the lead in identifying and fostering the careers of females who display leadership traits and potential. Men and women should be on the hunt for, well, any men or women who might one day be an ideal candidate for an executive post.
Plus, one may infer that the question is a loaded one, and implies that women should be making a concerted effort to identify and promote the cause of women to become leaders, and might suggest a failing in not doing so. Thus, while well-intended, championing the cause of women in increasing their ranks among leadership is a macro-level responsibility of many.
When she first walked into the halls of Graph Expo, the longtime print and graphics show that was held each fall in Chicago, Lauren Hanna—the vice president of sales at Blue Technologies of Cleveland—was decidedly in the minority, as she estimated that maybe 1% of the people in McCormick Place South were women. That revelation really drove home the imbalance between men and women in the printing sector; the office dealer space, while not having as pronounced of a divide, illustrates the progress that’s still needed in representing women on a more significant basis.
One area where Hanna believes her company thrives is in constantly evaluating employees to assess if their skill sets would be better served in different capacities. Hanna cited an example of an employee who is a single mother who the company is supporting with online classes at night to allow her to satisfy the work-life balance while increasing her knowledge base. Rather than taxing her with on-site courses at the conclusion of the work day, the employee can tackle the classes after her children have gone to bed.
“As a mother, I can relate to that,” she said. “Once the kids are in bed, it provides a level of relaxation, and then you can really ingest information. That’s really important to help with her development.
“We also encourage our female employees to take part in networking events in our communities or with our customers and get some exposure outside of the normal 8-5 workday. I feel that is important for professional development.”
Power of Mentoring
Some execs have found success at a more granular level. Christie Wakefield, director of marketing/technology for Pacific Office Automation, is currently mentoring a young woman within the industry. They hold weekly conferences and discuss everything as the candidate moves forward in her career.
“She shares challenges and I give best practices that I’ve seen success with,” Wakefield noted. “Along with that, we can relate to each other in a lot of different ways, so it’s helpful for both of us to have that time to talk. At the end of our conversations, we always leave with an action plan.”
Quite often, established women executives are able to counsel leader candidates by getting them to think beyond some of the traditional borders that have, for a long time, stymied them from envisioning a career with higher aspirations. Take Susie Woodhull, CEO of Woodhull LLC in Springboro, Ohio. Woodhull was raised by parents who didn’t view male and female roles in a traditional sense. As an owner, she’s constantly assessing team members, men and women, for potential leadership capabilities.
“When I see talent, I like to recognize and develop it,” she said. “More often, we’ll find a female that’s capable, but maybe not living up to their full potential because, in their own mind, they think they’re playing within the right boundaries, so to speak, whereas males are more comfortable in taking the lead or competing for it. But it’s important to encourage a woman who has the capabilities to jump in the ring and put her ideas out there. Sometimes, you can easily see a lot of growth potential right away.”
Seeking Sparks
Developing every team member to the fullest of their gifts and abilities is a top priority for Dawn Abbuhl, president of Repeat Business Systems in Albany, New York. She seeks diversity in every aspect of people—race, age, gender or identification—and notes the rich variety often yields the best ideas. Women leaders, she feels, contribute unique qualities for leadership that add much to the team.
“If I see a spark in anyone, or if I feel like they can provide diverse opinions, perspectives or leadership qualities, it’s important to recognize and develop them,” she said. “I love working with a diverse population and having a nice balance of people.”
Developing the skill sets and tools that can be a catalyst and gateway to positions of power is vital for men and women alike, notes Stephanie Keating Phillips, director of solutions and production print for Advanced Imaging Solutions (AIS) of Minnetonka, Minnesota. Her staff consists of nine female sales representatives, unmatched in company history. Phillips enjoys sharing her experiences with them in helping them realize their full potential.
It’s not about “having it all” as much as it is about showing a path of possibilities. “If you do things the right way, you can be a mom, you can be a coach, you can be a leader in a company,” she said. “You can be successful in sales—all those different things. I probably spend more time with women talking about these things than I would ever do with a man, to be honest.”
Support and Inspire
Developing women in the technology industry adds another degree of difficulty, given the lack of women who have chosen the IT field as a career. As a consultant, Pam Feld—the CEO of Triumph Technology Group in Tustin, California—doesn’t require prospective hires to possess a background in technology, as the company fully trains staff additions. She seeks out people with the personality, work ethic and chemistry to mesh with Triumph, be they men or women.
However, during the past five years, Feld has been highly active in a number of women’s leadership organizations that have been instrumental in the identification and development of future leaders. “The groups that I’ve chosen to be a part of truly support and inspire each other in looking for opportunities to help women,” she said. “For me, it’s a daily, conscious effort of how we can improve and continue to support each other, be collaborative and generous. It also extends to the small business community, being supportive and collaborative. I think we can help each other more as we work jointly rather than against each other.”
