I’ve been extremely fortunate to have a well rounded and robust leadership career with amazing opportunities along the way! Is it always a bowl of cherries? Heck no, but it’s been an extremely rewarding experience working with very talented, smart and fabulous employees and leaders along the way. The following article is from my perspective reflecting back on 4 key factors that gave me the skills, confidence and knowledge to be an effective female leader.

No Barriers

I was always raised that I could do anything regardless of gender. In fact, gender was never part of the discussion of what I could or could not do when I grew up. I was surrounded by successful female relatives who were leaders,entrepreneurs, influencers, etc which helped to mold my perceptions as a female leader. I know that played as a large factor because there were no barriers and rather it was about working hard and achieving anything I wanted! I was naturally good at math and science so I gravitated towards a degree that fit my natural talents. Pursuing a mechanical engineering degree is where I became comfortable being in the "10-20% club" which was the percentage of females obtaining their mechanical engineering degree at the time. I never gave it a second thought that I didn’t belong and never felt from others that I didn’t belong since I just marched along on my merry way. I was fortunate to obtain internships and part time jobs where I was often the only female in a group of men and always felt like an equal. These experiences helped shape my future path in leadership.

Treated Equally

I took a detour in life and didn’t get serious about my career until my late 20s. And I didn’t pursue engineering...that's another story!  I obtained a job that had a solid balance of male to female ratio in the front line ranks while the management was less balanced. I was fortunate to be promoted to a manager and was the solo female. Similar to the mechanical engineering experience, I never felt as if my gender was an issue. My fellow managers ALWAYS made me feel like an equal and was given opportunities to grow as a leader. The key factor was being given opportunities to lead groups, public speaking and being empowered to make decisions and learn from mistakes. None of us cared about my gender so it was never an issue.

Be Authentic

As I progressed up the management ranks, "the 10-20% club" became the norm and frankly was always comfortable with it. As a leader, I observed what worked for other leaders whether male or female and incorporated in my style. Did my style change over the years? Absolutely!!! I recall one employer being hesitant of how I liked to incorporate a little fun at the workplace and felt that was a limiter. I knew that was how I liked to lead so I decided to pursue another company to align myself better. I learned being true to yourself whether it’s a stereotypical “female” trait or “male” trait is how effective leaders lead. Being authentic is KEY!

Company Culture

As I continued to progress up in the management ranks, gender was never an issue nor did I feel it was issue from my peers. Hard work, being given opportunities and others believing in my ability that has been responsible for my career! I am very, very thankful! With this said, do I see the gender disparity in upper management? Of course! When anybody is in the minority, you see it more clearly! Either way, it’s never been a barrier and I feel it’s actually my greatest strength as a leader. I want to be part of the solution in productive and thoughtful ways and like Gandhi said, “Be the change you see in the world”. How do I make a difference? I’ve been given amazing opportunities to lead women’s initiatives, mentor other women leaders and coach women individual contributors to pursue leadership! We are seeing shifts and I have no doubt, the 10-20% clubs will be increasing more and more to 50 - 50 clubs!

From my perspective, the key to being a leader whether we’re male or female is to seek out opportunities to grow, say yes to opportunity, surround yourself with strong role models, be the change you want to see in the world and be authentic!