Much has been written and said about the contributions of women leaders in American business. With four+ decades of operating in this space, and a bit of your indulgence, I’d like to add to it a bit… a wee bit.
First things first, I’m a fan of women business leaders, for three reasons…
- Selfishly, it pays the bills. By virtue of their prominence in the healthcare and education spaces, I’m proud to say that women leaders are within range of majority status on our client list.
- Women are serious about improving their own game as leaders, developing teammates in their trail, be they male or female, and improving competitiveness; always. That said, as noted in McKinsey’s “Women In The Workplace 2025” report, only half of companies are prioritizing women’s career advancement. Clearly, we can and must do better.
- In my occasionally humble opinion, they tend to be much better listeners.
On that last note, for many years, one of my role models was Judith Rogala, the first female senior operating exec at FedEx, in a rough and tumble business. Perhaps the greatest tool or tip I gleaned from her example was encapsulated in three short words that she used often, followed by a healthy dose of silence, whether in the boardroom, or with a group of FedEx Couriers: “Tell me more.“
I can pretty well assure you that if you’ll install them into your daily operating language, followed by some appropriate silence, you, too will be well rewarded.
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