“We’re not just playing catch-up. We’re going beyond where women in our field have ever gone. We’re going to reach that place where gender doesn’t stop a woman or slow her down or make her divert her course…where men and women have equal power and potential…where we truly understand how to create a corporate culture that brings out the best in everybody…and where our profession attracts the brightest young women because it’s a land of opportunity.”
— Ann Drake, founder of AWESOME and CEO of DSC Logistics, in opening remarks at the 2017 Symposium.
Below are excerpts from Words of Wisdom in REALITY CHECK – Volume Six, recording comments by participants in the 2017 AWESOME Symposium.
“People say leadership is lonely and it is. You’re going to have to do things that are unpopular. But that’s when we need to say, ‘If I choose not to do this, if I choose not to lead this, if I choose not to break through and solve this problem, then who will?’”
“We know what it’s like to have that extra scrutiny that comes with being a woman or a minority – the first of your kind to stand in front as the leader, but what an opportunity it turns out to be, an opportunity to redefine what it means to be a leader.”
“A mentor and a sponsor are two different things. A mentor is about teaching and providing guidance. A sponsor is somebody who’s willing to stand up for you and say ‘hey this person is best for this job. She should make this career move and I bet my career that she will be successful.’”
“I am making sure that every candidate list I review includes the names of qualified women and minorities, and it’s not as simple as it sounds. You have to stand up and demand it and refuse to look at lists that do not.”
Download REALITY CHECK – Volume Six