Female Executives Share Advice For Future Leaders

Closing out Women's History Month, female executives in the design industry share the best pieces of career advice they've received.

Paradowski: Be curious. Try out different internships, read articles and books, and visit museums. Write down what brings you excitement throughout your day. This is a great way to self-access and figure out what path makes the most sense for you. The ultimate goal is to find work that energizes you!

Tick: I like to reflect upon and embrace the career advice given to me by weaving artist Sheila Hicks: “Always ask questions if you want to move forward. Never fear the unknown. Reach out to museums and curators. Put yourself out there and showcase your work!”

Neilson: The most impactful piece of wisdom I’ve received was from a meeting with a peer group of CEO’s. Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should! Focus on something you can be the best in the world at, and then expand carefully.

Saenz: When I was 19 or 20, I was working at the front desk of a fitness facility. My boss told me, “if you want to be successful, you have to help others around you become successful,” and it has stuck with me ever since. The same boss also told me “numbers don’t lie, Mel, people do”, which helped me as I started to take on more sales and business-related roles in my career.

Telgarsky: To not envision my career as a fixed path or ladder. I began my career having a very clear idea of what my career progression could look like. I would have never imagined myself being able to break into a different career path than the one I trained for in college, but when I found myself in a position to do just that I followed that advice and leaned into it. I went back to school for Supply Chain Management to get my footing in this new role and from there on I’ve continued to remain flexible and glean as much from each experience I’ve taken on. This has all added up to a now very diverse background that allows me to continue to explore new opportunities I wouldn’t have ever imagined on that clear-cut career path.

Ramnarine: I have a few but the best two are:

  • Believe in yourself wholeheartedly in everything that you do.
  • If things don’t go your way, try and try again, because tomorrow is another chance to turn it all around.

Beterams: The best advice I’ve been given, and that has proven effective throughout my professional career, is the importance of cultivating excellence for yourself, as well as your teams through leading by example.

What leadership advice do you have for women interested in taking on these roles in this industry?

Holt: My advice to women in the industry is to be a lifelong learner and be prepared to adapt. The market is evolving rapidly, so you need to be nimble and ready to change course at a moment’s notice.

Paradowski: I think when it comes to leadership it is so important to lead with empathy, keep open lines of communication and empower those around you.

Tick: Get up early, meditate, and trust your heart, not your head. Gut feelings can take you much further in your career than your intellect. When the intellect becomes your sole navigation device it is quite often considered mistaken intellect.

Neilson: Believe that you can achieve whatever you set out to do, using your unique strengths, confidence, and determination. Success looks different for any given person or organization, and it often comes about by not conforming to a preconceived paradigm.

Saenz: Don’t be afraid to stand strong in your knowledge. Showing your expertise in your field will always clear the path.

Telgarsky: If you’re passionate about something, find a way to get involved. Even if it’s not directly related to your field, you might have a unique perspective and valuable insights to offer. At a minimum, you will learn something new and at best you’ll be developing new skills, making new connections, or forging a new path. It can be intimidating to put yourself out there in an industry where people seem to be so ingrained in their specialties–deep backgrounds, years of experience, and strong connections. But these new environments can be incredible opportunities for growth and development. By surrounding yourself with people who have different perspectives and experiences, you’ll be exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking that could help you see things in a whole new light. You might just bring something to the table that nobody else has thought of before that could end up making a difference in the industry.

Ramnarine: I would say build great relationships with the architect and design community as success is highly dependent on understanding this part of the business. Creativity begins with the designer and helping them visualize it during the specification process with samples and in-depth product knowledge is key to expanding brand awareness and yourself as their point person.

Beterams: Again, cultivating excellence is really important. It speaks for yourself and your interactions with your team members, peers, and customers. It’s important to inspire this work ethic from all departments in the company, from customer service to operations and management, while delivering success to the overall company. Everyone has something to contribute to the company, and it’s extremely valuable to instill that level of performance and sense of pride in your teams.

Another important piece of advice is to cultivate a holistic approach. To consider that everything is tied together in some way. If you change something in one area, you must examine it from the perspective of other areas and adapt these if necessary because everything is interconnected. Avoiding to operate in silos, and cultivating project management that brings together team members from different departments, creates creativity and allows for views from multiple angles.

As a female leader, fostering and achieving excellence is very beneficial because when you exceed expectations, you create a perception of yourself and your company that shatters any bias due to gender and by doing so, the possible glass ceilings that come with it. Creating diverse teams that are cohesive is key for any leader because everyone brings value to the table. Various genders working together often combine their strengths. Women, for example, are often more inclusive in their management approach, which helps to foster a strong work dynamic that leads to success.

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