When corporate women level up, business results soar. Whether climbing the corporate ladder or running a small business, these leadership tips will enhance results.
Who benefits when executives level up with proper guidance? If you answered the executive, you’d be only half right.
According to the Academy of Management, women on boards and decision-making positions generate more profit, among many other benefits.
Climbing the corporate ladder in large organizations, while not for everyone, is achievable.
A McKinsey report found that women comprise less than 25% of the C-Suite. I have a great deal of respect for people who want to be SMEs in their field and have chosen not to climb toward the leadership ranks. For those who wish to pursue higher levels, I often ask them, “what are you going to do to set yourself apart from everyone else?”
My best advice would be to:
1.) Set a 5-year vision. Determine where you want to be in 5 years and then outline a plan.
2) Secure a well-regarded mentor to share that plan with to ensure it’s reasonable for the company/culture you are creating.
3) Deliver stellar results on time and with high quality.
4) Anticipate your boss’s needs and deliver results without them having to ask.
5) Join an ERG (Employee Resource Group). They are invaluable to many in terms of networking.
6) Secure an advocate, very different from a mentor. These people will need to believe in you enough to break down barriers that will inevitably exist in a large corporation.
Are you running a small business?
At Ford, we have thousands of relationships with small businesses. From my observations, five things set the relationships that last apart from those that don’t.
(1) It all starts with them having a valuable product or service and identifying how they can provide additional value to us.
(2) Provide excellent customer service; make every moment of interaction with your customers COUNT. They can quickly become your brand ambassadors, offering free and well-regarded referrals to their network. I LOVE this one!
(3) Build trust and credibility with us. For example, I recently spoke with a Google Executive without expectation, and within minutes, we discussed product offerings that would help my business objectives. They were not making a “sales pitch”; instead, they were helping me solve a business problem. This approach built trust and credibility with me.
(4) Treat people like friends, and build relationships. Don’t be so focused on the sale that you forget a person is on the other end. Instead, find ways to relate to them personally, and you will find they are willing to work with you more on a professional level.
(5) While it’s essential to be agile in an ever-evolving marketplace, staying true to your company’s core business values is just as important. If you show you are too willing to shift core company values for the quick win, you can lose in the long run with established companies that understand you sometimes have to ride the wave of challenges ahead of an impressive win!
The benefits of women leading in the workplace have proven to increase profit and impact millions of families worldwide.
What strategies listed will you use to level up in business?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Sondra Sutton Phung led a team that delivered over $1B of profit for Ford Motor Company’s iconic SUV portfolio. Recently named Marketing General Manager for Electric Vehicles, she leveraged her STEM & HBCU education to create her transformational, data-driven marketing approach. Her perspective impacts millions in the Automotive Tech Industry. Sutton Phung is reducing the learning curve and sharing how leaders can accelerate their results. To learn more, follow Sondra on Linkedin.
