Happy International Women’s Day: Top Tips for Women in Business

In honor of International Women’s Day, we’ve gathered the top tips from the women who serve on our leadership team. Together, they draw from their experiences to share their advice for fellow working women who strive to one day be in their own position of leadership. Here’s what they said:

Becky R.-A, VP, Human Resources

Becky said that although it may sound cheesy, this reminder has helped her to continually push past barriers and achieve success in her endeavors:

“Problems are simply opportunities to succeed, so don’t let a problem prevent you from rising to a challenge.”

Gay P., VP, Sales & Service

Gay reflected on her journey up the corporate ladder at shared her thoughts on becoming a strong female leader in the working world:

“Respect is something you earn; it doesn’t come with the title or position. Be honest, direct, humble and a good listener. It’s OK to say, ‘I don’t know.’”

Jill F., VP, Marketing

Jill said that in her career, she has found that holding these principles in the highest regard have been to her personal and professional benefit:

1. Take care of the people around you because it’s the right thing to do.
2. Be the person that you most admire.
3. Be an expert in your field, contribute to your team and share the success with others.

Lisa C., VP / CFO

Lisa shares that these attributes have helped her to become the leader she is today and believes they are key to being a positive and effective leader:

• Be innovative; always think outside the box to reach for the impossible.
• Be grateful to your team; appreciation them for their efforts and contributions.
• Be humble and selfless; foster your team’s wellbeing and unlock the individual potential.
• Be empathic and supportive; build an emotional connection with your team.
• Be assertive; it is acceptable to show your position with a firm and objective conviction.
• Be a fair leader; people don’t need to be managed, they need someone taking the initiative and leading by example.

Lisa P.-H, President & CEO

On her journey to becoming the President & CEO of Wheelhouse Credit Union, Lisa has learned a lot about what it takes to be a female leader in business. She said, “if I were to give young women a tip or some advice, I would say believe in yourself, be kind and persevere. I have always been a believer in working hard, surrounding yourself with good people and learning all that you can.”

Lisa adds:

• Find a mentor(s) and help to mentor others.
• Honesty, integrity and empathy should be your guiding principles. It will create a culture of trust.
• Be humbly confident, but not afraid to show your strength.
• Don’t lead so far in front that you forget the people you need most and that need you.
• Walk alongside and get involved in your community.
• To help you ground yourself in a purpose, find and support a cause you are passionate about.
• Bring your passion to work to inspire passion in others.
• Always be willing to fail upwards by taking ownership of your mistakes. There will be times things don’t work out as planned; make sure to find the wisdom in each lesson.

“At the end of the day, you should be able to reflect back and be proud of your work and interactions with others. I believe your work is your signature. It says a lot about who you are as a person…oh, and don’t forget to have fun and enjoy the moments, both big and small.”

All in all, our key takeaways for women who strive to be leaders in their field are be true to yourself, be honest, humble, and gracious, know your field, rise to the challenge, and don’t be afraid to fail.

To all our fellow women, Happy International Women’s Day.