The atmosphere was ripe with eager minds, ready to uncover the gems that the line-up of Bank of America executives had in store for us during the third session of the Emerging Business Leaders (EBL) program, and needless to say, they truly surpassed our expectations. I could write a book about the indelible mark the day left on me, yet I will highlight three key themes.
Women in business
Many of us are undoubtedly aware of the givens in business. Successful leaders need to be able to execute, build trust, show initiative, produce high-quality outcomes, the list goes on. These are table stakes, but let us also consider the delicate line that women in business have to face. I often quote that change is the only constant, but I have decided to add to my arsenal of sayings. Bias is as prevalent as pollen on a spring afternoon in Charlotte. It is everywhere; from being ingrained in systemic practices of hiring to the assignment of special projects. One of the speakers from the day educated us on a Harvard Business Review article from 2016 bringing light to the slim-to-none chance that a woman has of being hired when she is the only female up against a pool of men. The article spotlights the need to navigate the polarity that we are required to own our careers and it takes a village of mentors, sponsors and opportunity givers to grow as a leader.
Taking care of yourself
There were an array of topics ranging from the value of executive coaching to the power of investing in relationships, especially those we often neglect. At times, the discussion pulled on heartstrings as we explored what it truly means to put on your own mask first, which will in turn allow you to show up as your best self for the teams you lead and interact with. Evidence of this might be carving out time to exercise; focusing on what you are grateful for every time you wash your hands; or honestly assessing, then communicating to others when your physical or mental battery charge is low.
The introspective discussions throughout the day prompted me to reflect on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as it calls out “belongingness” in one of the steps to self-actualization. Ironically, on the journey to balance and wholeness, we need to form and feed meaningful relationships with others and yes, the same goes for introverts too – a paradigm shift I am still grappling with. The truth is, everyone needs someone, even if it is uncomfortable for you to make the first move in business and in life.
Taking care of others
I thoroughly enjoyed the third session, in addition to those preceding it, because I value the importance of connecting one-to-one with people on a human level; interacting with others not just because of the skills they have or the knowledge they possess, but who they are and all the complexities that they have encountered before our paths crossed. The day highlighted not looking past people, but seeing who they are and how we can bring our talents together in forming a mosaic of organizational excellence. Even in the most cutthroat corporate environments, there are still opportunities to show kindness through our many daily interactions.
Beneath the iceberg, we are more than our KPIs. Humans power the enterprise engine. The same people that you need to innovate and exceed industry benchmarks may also be carrying on their shoulders the weight of dismal maternal health outcomes for Black women and a laundry list of inequitable factors that perpetuate the status quo. The continued popularity of social media platforms are useful tools for interaction, but very few things surpass the opportunity to meet face-to-face and build genuine, authentic connections with others.
These are some of my key takeaways. I am grateful for the opportunity to be part of the EBL program and to have access to such a wealth of wisdom and inspiration. I hope that by sharing my reflections, I can also inspire others to become better leaders. Leadership is not a destination, but a journey, and I am excited to see what is on the horizon.
My heartfelt thanks goes out to Charlotte Regional Business Alliance for creating a framework to foster business leaders across the region, to Atrium Health for investing in me and to my cohort for being present, asking the hard questions and committing to the building process. I cannot wait for what we will learn.
Vanessa Sencherey is a lean business leader at Atrium Health who specializes in performance excellence and strategy development and deployment. You can connect with Vanessa on LinkedIn.
