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Taking the time to reflect on what you truly want is not an easy task, especially for younger women, as many can’t pinpoint exactly what their goals are. Victoria Poole, Corporate Counsel at Westpac, recognizes this difficulty: “What strikes me when I talk to younger people today is they don’t have a clear picture of what they want. This can be the hardest thing in the world - to know what you want. My advice would be to spend some time thinking about what you want and have a clear picture of that in your mind so you can see exactly what it is. When you can visualize what you want, the road to it becomes easier.” Veronique Pauwels, a Partner at Bain, agrees: “Be very honest in general about who you are and what you want. Don’t try to be anything else. You need to know what you want and be very explicit about that. There is no game here. Having this clarity helps you achieve whatever goal you set.” 2. Focus on delivering today; don’t think too far ahead Perhaps one reason why you may get stuck when trying to set your Table 2: How Exceptional Women Leaders Define Success Work Time Frame: 12-18 months The scorekeeping aspects of the job – title, salary Taking Charge EXPLORE 10 objectives is that you think too far into the future. You may be relieved to hear that the women we interviewed break their goals into bite-size pieces. They set their sights on the shortterm, and focus on delivering today, as Susan Silbermann, President & General Manager, Vaccines at Pfizer advises: “In my career I’ve talked to a fair number of people that look at me and say: ‘I want to be the CEO.’ And I say: ‘That’s a great goal to set. You are currently a product manager and are about fifteen years away from that goal, so let’s focus on the present.’ The best way to get a new job is to excel in your current job. So, when people ask me: ‘How can I become X?’ I tell them: ‘Just do a really good job. Focus. Produce the results that you’ve been asked to deliver. Produce more than the results you’ve been asked to deliver.’ I have always been focused on what I have in front of me and not so much focused on what’s out there.” Beatrice Fischer, Managing Director, Head CEO Stakeholder Management, Private Banking at Credit Suisse shares this view: “I am someone who does not have an ambition that is too far “I am someone who does not have an ambition that is too far away. I try to think in little steps.” How Exceptional Women Leaders Define Success Personal Time Frame: 12-18 months My children – setting them up for the future Beatrice Fischer, Managing Director, Credit Suisse away. I try to think in little steps. In my personal life, I look ahead to losing two pounds versus losing twenty pounds or I think ahead to my next vacation. I do not think ahead to four years down the road. I do the same in business. I do not think of becoming the CEO. I think of my next few months and what I want to achieve.” Legacy Time Frame: Longer term Starting a development program for young women Happy clients Good health, making time for myself Sustainability without me Taking that messy situation and making it better Loving what I do for as many hours of the day as possible Impacting the lives of the people in the community A business that is growing A happy marriage Redefining a moment in time When the whole team feels like they are contributing Spending weekends and holidays with my family Building a team that has grown up to be leaders Your definition of work success: Your definition of personal success: The legacy you want to leave:
Beatrice Fischer Credit Suisse 3. Observe and learn from a variety of role models Beatriz Araujo sits on the executive committee of Baker & McKenzie, one of the largest law firms in the world. As a member of the firm’s leadership body, Beatriz is an extraordinary role model for next generation women lawyers. Yet, Beatriz recognizes that, while she has found her journey and rise to be highly fulfilling, there are many ways to advance and succeed at the firm. Baker & McKenzie thrives on the diversity of its people, which is why Beatriz believes it is important to showcase a variety of female role models in order to inspire the firm’s rising women leaders. For example, at a recent presentation on gender diversity, given to the firm’s partners, Beatriz was asked why she had not included a slide depicting Christine Lagarde, former Chairman of Baker & McKenzie and current Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Beatriz replied: “Well hang on - that’s a really tall order. I mean to expect all of the women in the firm to end up like Christine Lagarde? She continues to be a great role model at the firm - someone that’s really succeeded and has done it nicely, always continuing to just be who she is. But we’re not all going to end up as the head of the IMF. That shouldn’t be the criteria for advancement.” Taking Charge EXPLORE 11 Extraordinary women leaders advise that you pick and choose aspects of several role models who resonate with you and then write your own definition of success. Find your own way forward, as Seow-Chien Chew, a Partner at Bain, explains: “The key is to find your own model and to learn from others. What can you adapt from others? Which parts are relevant for you and which are not? Do not try and be exactly like someone else.” EXPLORE: Career Paths The Middle East is a mosaic of different cultures, experiences, dialects and ways of living, presenting many challenges for women executives. In this environment, it is essential for leaders to have a global outlook. Take Rana Ghandour Salhab, a Partner at Deloitte. Rana was the first woman partner admitted to Deloitte in the Middle East after eighty years of the company’s history. Today, her responsibilities span fifteen countries and twenty-two office locations in the Middle East. On any given day, Rana can work with people from thirty different nationalities. She believes that her variety of work and life experiences have prepared her well to be a global leader in a multinational firm. She has lived in five countries, on three continents. She was raised during the war in Lebanon and experienced the Gulf War in Saudi Arabia first hand. Rana believes that such challenging, unexpected and unique experiences have benefitted her career. Accompanying her husband to Saudi Arabia, she began her career in education, as career opportunities for women were limited. As a teacher, she learned how to counsel and motivate people – skills that are also invaluable in business, as global leaders need to manage people effectively and ensure that learning improves performance. So, even though teaching was not her first choice for a career, it gave her experience that she could take elsewhere. As she says, “At the time, I didn’t feel it was the right thing for me to live in a culture that didn’t have many career options but it turned out to be something that helped me build a very formative skill set in my career.” Rana is not alone. Many of the women Rana Ghandour Salhab Deloitte leaders we interviewed mentioned that their career paths had taken twists and turns. Often, these diversions turned out to be some of the most rewarding and valuable experiences of their work and personal lives. Some of the changes were planned, others unexpected. Here are a few examples: • A year in Australia spent learning to sail yachts and sailboats • A fellowship with the government • Career switches: sociology to finance, scientist to marketing executive, consulting firm to a start-up • 16 different jobs with 13 different employers in 25 years • 20 relocations to different areas of the world
Page 1: ICEDR SPECIAL REPORT Taking Charge
Page 4 and 5: Taking Charge OVERVIEW 4 Overview A
Page 6 and 7: Taking Charge EXPLORE “The way to
Page 8 and 9: EXPLORE: Your Style As a woman lead
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Page 14 and 15: Taking Charge “If I look back and
Page 16 and 17: Having Conversations with Your Kids
Page 18 and 19: The Rise of the House Husband “Th
Page 20 and 21: When it comes to priorities, recogn
Page 22 and 23: 3. Have a point of view and a solut
Page 24 and 25: Apply! Many women observed a common
Page 26 and 27: Forum, she continues to facilitate
Page 28 and 29: Taking Charge “If you’re not on
Page 30 and 31: Taking Charge REPAY “I measure my
Page 32 and 33: the values I was built with and bor
Page 34 and 35: Taking Charge REPAY 34 a mom who ha
Page 36 and 37: Audit: Take Charge! Explore Own Rep
Page 38 and 39: Acknowledgements We would like to t
Page 40: About ICEDR ICEDR is the premier gl

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