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EXPLORE: Your Style
As a woman leader, you may face a
double problem: if you are too gentle,
others view you as soft; if you are too
aggressive, you are characterized as
unfeminine. Hardly surprising then
that some women express the view
that they just can’t win. As Anne
Weisberg, Global Director of Diversity
and Inclusion at BlackRock explains:
“Women face the challenge of trying
to develop a leadership style and an
executive presence that both commands
respect and fosters likeability. This
takes a lot of psychic energy and can be
exhausting. Organizations and women
should be conscious of this challenge.”
How can you navigate this tricky
balance of developing a style that comes
across as both competent and warm?
It’s not easy. Our executives have three
pieces of advice, to help you develop
your own effective leadership style:
1. Bring your personality to the office
Maria Camacho, a Marketing Manager
at Danone, is a fun loving Argentinian
who moved to the United Kingdom
several years ago to work for Danone.
When she first arrived, she discovered
that her new team was highly talented
and intense. But, that didn’t stop Maria
from showcasing her special flair. As
she remembers: “I was a bit of a crazy
Latin American when I first arrived at
Danone. I would run into the office
and start kissing people when I got to
work. My colleagues allowed me to
bring that essence and that different
spice to the organization. And I will
always thank the people at Danone
for that. I’m quite creative and the
Taking Charge
EXPLORE
8
Anne Weisberg
BlackRock
accepting environment gave me wings.
I entered a sea of possibility. What I see
sometimes in very successful women is
that they don’t mix their private lives
with their professional lives so they
don’t have a picture of their family at
their desks or they work 24/7. I’m not
like that. I wear my heart on my sleeve.
I am the same person at work as I am
outside work. And I think that is what
allows me to fulfill my potential.”
Immunology and Ophthalmology at
Roche. It’s okay to have a little fun
and to showcase who you really are at
the office, as Patricia Horgan, Head
of One Bank Collaboration at Credit
Suisse explains: “You have to be true to
yourself… It is okay to show you are a
human being and you have a life. You
don’t want to turn into a robot when
you come into work.”
Several women explained that they act
consistently, refusing to change their
persona just because they are speaking
to someone high up the corporate
ladder. Mary Ellen Brown, Director,
Retail Credit Transformation at RBC
is clear about the importance of this:
“I don’t act differently for different
“I was a bit of a
crazy Latin American when I first arrived
at Danone. I would run
into the office and start kissing people
when I got to work.
My colleagues allowed me to bring that essence
and that different
spice.”
Our interviews revealed that this was
a commonly-shared view, and many
women advise you not to leave your
personality at home. “Women seem
so relieved to be given permission to
express themselves and be themselves
at work. I really believe that is the
most important key to success,” says
Jennifer Cook, Senior Vice President,
Maria Camacho, Marketing Manager, Danone
audiences. I am no different if I
am talking to my staff, my boss,
or my boss’s boss. I am always the
same. Don’t try to change who you
are as a person. You just have to
be who you are or else it is obvious
that it is insincere. And, no one is
going to trust or respect someone
who isn’t sincere.”