Franchise Update Magazine Issue I, 2015 | Page 25

POWERHOUSE WOMEN IN FRANCHISING for your business life? Take the high road. Treat every member of the team with respect, knowing our business will not be successful without their contributions. petency at each session, but always start with, “You have my undivided attention for the next hour. What is the best use of this time together?” How did you prepare yourself and set goals that led you to the C-suite? I tried to do an honest assessment of my skills and leadership abilities. I asked several colleagues and mentors for their feedback to validate my thinking. Next, I learned what skills were necessary for the next level and measured myself against those. Then I focused on closing that gap. What communication skills helped you reach the top? Being comfortable speaking in public is important, but my biggest lesson was about timing: understanding when is the right time to put your ideas on the table in a meeting to have your voice heard. When and where did you gain leadership experience/knowledge? I started as an hourly employee and worked my way up. Most of my learning came from taking on challenging assignments, learning from franchisees, and going back to school for an MBA. What leadership examples did you learn from? One of my mentors, Lou Kaucic, former chief people officer at Applebee’s, was a shining example that you can lead at any level in an organization. He was able to influence major decisions with his ability to get people to think more broadly and understand the impact of their decisions. He also modeled how important a great culture, with an engaged workforce, is truly a differentiator. How did you benefit from networking? I can’t begin to stress how important this is to advancing your career. When you are being considered for a promotion, ask yourself, “Who is in the room when the decision is made? Is there someone who will be a sponsor or an advocate for me?” You must build those professional relationships in advance, as well as let your boss know that you are interested in moving up with your company. What role, if any, did mentors play in your career? How have they helped you? They’ve listened objectively, helped me see my points of view from another perspective, and provided feedback that I needed to hear. Are you now mentoring others? Of course! I try to tackle a leadership com- What other skills were important? Financial skills. Don’t shy away from this. Just keep at it until you understand. Did you encounter stereotypes/ sexism, and how did you overcome that? I think most women I know have dealt with this in some form. Have the confidence to call out the behavior and ask for it to stop. If it doesn’t, ask for help from the next level up or human resources. Chances are someone else in your company is experiencing it as well. Don’t let that one inconsiderate individual get away with it. Do you think women bring a different approach to leadership? How? When I look at leadership competencies, I don’t see a significant difference between genders. I think it plays out more in the context of the company’s culture and how well the company accepts diversity. I would give women leaders a slight edge on their level of engagement, but with that comes taking things too personally. What are the biggest mistakes you see female leaders make? My experience of years of reading and writing performance reviews is that women rate themselves much lower than men, despite equal performance. I see this played out further on the job, with a lack of confidence or not applying for the next job, even though they are well qualified. Can you have a family and a career at the top? Yes, once we figure out that we don’t have to carry the entire load by ourselves and feel comfortable asking for help. Wh