Amid This Pandemic, Women CEOs Share That Leadership And Culture Matter Most
Five CEOs convened April 22, 2020 to share their approaches to leading during crisis. One was Carly Fiorina who has led through deep recession, terrorist attacks, SARS and Ebola. Carly shared, “There’s an old saying that tough times build character. I think that is wrong … tough times reveal character.”
These CEOs were interviewed at Women Business Collaborative kickoff of the “WBC CEO Roundtable: Leading Forward” webinar for an audience of almost 200 executives and entrepreneurs. The CEOs —representing fashion, insurance, U.S. prison system, technology and crisis management public relations – discussed how they are adapting their businesses for the future and working around the clock to ensure that their employees are safe. They also shared, the stylistic benefits of women leadership, especially important during these challenging times.
Leading Through Crisis
For Deirdre Quinn, Co-Founder & CEO of top women’s clothing designer Lafayette 148, being a leader and entrepreneur in crisis is all about agility and adaptability. Deirdre was faced with the significant challenge of leading through the three Coronavirus global epicenters: designers in Italy, manufacturing and stores in China including Wuhan, and headquarters in New York City … plus Lafayette is in one of the harder hit industries — retail. Just imagine … how would you manage the business? With orders cancelled, inventories skyrocketed and retail closed, Deirdre shared that “the secrets to leadership during this time include multitasking, being fearless, and making sure you are honest with the people who are counting on you.”
Teresa White, President AFLAC US, and the AFLAC Field General for Coronavirus, talked about how a corporation can lead through these tough times. And as background, Aflac is an example as an exceptionally well-run enterprise: 18 years as Most Admired Company; 14 consecutive years as Most Ethical Companies; Top 10 Green company; 50 Best Companies for Diversity; 20 consecutive years as Best Companies to Work for in America. Teresa shared, “Culture is where people get it wrong. You can’t start a culture in a crisis. Make sure that you are treating your employees right. Make sure that you take care of the employees and they will take care of the business. Otherwise, when the crisis happens, you have no one to help you.”
Damon Hininger is CEO and President of CoreCivic, the nation’s leader in prison system management. His leadership themes during Coronavirus focused on active – really active – listening combined with quick, thoughtful decision-making. Hininger talked about the need to make financial and employee decisions in a matter of hours. He also noted the need to hone critical listening skills – especially during crisis, “You have to take it up several notches, to not only be able to communicate effectively but be a very active listener. You are going to get a lot of warning lights, but there are a few areas that might be your blind spot. You got to ask folks questions and really listen and understand what is beneath the seams and answers.“
Carly Fiorina, Founder and Chairman of Carly Fiorina Enterprises and the Unlocking Potential Foundation, who in addition to being the first Fortune 200 woman CEO is a leader in the political arena and nonprofit world. Carly talked about the importance of true leadership during crisis, “Good leaders have peripheral vision. They use their vision to heed warning signs, build relationships, and take on different points of view. A true leader serves, not presides. They are empathetic, and they collaborate to make informed – even unpopular — decisions. Leaders understand that culture matters and leadership is a team sport. With boundless data and information out there, developing and cultivating a strong sense of what is essential — and what isn’t core to your mission — will allow you to thrive.”
Joele Frank is Managing Partner, Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher. While her firm is a leader in public relations known for advising CEOs and Boards through major crisis, she shared a potential silver lining which should provide us all with hope, “It’s a fantastic world that we are going to have the opportunity to change. This is a new beginning for so many things that we can do moving forward … you never know where the exact great idea is going to come from. In many cases, it is bubbling up, not top-down. And that is exciting.”
Women Leadership
When my co-host Becky Shambaugh and I asked about key abilities to manage through crisis, all of the panelist shared that leaders of the future will be known for their empathy and inclusiveness – all core strengths of women leaders. Some statements made by panelists included:
Deidre Quinn: “Women multitask, and women are good at this; women in general have a compassion to work together and we are 70% women.” “Don’t ever given up on your passion.”
Teresa White: “We are proud that 67% of employees are women and there is a lot of empathy as this employee base sustains us. Women in Leadership are strong, passionate and empathetic; women lead from the heart and men from the head, and you need both.”
Damon Hininger: “We are 50% gender parity, and leadership of women on our board is 30%. Women are critically important in our executive leadership.”
Carla Fiorina: “Gender is necessary to do and the data is crystal clear—if you get more women, your returns are better. Men need to believe and understand that. The numbers as we spend $8 billion on inclusion training and numbers has not changed with women CEOs and executives. Leadership matters. We are all connected.”
Joele Frank: “Leaders, especially today, need to be able to express empathy. Overall I have found that women leaders are better at that as well as seeing around corners. These qualities are particularly important when managing through a crisis like COVID-19, and in my experience, means that women leaders are particularly valuable for companies during these times of unprecedented uncertainty.”
Summing up the session, as a first in a series of CEO discussions, co-host/co-chair Rebecca Shambaugh, President of SHAMBAUGH and Founder of Women in leadership and Learning, shared, “The WBC CEO Roundtable is serving hundreds of organizations and their leaders, providing the opportunity to learn from CEO’s that represent the hallmark of innovative solutions and entrepreneurial leadership.”
Edie Frasier CEO, WBC reinforced, “ Sharing CEO insights supports WBC’S vision of Leadership Matters including support for Equal position, pay, and power for all business women.”
Photo Source: Lorena Fimbers
