I was fortunate to be invited to speak at Women of Color Leadership Conference this month. It was a tremendous gathering of talent and sharing of some great information. Here are five emerging best practices that I took away from the conference. If you would like a deeper dive into the specific strategies shared around any or all of these, reach out to set up a call and I’ll be happy to speak with you.

1. DON’T LET YOUR JOB TITLE LIMIT YOU

Monica Diaz, VP at Campbell Soup Co, reminded us that who we are is not tied to what we do, We are more than a name, a title, a job description. We create identities based on how we want to be seen or how others expect to see us. She challenged us to go on a journey of discovery and unwrap the gift that we are in our entirety.

2. CREATE NEW HABITS

You are destined for greatness. That was the message shared by Camille Change Gilmore, VP @ Boston Scientific. However, she says, we need to constantly remind ourselves. That’s why she advocates creating daily rituals that help anchor new beliefs about our capabilities into our DNA.

3. TELL YOUR LEADERSHIP STORY

Everyone has a story of who they are, where they came from, why they care about what they care about. Nancy Robles-Guess, Executive VP @ Eastern Funding, stressed the need to lean into your story to guide and inspire others.

4. POSITION YOUR STRENGTHS

Leena Patel, CEO of Global Impact Systems, urged attendees to look beyond the moral case for leading change, and to put forward the business case for doing so. Her strategies empowered women to position themselves in front of other leaders to be the obvious choice when it comes to helping them solve their organization’s big challenges. Leena told attendees: “It can be risky to stand up for yourself, but the bigger risk is being silent, hiding, and never showing your value.”

5. GET EXPERT GUIDANCE

Tonie Leatherberry, President of the Deloitte Foundation, challenged all to fast-track our journey by getting mentors and surrounding ourselves with experts who have walked the path before us. Building real relationships will go a long way to taking you to the next rung on the ladder to success.

Originally published at www.sandbox2boardroom.com

Author(s)

  • Leena Patel

    Chief Innovation Officer

    Leena Patel is the founder of Sandbox2Boardroom.com, author of Raise Your Innovation IQ, and a leading expert on helping executive teams worldwide drive innovation and develop a culture of collaboration and inclusion. She draws from two decades experience as a woman-owned business owner to design and execute on innovation initiatives that capitalize on new business opportunities and secure a strategic market position. Leena and her team have worked with leading corporations in 16+ industries, advised CEOs and Senior Executives worldwide, delivered over 1000 seminars, and have been featured by leading media like NBC, Bloomberg, Fox News, ESPN, and many more. Learn more at www.Sandbox2Boardroom.com