Roz Winegrad* says that to progress towards leadership, women need to learn to be comfortable being uncomfortable and try working in new areas that challenge their abilities.
Photo: RyanKing999
More than 30 years ago, with a degree in history and a culinary school education, I applied for a line chef position at a Marriott hotel in small-town Kentucky.
I was ambitious, and knew I wanted to go far in my career.
But in the 1980s, as a woman working in a male-dominated environment, I needed tools that would help me develop as a manager and leader.
I made that known to my superiors.
Through mentorships, networking and leadership training, all provided by Marriott International, I grew to become responsible for 176 hotels across Canada.
In 2007, Canada became the first country in the Western world where women outnumber men in the workforce.
Yet, as Canadian Finance Minister, Bill Morneau said in his 2018 federal budget announcement, women still make only 69 cents in the dollar compared with their male counterparts.
Here are some tips to help you reach your leadership goals:
Network
Surround yourself with people who inspire you.
My mentors challenged me to open doors I thought were closed and when I did, great things happened.
I have lots of long-lasting friendships with male and female associates who have become part of the family of great mentors that have helped me along the way.
Be bold
Find ways to make sure people know about your accomplishments.
Push yourself
Get comfortable being uncomfortable and try working in new areas that vary your abilities.
As women, it’s of paramount importance that we take on new roles and be unafraid.
We need to have more confidence and lose the feeling that we have to be perfect — it’s okay to learn as you go.
Early in my career, I had the benefit of taking part in a management-training program.
For a while, it led to a promotion every six to eight months.
That experience put me on a path to success undergoing different training opportunities that I still take on today.
Find a way to integrate personal and professional: a younger me, dedicated to my goals, put work ahead of my social life.
That’s something I’ve changed over the years.
Embracing a work–life “integration” began the next chapter of my life in a whole new way.
As women, we are always finding ways to keep our personal and business priorities at the forefront and we need to feel comfortable managing both together.
Be you
Be authentic.
Throughout my career, I always struggled to figure out the best management style.
Should I be tough, act like one of the guys, or be demure?
By trying to be someone I wasn’t, I created my own glass ceiling.
When you lead authentically, you come across as more powerful, believable and trustworthy.
These are core fundamentals to good leadership and ones that changed my life and career.
It’s crucial that women in power play an active role in promoting women as leaders.
It’s why I feel so strongly that we must try in all areas of the workplace to promote diversity, inclusion and support for our future leaders.
* Roz Winegrad is Vice-President of Owner & Franchise Services in Canada for Marriott International.
This article first appeared at www.theglobeandmail.com.
