Embracing Authenticity this #IWD

In 1889, Anna Bissell became the first woman to hold the position of CEO of the Bissell Carpet Sweeper Company, which is a market leader to this day. It was almost a century later when the first woman assumed the top seat at a Fortune 500 company – Katharine Graham, in 1972, at The Washington Post.    

Fast forward to the present, more than 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women – a quarter of whom achieved that post just in the past two years. Are we finally seeing long overdue momentum when it comes to gender equity in the C-suite?  

Time will tell, but on this International Women’s Day, I think about how important it is to continue this momentum, boost boardroom representation further, and keep women thriving to the top. Clearly there is still plenty of work to do: 10% is not 50%, nevermind the fact that here in Canada less than 7% of the largest public companies are led by a woman. Then consider tenure, where men average 8.1 years as CEO and women just 5.2.  

Being in a similar leadership position, I know that greater change starts with recognizing – and extinguishing – the barriers that aspiring women leaders continue to face. Throughout my career, I’ve felt the pressure to have more experience, to achieve better results, to make big personal investments. The pressure is reducing, but it’s still there.  

To a certain extent, I believe hurdles will come down in pace with women achieving leadership positions. But I’m not talking about women who are trying to fit in with status quo notions of leadership – I’m talking about leading with authenticity.  

Here are my takeaways toward that goal:  

• Stay true to yourself. We need to give permission to women to be themselves and to share their diverse and impactful perspectives. I have no desire to pretend to be anyone other than myself, and that means embracing humility, and remembering where I came from. Quality of life is different for everyone – so determine what’s important to you and have clear boundaries to protect that. While on any given day you might have to flex between personal and business priorities, be empowered to focus on what you must, setting time the way you need to.    

• Stand up and show up: Women often feel we must prove to ourselves we can do the job before we put our hand up for it. The truth is, we have influence, and we have power. We must own our abilities and accomplishments and be unafraid to promote them. Be confident in asking for what you want, especially if you clearly deserve it. Give yourself permission to compete – doggedly and earnestly – for new opportunities.   

• Explore the world: Don’t accept geographic limits. I found work on many continents, in multiple countries – and even became a mother abroad. Each experience has helped me grow and learn in different ways, navigate and embrace change, and test my limits.  

• Embrace continuous learning: Continuous learning is a cliche these days, but it is also a hard truth: you can learn from nearly anyone you meet. That includes even children, who are apt sources of new ideas when they talk about change, what they care about, and their curiosities. There are learning opportunities every day, from simple to complex, and any one of them can carry some key lesson all the way to the C-suite.  

• Help others grow and succeed: The more I learn, the more I can help others. To me, organizational success and leadership means lifting up all those around me, from setting the tone for prioritizing personal and professional time to understanding how to take an analytical approach to problem solving without getting lost in the details. It’s rewarding to me to support the advancement of women and our inclusive culture at PFC, and it’s also part of our collective efforts to balance the equity gaps. 

The organizers of this year’s International Women’s Day want us to imagine a gender-equal world free of bias and discrimination, where difference is valued and celebrated. I’m fortunate to be able to lead with authenticity at PepsiCo to not only imagine that world, but to drive it, by embracing and promoting an inclusive culture every single day.     

#PepsiCoProud #IWD #InspireInclusion