RingCentral recently hosted a SaaSY Women\u2019s Leadership Panel, which turned into a fascinating discussion around how women in technology define leadership now, and how the next generation of female leaders can take personal and professional success to an even higher level.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The panel included:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The line between \u201cbusy\u201d and \u201cproductive\u201d often gets blurry. Claiming the time and space you need to be your best can help you give your team the freedom they need to be their best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n HARMON:<\/b> \u201cWhen I think about productivity, it’s all about discipline, and having the courage and the strength to identify activities that are most important. Then, I give my total focus to those. It starts by looking at my core values, the values that drive me as an individual. I make sure that what I’m working on is the most important for the business, most important for my team, and ultimately, most important for myself.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n HUGHELL:<\/b> \u201cBeing \u201cbusy\u201d isn\u2019t a good sign of health, or a good sign of productivity. Being <\/span>efficient<\/span><\/i> is a driver of productivity. I think as women in leadership\u2026we need to remember it\u2019s okay to delegate, empower people around you, beneath you and beside you, to lead with you, so you can remain productive. If you absorb it all yourself, what will happen is you’ll do a little bit of everything and not enough of anything to make an impact.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n DINGUS:<\/b> \u201cIf you have trust in your team, magic can happen. When you spread the opportunity to work the problem across your team, that\u2019s where the true impact of collaboration occurs and the team\u2019s output exceeds your expectations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n THATCHER: <\/b>\u201cI have at least one hour on my calendar every day called \u201cFocus Time,\u201d and it is untouchable. Nobody\u2019s allowed to (schedule) any time over it; I will deny any meetings that come up, because that is the time I get to sit and think. And of course\u2026trusting the people on your team. I know that my leaders are running their franchises like franchises, and I get involved to get stuff out of their way. Other than that, I trust that they are doing the right things for themselves in their business. I’m there to help them when they need it. And otherwise, I just get out of their way. And they go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n AGGARWAL:<\/b> \u201cI try to get some time to learn – reading the latest research in areas that are of interest to me, or by talking to people with completely different backgrounds, completely different professions. That really charges me and gives me that feeling of balance and accomplishment and doing something more than just you know, getting done with the list.”<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n People in technology often talk about \u201cnot being afraid to fail.\u201d According to the group, that\u2019s not always as easy as it sounds \u2014but there is always something to learn.<\/span><\/p>\n THATCHER:<\/b> \u201cHow do you know how to win if you don’t know how to lose? As long as you take something from it, you’re honest about it and own it. You\u2019ve got to own it, take from it, and you go forward. I encourage everybody on my team to take risks. And to figure out\u2014did it work? Did it not work? Either way, they\u2019ve learned something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n HUGHELL:<\/b> \u201cIf you don’t fail, you don’t learn. And it’s <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> important to learn. So as badly as I’m addicted to winning, I\u2019m just as addicted to learning and growing. I learn through other people’s failures as well. I ask a ton of questions: <\/span>\u201cWhat did that feel like? How did it work? What will you never do again? What will you do next time?\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n It’s really important to be comfortable enough to ask those questions of yourself and of others around you as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n HARMON:<\/b> \u201cStepping back and being kinder to myself is the key to managing my failures. If I can learn to be kinder to myself, I can actually look at a situation that I feel like I didn’t succeed in, truly be introspective, and try to do it better next time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n DINGUS:<\/b> \u201cI gave a presentation, and it\u2026didn\u2019t go well. And the people on the call <\/span>knew<\/span><\/i> it didn’t go well. When it ended, a mentor of mine gave me a ring and said, \u201cI know you’re upset. But five years from now you’re going to be interviewing for a high level position and they’re going to ask you, \u2018What’s the hardest thing you\u2019ve had to overcome?\u2019\u00a0 And this is your story.\u201d Now for me, it wasn’t about getting that better job five years from now. The reality is, this was an opportunity to learn and grow. And I can tell you, that growth actually happened. (My team) started to learn from the challenges we faced and we became more efficient\u2014 we started moving as one unit.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Women often find it easier to advocate for their team than themselves. The panel offered insights on effective strategies for celebrating team wins\u2026while gently-but-firmly reminding the world who enabled them.<\/span><\/p>\n HUGHELL:<\/b> \u201cAs leaders, you advocate for everyone around you, but don’t forget to advocate for yourselves, too. It’s really important.\u00a0 Advocating for yourself isn’t necessarily getting on a soapbox and asking the world to look at you and what you’ve accomplished. It\u2019s having the courage to point out the things that empower or impede your forward motion. I think you advocate for yourself by saying, \u201cI\u2019d like to share my personal aspirations with you.\u201d You’re not saying \u201cI demand this, I want this, I need this,\u201d you’re sharing and by sharing, that share will get reciprocated. You can inspire a conversation about growth and development.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n THATCHER:<\/b> \u201cBeing quiet and thinking, \u201cEverybody’s going to recognize what I do\u201d is <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> the case. You need to make sure that when you do something that has an impact, number one, you document it. And number two, you’re not afraid to be proud of the work that you do. Not being afraid to let people know that you’ve had an impact is critical to your career.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n AGGARWAL:<\/b> \u201cThere was a position I was really keen to take on, where I was told I was not going to be selected. So I decided to have a conversation with my manager. And it was, \u201cOkay, help me understand, I want to really nail it down and understand the things that made you decide against me, and the things that worked in favor of the other person.\u201d It turned out to be a phenomenal meeting, because I was open about what I wanted without putting anyone on the defensive. I think those questions started the discussion: he eventually spoke on my behalf with his manager\u2026and I finally got the job.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n DINGUS<\/b>: \u201cA lot of times we forget to celebrate the wins of the team. But every time we take a minute to celebrate the incredible work that the team is doing, it\u2019s an opportunity to showcase the great work that’s happening within my organization. By nature, that lifts me up. So I absolutely agree, you’ve got to put yourself first. But ultimately, the business has to understand the value of the team behind you – what they bring to the table every day.\u201d<\/span> <\/p>\n At RingCentral, there\u2019s nothing more critical than the ability to bring your whole self to work.<\/span><\/p>\n THATCHER:<\/b> \u201cI’ve been out for 40 years. About 10 years ago, I decided\u2014that\u2019s it. I’m done. And I just started talking about my wife and I started talking about my life. And I started talking about where I came from and just being there because frankly, being gay has nothing to do with how I am as a leader. <\/span>Do you do your job well? Do you support people? Do you apologize when you make a mistake and own it? Do you forgive folks? And do you really just show up with exactly who you are? Every single time?\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n I no longer give advice to people to separate their home from their work. You are who you are, so be there, show up, do it. And this is the only company I’ve ever been at that truly fosters this and really walks the talk to be who you are because it is celebrated here. It’s not something to be ashamed of. So come in, be yourself. Be there and really, really show up.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n HARMON: <\/b>\u201cMy authentic self can be a huge differentiator between me and a table full of men with identical attitudes or background or experience. And I\u2019ve learned\u2014If I’m going to help my team be authentic, I need to model that every day. I need to be genuine, real and give everyone on my team the understanding and space they need to bring the best of who they are, the way I strive to. It\u2019s an awesome responsibility. But that’s my goal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n HUGHELL:<\/b> \u201cNumber one is transparency. Transparency establishes trust and trust is so critical in any relationship, business or personal. Second is empathy. You cannot judge a person or an outcome with a blanket approach \u2014 life is too situational for that. Number three would be empowerment. I’ve had the privilege to work with a lot of leaders who have taught me to empower myself. I don’t have to ask for permission every five minutes. I don’t have to second-guess or socialize things. I can make decisions, execute and move forward.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n AGGARWAL:<\/b> \u201cThe big one for me is humility. I feel that it is so important to acknowledge your team, the people, your managers, people around you who make you successful. Then the second one is decisiveness. I want my leaders and myself as a leader to be decisive. The third is bravery. When you decide something and make a mistake, just admit it and say I made a mistake. But bravery takes on a different aspect for women and minorities, because that requires questioning the limits imposed on you growing up. I was told \u2014 \u201cGet married, have kids, take care of your family.\u201d I struggled with that label every day, as many other women do. To overcome that, you have to be brave enough to take charge and not fall into the trap of being a victim, of feeling like we can\u2019t do anything about circumstances that happen <\/span>to<\/span><\/i> us. It is incredibly hard but I push myself to take charge, do what I <\/span>can<\/span><\/i> do and make a difference.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Setting your boundaries can unlock your potential. So can knowing when to ask for help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n DINGUS:<\/b> \u201cI\u2019ll share some advice Faiza shared with me: Focus on the things that pull you forward, not the things that pull you down. Going back to the idea of bringing your authentic self to work\u2014you have to make sure you’re ok, otherwise, it makes it harder for the people around you to be ok. Ultimately, it’s about setting boundaries, and making sure that you can confidently communicate those boundaries with the people that depend on you. Boundaries are different for everybody, so it’s important to have the self awareness of what you need to be the best version of yourself and use that as a framework to define your own guardrails.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n HUGHELL:<\/b> \u201cIt’s advice I give to all new leaders: Don\u2019t say yes to everything, you cannot be everywhere. And it’s important to note that you <\/span>shouldn’t<\/span><\/i> be everywhere. Boundaries are something you define, and they should center on those vital few things that help move the needle towards your team’s goals and your own personal goals and aspirations.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n THATCHER: <\/b>\u201cOne of the best things you can do for yourself, besides setting boundaries, is put your hand up and reach for someone to help you. There are amazing people in this company, and in your network who can help you get there. They\u2019ve been down the road. They know the pitfalls. And it’s up to you as new leaders to also reach out to others and help them up their career jungle gym, (it\u2019s not a ladder). Of all the places I’ve ever been, (RingCentral) is the place where everybody wants to do the right thing. Everybody wants to help\u2014take advantage of that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Women\u2019s History Month celebrates breaking boundaries and the courage to reach for something higher. There\u2019s no single recipe on how to do that for yourself. But the lessons these women share every day provide inspiration that can help us all work smarter, advocate effectively, live intentionally, and be stronger, together. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" RingCentral\u2019s SaaSY Women\u2019s Leadership Panel helps us honor Women\u2019s History Month with critical insights into personal and professional success Women\u2019s History Month is about lifting one another up. That\u2019s exactly the spirit behind SaaSy Women – an Employee Resource Group that provides a space for women in the SaaS (Software As A Service) industry to …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":47110,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18885],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47085","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ringcentral-newsdesk"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"\/us\/en\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Women-in-Leadership-Webinar-3-2.png\")
<\/p>\nMaking the most of your time. So you can make the most of every moment.<\/b><\/h3>\n
If you\u2019re not learning to fail, you\u2019re failing to learn.<\/b><\/h3>\n
Be a team player. But be sure to get the win.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n<\/span><\/i><\/p>\nWhat makes a leader great?\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n
When to set limits. When to reach out.\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n