Inspiration can come from any level, department or position and is always valuable. It is important to learn from others’ successes and failures and apply the advice and knowledge to our own careers.
Here at F&G, we've highlighted inspirational advice from six of our women leaders who shared their lessons.
1. "Recognize greatness in others and empower and lift them up to embrace it."
Jodi Hyde, SVP, General Counsel and Secretary, advises "Recognize greatness in others and empower and lift them up to embrace it."
Support is key in any environment and can help a team foster collaboration to reach a goal.
2. "Invest in yourself. Love what you do. Surround yourself with great people."
Lisa Foxworthy Parker, SVP, Financial Planning & Analysis, states, "Invest in yourself. Love what you do. Surround yourself with great people."
These three tips collide to work together. You are the greatest key to success. Continue to work on your own professional and personal skills and encourage your team members to do the same.
Additionally, love your job. You could be spending 40 hours a week working, so why devote that much time to something you don’t love? A team who loves their projects, industry, and career every day and who are focused on bettering themselves will have more knowledge and willpower to finish the task.
3. "Inspire others to take actions to achieve an organization's vision, mission and goals."
Leena Punjabi, SVP, Co-Chief Investment Officer, says, "Inspire others to take actions to achieve an organization's vision, mission and goals."
Do you know what your company’s vision, mission and goals are? Be aware of them and stay focused on them throughout your everyday tasks and encourage your team members to do the same.
A team with a concise mindset can better reach an end goal.
4. "Approach your work with humility and ask for help when you need it. It's a sign of strength, not weakness."
Bonnie Wasgatt, EVP, Chief Administrative Officer, recommends, "Approach your work with humility and ask for help when you need it. It's a sign of strength, not weakness."
We’re all learning, as ideas, technology and trends evolve seemingly every day. Asking a team member or supervisor for more direction or clarification can save you in the long run. It shows you are devoted to the end goal and want to make sure it is completed accurately.
5. "Be bold – have the courage to take professional risks that may seem really hard or unconventional."
Renee Hamlen, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, advises, "Be bold – have the courage to take professional risks that may seem really hard or unconventional."
You learn the most when you are pushed past your comfort zone and can have new opportunities to learn. Besides, the biggest risk a person can take is doing nothing.
6. "When you believe in your abilities, you exude confidence and gain credibility. The sky's the limit once you have that credibility."
Wendy Young, EVP, Chief Risk Officer, states, "When you believe in your abilities, you exude confidence and gain credibility. The sky's the limit once you have that credibility."
You must be your biggest supporter. Knowing what you can do and not necessarily what you can’t do, but more what you are working on being better at proves that you know your worth.
With that in mind, others trust in your abilities and can depend on them.
Learning from others is an important lifelong task. Everyone has different experiences and mindsets creating a vast pool of advice to learn from. Take these pieces of advice and encouragement from our women leaders here at F&G and apply it to your own life.
Explore more of the F&G culture at fglife.com/about/culture.html.
