The turn of the century seemed so far into the future when I was growing up. I truly couldn’t imagine myself in the year 2000, nor would I have made many good predictions about how the world would operate. And while my mother shares great stories about the advancement of women in the work world, we are still delivering a lot more firsts for women than I thought would have been possible.
I’ve had a few firsts as a woman in my career, and they each stand out. I was the first woman to plow snow on-call at Stapleton International Airport. I was the first woman to head the human resources department for the City of Denver. And I was the first woman to serve as president and CEO of this great Chamber.
While I am proud of those firsts, if I am completely honest it was intimidating to step into those roles initially. Not just because I was the first woman in the job, but also because I recognized that I likely differed in many ways from those who held the positions ahead of me—from how different my interests were from colleagues, to how I solved problems or resolved conflicts, to my leadership style and my background. This longer list of differences is likely relevant to every one of us when we take on a new role.
I love hearing other people’s stories because it provides so much insight into each of us. I did a TEDx Talk (click here to watch it) on what a strong influence my brothers had in shaping who I am. My brothers treated me like they treated each other—teased me, beat me up, used crass language—and they were clear that there is no place I don’t belong and nothing I couldn’t do, because women are as tough, rough and fun as men. And, that spirit is shared by many more than just my brothers; it is alive and well in our metro area. Each year the Girl Scouts of Colorado recognize women leaders in our region as Women of Distinction. This year’s Thin Mint Dinner is on Tuesday, Oct. 28, and I am honored to be recognized with nine outstanding women leaders and the many women who have been recognized in years past.
Thank you to the Girl Scouts for contributing to those experiences in life that help prepare women to be great leaders, because we still have a lot of work to do. Even though about half of all entry-level employees are women, less than a quarter of senior vice presidents and less than 20 percent of c-level executives are women, according to a study done by McKinsey (which just opened a Denver office in August). And, while the pay gap is narrowing, we still have a ways to go. Women still just earn 78.2 cents for every dollar earned by men.
The truth is my brothers were just two of the many, many people who have had a significant impact on shaping who I am as a leader. I have worked with incredible leaders and mentors in my career—people who took the time to share lessons, insights and provide advice. It is so easy to inspire and encourage the next round of leaders. To everyone reading this: keep mentoring, keep encouraging and keep challenging this next generation.