Committed to giving women at Edelman a wide range of opportunities throughout the workplace, our Global Women’s Executive Network (GWEN) task force seeks to empower women through mentorship, education and advocacy. As part of an ongoing series of GWEN events aimed at fostering crucial conversations to empower women, our New York office welcomed Sophia Nelson, the award-winning author of “The Woman Code: 20 Powerful Keys to Unlock Your Life” – a book that explores keys that help women govern career choices, personal relationships and overall well-being.
In partnership with Sophia, we joined forces for an engaging lunch and learn discussion focused on important issues that impact women in the workplace. Throughout the dialogue, Sophia shared how women leaders can establish critical relationships with mentors and sponsors, and how women can champion themselves and one another as they climb in their career.
There were several key takeaways from our discussion. Some of them are shared here.
What is the first step to knowing your value and unlocking the life you want?
Define life for you and love yourself. Figure out your passions and who you want to be. Live authentically by realizing your joys, being true to yourself, knowing your value, making peace with your past and teaching others how to treat you. Don’t let fear hold you back and don’t let people put you in a box.
What is your advice to women who want to rise in leadership?
I encourage all women, no matter what level, to find a mentor and a sponsor – these are very different people. A mentor can be someone in or outside of your workplace who has life wisdom and will be very honest and objective with you throughout your career. A sponsor is a door-opener who has acknowledged that you have talent and will champion you behind closed doors or very openly to make sure you succeed.
To find a mentor and sponsor, identify someone around you that you admire and holds a position you’re interested in. Ask them to get coffee, get to know them and start a relationship. If they are going to bet on you, they will want to know you. These are earned relationships – you have to do the work, nurture it and build it over time.
How can women lift other women as they climb, supporting each other in their career without sacrificing their own success?
As women, there is this misconception that there’s only enough room at the top for a few leaders – the pie is only big enough for a few to have a piece. That’s simply not true. There is enough for every woman to succeed, for every woman to go where she wants to go. I challenge women to make a way for women of the next generation to succeed beyond their wildest dreams. Treat other women how you would have wanted to be treated as you climbed the professional or life ladder.
Understanding that presenting new ideas in the workplace can sometimes be tricky, how can women find the courage to share their creative thinking without stepping on toes?
If you think there might be a new way to do something, it’s all in the way you delicately position it. Be brave enough to think of a new idea or offer another perspective and then have the courage to bring it forward. Leverage your mentors to teach you how to get it right.
Stay tuned for additional information regarding Edelman’s GWEN initiative, including key learnings from these ongoing events across our network.
Trisch Smith is executive vice president and managing director of Diversity & Inclusion at Edelman U.S.