Phenomenal Women, That’s Us!

March 8, 2018

Corporate America’s case for developing, retaining, and advancing women in the workplace is strong and only continues to get stronger. It hasn’t always been this way, but despite the disparaging ratio of male to female business leaders nationwide, more women than ever are climbing the corporate ladder to join their male counterparts. Over the last 15 years, I’ve spent in tech, I’ve been continually inspired by the increase of female leaders who successfully reach the C-Suite in Silicon Valley.According to a recent global survey of nearly 22,000 firms, companies with no women in leadership roles (CEO, board, and other C-suite positions) that increased female employees by 30% saw a one-percentage-point increase in the net margin — which translates to a 15% increase in profitability per firm.Dozens of organizations in Silicon Valley have been started by women over the last decade and even more, have hired female CEOs and other execs. Having female senior leaders increases skill diversity within top management, which increases effectiveness in monitoring staff performance. It also lessens gender discrimination throughout the organization, which helps recruit, promote, and retain talent.Female leaders are on a mission to break the “glass ceiling” by helping fellow women rise to the top, connecting people and firms, and promoting gender diversity. Motivating through inspirational keynotes, deep insight into tech trends and business strategy, technical classes, mentoring programs, and career development workshops, women are opening minds to new ideas by pushing boundaries and driving success.As a woman, I am extremely proud to be a frontrunner on the Egnyte executive leadership team. As a leader, I personally feel responsible for empowering women to achieve their career goals. Based on 15 years of professional experience, I want to share some advice with other women who are eager to learn and grow:

Be passionate about what you do. Do what you love and love what you do. If you love what you do, you will remain curious to learn and your passion will be contagious.
Never stop learning. Take initiative to understand the whole process even if you are only assigned to a part of it. There is no better way to learn than to do it yourself.
Be ready for constant change because it is inherent in everything we do. Technologies evolve on a daily basis in Silicon Valley. Think out-of-the-box and try new ways of solving old problems. Embracing change allows us to grow and stay competitive.
Be bold and speak up. A few years ago, I was the only woman and the youngest person in executive meetings. I had a lot of ideas and thoughts but struggled to find my voice in the conference room. During my 1:1 with the CFO, he encouraged me to speak up more as he knew that I had valuable ideas and knowledge to contribute. I took it to heart and started making my thoughts heard. It felt great to participate, so I encourage others to speak up too.

On this International Women’s Day, please join me in celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political contributions of women from everywhere. And let us remember the words of the great Maya Angelou:

“I am a Woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal Woman, that's me.”