Welcome to my perfectly imperfect life

A sign with those words hangs in my house, and I think it aptly describes the journey to and through leadership. Becoming a great leader is messy, continuous, and soul-stretching.

Although each leader has their own strengths, challenges and victories, research shows that successful female leaders as a group have several key traits in common that make us unique, including tapping into our inner confidence, leaning in to authenticity, and creating meaningful relationships.

As we celebrate women this month, three trail-blazing female advancement leaders spoke with us about their ongoing leadership journeys. 

I have the privilege of hosting these women at the closing keynote session “Letters to My Former Self: A Woman’s Path to Leadership,” at the CASE District IV conference in San Antonio next month.  Dr. Mary Bane Lackie, Kathi Dantley Warren, and Brigitte Grant shared with us some of the lessons they have learned along the way–paths that have included leading as a woman in the Middle East, creating and managing a $1B+ campaign, and navigating the challenges of academic medicine. Each has earned one or more advanced degrees (including an MBA, a doctorate and a Master’s in Molecular and Cell Biology). These women are also wives, mothers, sisters, and volunteers. 

So how do they do it? They have shared their stories to help empower and encourage other women to pursue key positions and to discuss how developing as a leader may be uniquely different for women. As women, I believe we need to know that others who seem to “have it all” have also navigated imposter syndrome, finding their authentic voice, and balancing “grittiness” with wholeness.

“I think there are challenges every day; it can be very difficult for a strong female voice to be respected as consistently and with the same level of value that a strong male voice is given,” shared Kathi. “It can be very challenging to your personal confidence when you recognize your voice isn’t given the same value.”

With that lived experience for most women in mind, below are three poignant themes that emerged among the shared advice from Brigitte, Kathi and Mary:

1. Tapping into your intrinsic confidence: 

You are worthy of great things and you have everything it takes to be the leader you aspire to be. Oftentimes we are the ones getting in our own way.

“It’s so easy for young professionals to have imposter syndrome,” Brigitte said. “There have been times when I didn’t realize that everything that I truly needed to know was in me somewhere already. Everything you need to know, you do know, in your head and in your heart. I think for any professional, it’s really being confident and comfortable with who you are.” 

Part of owning your confidence is also having the ability to shine a light on your accomplishments. Mary recalls, “I noticed that when a woman is asked about her accomplishments, she may have a tendency to only talk about something she 100% did. Bottom line, if it’s a group effort but you play a critical role: claim those things. You can say you’re part of a team, but your position was still critical, and it wouldn’t have happened without you.”

2. Leaning into vulnerability and authenticity for success: 

Embracing a growth mindset and surrounding yourself with others who embody that mindset will elevate your team’s success. Vulnerability is not weakness; it's the courage to show strength.

“I’ve had the courage to be vulnerable sometimes – and believe it’s why I’ve been successful,” Kathi advises. She has reframed the concept of failing and not knowing everything into the opportunity to learn and grow. “There’s an inherent challenge that when you’re smart, you think not having an answer is a failure. But it’s the opposite. I have a favorite saying: in time you learn to fail better. Fail better all the time, because really, that’s how you learn.”

3. Relationships, more so than metrics, create lasting impact: 

At the end of the day, we are in the people business. While metrics might matter in the moment, relationships and people matter more. A true measure of a successful leader is their investment in relationships.

When asked what she loves most about her job, Mary answered, “Relationships! I love my team. I love my donors. The people we work with the most - our donors - are giving people. Not all of them are wealthy, but they care enough, and want to give to help people they’ve never even met. It’s like a gift, really.”

The lasting impact and legacy these women hope to leave would be the development of their team and the culture: “I really do feel that my greatest impact will be the individuals I’ve mentored that continue to serve and grow in their own leadership,” Brigitte shared.  

“My legacy will be in investing in the culture of the organization ... [doing] so with compassion and transparency,” Kathi added.

Advocating for women and raising them up are actions all professionals can take, not just other women. For more from the interviews with these stellar leaders, click here for the full interviews, or join us at CASE IV for a live conversation!