ADVICE FROM
THE TOP

Know what your strengths are and what they are not. Always be clear about your foundational pillars. There is an element of self-awareness and coachability in knowing your baseline.

Kristin Myers

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder
Hopscotch Health
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As a conclusion to our study on Her Corner Office, we put together all the advice we gathered from our various global participants. These women have lived some extraordinary stories, and we hope they inspire you on your journey to the corner office.
Develop and train the people in your team the way they
become the future leaders you want to report to one day.
Chief Human Resources Officer at a publicly traded healthcare technology company
  • A career is a marathon, not a sprint
  • Look for linkages - see how all the pieces fit together
  • HR Specific: sometimes the action is no action - wait to see how things develop rather than rushing in
Chief Human Resources Officer at a leading manufacturer of advanced technical ceramics
I have 11 things I have captured over the years.
  • Confidence without humility is arrogance - stay humble as you climb.
  • Calibrate your ethical barometer early in your career -
    the time to understand your boundaries is not in the middle of an ethical crisis.
  • Champion Diversity - if it does not matter to you now, the day will come when it does.
  • Know what you love to do, what you can live with doing, and what is off the table.
  • Take calculated risks.
  • Own your career and its progression - no one cares about it more than you.
  • Communicate honestly and transparently - people need to know where they stand.
  • Seek out mentors.
  • In applying for jobs, use the 60% rule. If you meet 60% of the criteria, then you should apply.
  • Develop your EQ.
  • Work/Life balance is in your hands - the company will take as much as you give them.
Chief Product Officer of a leading software company
Your organization is short on talent to achieve its goals, especially talent like yours.
You are not "lucky" to get the next good assignment, the organization needs you and it needs you to succeed.
I had no idea the opportunities I could have reached for had I been more confident.
Independent board director, Chief Operating Officer, and leader of digital transformation and growth in the Financial Services.
1. Nothing in this world can serve as a one-stop solution for all.
There will always be some outliers, and we have to learn to embrace them.
2. Well defined end objectives are the true differentiators across all spheres of life.
3. As a leader, if you are to err, err on the employee side. The merit in this is far higher than anything else.
Head of HR at a leading global telecommunications organization
I have learned that great organizations don't have all the answers; they just ask better questions.
Chief People Officer of an HR and compliance organization
Leadership is a choice and an opportunity to serve.
Group Chief HR Officer at a leading manufacturer in healthcare
Mentorship and allyship are relevant at all career stages. It's never too early to
seek a mentor for guidance and advice on how to navigate within an organization.
Certified Executive Coach
It's not about work-life balance; it is about choice. Communicate your
boundaries and be transparent and consistent with the choices made.
Chief Marketing Officer at a leading financial services provider
Take a risk, lean in, and don't be afraid to fail.
Chief Executive Officer of a leading asset management organization
Be mindful of the shadow that you cast.
The more a man speaks, the less he is understood!
Chief People Officer of a leading tech-enabled biopharma company
Be your greatest advocate. Don't assume that hard work and great results will translate to success
automatically. Be prepared to ask for promotions, raises, additional responsibilities/opportunities, etc.
Chief Financial Officer of an R&D scientific software company
Be politically astute, not political.
Anonymous
Never be whom you think your boss wants you to be - be who you are.
Chief Executive Officer of an American multinational consumer electronics retailer
Be decisive. Your leader won't fault you for not making the best
decision, but they will fault you if you can't make one.
Anonymous
When it gets uncomfortable, that's when something new is happening to or around you. Pay MORE attention,
don't push it aside. Walk into the static of the discomfort. It's never as bad as it seems when it's unknown.
Chief Executive Officer of a leading virtual mental health platform
Many years ago, a Managing Partner asked me during my career development conversation who I wanted
to become from a career perspective, and I said I want to be a partner. And so, he said - if you want to be
a partner, behave now like you are a partner. I took his advice to heart, and it certainly helped me to advance
my career faster. So, I would say two things are crucial for a successful career:
  • Be very clear about whom you want to be and what really moves you; and
  • Whomever you want to become, behave like one now, and the rest will follow naturally.
Chief Human Resources Officer at a British multinational research-based pharmaceutical company
Just be your authentic self – whether you are talking with the Chief Executive Officer
or a front-line worker. It takes too much energy to be anyone else.
Anonymous
Learn to be resilient. This is not something you can inherit, but you must learn

Nalini George

Board Member and
Chief People Officer
Rakuten
Fear and excitement feel the same way in your stomach – so don't run away from it.

Jennifer Grove

Vice President – External Relations
Baptist Healthcare
If you're so concentrated on getting the right answer or so concentrated at the end of the race, you lose the whole point that it's in the journey.

Catherine Krna

Chief Operating Officer and President
Syllable Healthcare
Be authentic. Don't let anyone ask you to be who you are not.

Jean Poon

Former Talent Acquisition Director, Asia-Oceania
Dassault Systémes
www.kingsleygate.com