Chief

Thanks for the honor, TIME! We are incredibly proud and grateful to be recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Companies of 2023. This recognition is a testament to our talented and passionate team and incredible community of Chief Members. We started this journey just over four years ago — our work is just beginning, and we look forward to all that lies ahead as we continue to advance our mission to change the face of leadership. #TIME100Companies

Tell us what differentiates a great leader from a good one using one word or phrase. We’ll go first: Choosing bravery over fear.

Congratulations to the Chief Members who made bold moves this week. We’re cheering you on not only in these big moments but in your moments of impact every day. — Brooke McKean was hired as President and Co-Chief Executive Officer at REACH Pathways — Mohaimina Haque, Esq. was promoted to Chief Executive Officer at Tony Roma's — Brittainy Rivers was promoted to Chief Operating Officer & Vice President, Client Delivery at TAI — Kunoor Chopra was hired as Chief Strategy Officer at Cloud Court, Inc. — Carol Criner was promoted to Senior Vice President at HCLTech — Shana Fried was hired as Vice President, Chief Health and Life Sciences Compliance Officer at Oracle — Sandra Cook was hired as Vice President of Marketing and PR at Emerald Communities — Bita Milanian was hired as Head of Communications & PR at One Planet Group — Sabrina McGuigan, MBA (she/her/hers) was hired as Head, Consulting & Business Development - USA at BioQuest Solutions — Katie Skibinski was hired as Product & Policy Lead at the United States Digital Service — Sara Goscha launched Carroll Management Group LLC Consulting, LLC — Modena Henderson launched Beyond Results, LLC — Brooke H. launched Healthcare Transformation Allies, LLC — Sara Scarborough Graham launched Six Dots Consulting — Marvalee Bascus Leslie joined the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Children's Museum — Orumé Hays was named one of AICPA and CPA Practice Advisor’s 2024 Most Powerful Women in Accounting — Sylvia Megret received The Washington Post's Top Workplaces Leadership Award for mid-sized organizations in the DC region — Daisy Auger-Domínguez (she/her/ella)-Domínguez published "Burnt Out to Lit Up: How to Reignite the Joy of Leading People".

It takes more than a meditation app to fix chronic burnout. Why? First, some context. In 2019, the World Health Organization officially recognized workplace burnout as an occupational phenomenon. Burnout is linked to exhaustion, increased mental distance and feelings of negativity and cynicism toward your job, and reduced professional efficacy. When it comes to addressing this chronic stress, change needs to start at the top. Modeling good habits is key to maintaining a burnout-free team. One-off temporary stress relievers like vacation or an intense gym session aren’t going to meaningfully shift your (or your employees’) relationship to work. Instead, as a leader, try: –Identifying what is weighing you down the most, or “triggers” –Re-evaluating your work habits to hone impact and reduce vestigial processes –Proactively scheduling monthly mental health days –Time-blocking for deep, focused work –Avoiding mentorship overload If you’re experiencing burnout, you’re not alone. Read the full article for expert advice on fighting workplace stress. https://lnkd.in/gPrKMcVQ

The “Mars vs. Venus” myth is absurd. Despite research around sex, gender, and sexuality that puts the pink/blue binary to rest, plenty of modern families are still buying it, making it even harder for women to climb to the top of the corporate ladder. But why? Sociologist and author, Jessica Calarco, explores the answer in her new book, “Holding it Together: How Women Became America’s Safety Net.” Here’s the short version: — To be an ideal worker (aka, put in long hours and prioritize work), someone else needs to be managing all of life’s other responsibilities behind the scenes. — There are huge financial advantages for men with a stay-at-home partner compared to men whose partner works. — The gender myth reinforces the idea that men are biologically destined to be leaders, while women are designed to be caregivers. This makes it easier for men to feel less guilty about not easing the load women carry. — The gender myth creates a hierarchy that makes it easier to prioritize a man’s career when a family is choosing where to move, who should stay home when kids are sick, or who provides childcare. Despite what it costs women — career setbacks, stress, unpaid labor, and more — this myth affects everyone. Men can also suffer under the effects of overwork, namely its negative impact on their relationships and mental health. Breaking out of the binary can offer us all balance and open dialogue. Read more from “Holding it Together” at the link below.

“Delete the word ‘just’ from your emails” We’ve all received that advice — or advice like it — at some point in our careers. But, because language holds nuance, this type of overly prescriptive feedback can only do so much to improve executive communication. We asked Dr. Nora Morikawa, PhD, a computational linguist at LinkedIn who specializes in language and gender, for her preferred communication tactics. Discover her three top tips for strengthening your language below 👇

“You’re too loud.” “You’re too aggressive.” “You’re just too much.” Women in leadership roles often encounter unrealistic double standards when it comes to their executive presence and leadership style. And women of color face even harsher penalties for expressing strong emotions or voicing their honest opinions. So how can executive women navigate these Catch-22s? Daphne E. Jones, author, executive coach, and former Chief Information Officer of General Electric, offers her recommendations: Get clarity. Consider if the feedback you’re receiving could actually be true. Ask for specifics to validate or invalidate the criticism, and find out if it is a singular or shared perspective. Confirm culture fit. Asking questions like “Does my authenticity fit the culture?” “Do senior leaders insist on inclusive and diverse styles from the top down, and the bottom up?” “Are men getting similar feedback as me — or is there gender bias?” can provide clarity on if the company’s culture can sustain your long-term career goals. Choose action. Respond by either politely rejecting the feedback (especially if there is a double standard at play) or tweaking your leadership style. Run the feedback by your mentor, accountability buddy, or sponsor to ensure you’re remaining authentic before making any drastic changes. Confirm impact. Close the loop to ensure you're clear on sentiments around your leadership style. Conduct a 360 survey or return to the person who delivered the feedback six months later to understand residual perceptions and evaluate if the culture has matured. Read Jones’s complete recommendations at the link in our comments.

Chief Member Jane Y. is on a mission to make preventative mental health care more accessible for women at every stage of life. As the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer of LunaJoy Health Yan has spearheaded an AI-driven initiative to revolutionize national preventative mental health care. The program promotes whole-population screening using advanced technology, particularly for pre- and postnatal women. This work means more women can be screened more effectively and access comprehensive care more easily. We are proud to recognize Jane Yan in The New Era of Leadership Awards. Learn more about her groundbreaking work at the link in the comments.

Chief Human Resources Officers are having a moment. Once relegated to the corporate sidelines, the CRHO has moved front and center to meet the demands of our day. Balancing everything from remote and hybrid workplaces, to diversity and inclusion initiatives, to regulatory compliance, people management requires stronger leaders than ever before. It should come as no surprise, then, that the CHRO role may be the new stepping stone to the CEO seat. Both General Motors’s Mary Barra and CHANEL’s Leena Nair previously held HR leadership roles before taking on the top job. But CHROs must navigate new tools and technologies, combat old perceptions of the position, and effectively market their skills to have a truly powerful seat at the table. Learn how CHROs — and other executives — can chart their paths to the CEO role at the link in our comments. 

The gratitude trap (noun): 1. The overly accommodating behavior, chronic apologizing, and meekness that so often feels required to the workplace as a woman. 2. An obstacle that undermines a leader’s value and effectiveness. In an exclusive excerpt from her new book, “Unwavering: Rejecting Bias, Igniting Change, Celebrating Inclusion,” Nellie Borrero, author and Senior Strategic Adviser for Global Inclusion & Diversity at Accenture, lays out some powerful reframes for avoiding the gratitude trap.