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← Back to IdeasThe Journey Untold: Lessons from Leading Women at Ogilvy
(From left: Stacey Ryan-Cornelius, Sophie Hoffstetter, Shruti Tiwari, Maria O'Keeffe, Stephanie Ricke, Tope Ajala)
In honor of International Women’s Day this year, Ogilvy brought together a group of its top female leaders for an inspiring discussion. Aptly titled “The Journey Untold: Stories From Our Executive Leaders On Things They Wish They Knew,” this conversation was packed with insights from women who’ve made their mark. Below are some highlights from the experiences shared by the panel, that included:
- Sophie Hoffstetter - Global Chief Client Officer
- Maria O’Keeffe - Global Chief People Officer
- Stephanie Ricke - Chief of Staff
- Stacey Ryan-Cornelius - Global Chief Financial Officer
- Shruti Tiwari - MD, Head of Media & Performance, NA (Moderator)
Embrace Your Uniqueness
The panelists encouraged attendees to recognize their unique strengths, perspectives, and lived experiences, as this self-awareness could steer them away from pursuing roles that don’t align with their authentic selves. Ricke encapsulated this sentiment with, “Nobody can do you like you. ” This includes knowing your worth and having the courage to walk away from opportunities that don’t value you. As Ryan-Cornelius put it, “I’m only involved in an organization if I feel they need me as much as I need them.” Ricke offered a piece of advice for younger women in particular who may see competition and scarcity when they look at what above them, “There is enough pie for everyone, show up in a way that you believe there is abundance for you.”
Ask for Help
Early on in her career at Ogilvy, Hoffstetter received a piece of advice that continues to serve her well to this day: Ask for help. All of the panelists concurred, stressing the significance of asking for help when needed, emphasizing that seeking support is a sign of leadership, not weakness. They urged attendees to lean on the sisterhood and their professional communities during challenging times, reassuring them that things would ultimately be okay.
Prioritize Self Care
Prioritizing self-care was another key theme, with the panelists acknowledging the elusive nature of true work-life balance but urging attendees to rather find a blend that protected their energy. O’Keeffe advises to know your boundaries and let all around you know them as well so they can help you protect them. This involves being intentional about finding moments for restoration, especially during hectic periods. Ricke, who is also an executive coach, reminded us that “we can’t manufacture more time” so we should be intentional in using the “micro-moments” such as during our commute or waiting to board a plane, to restore our energy. We often don’t view mental health through the lens sustainability, but it's crucial for human sustainability.
Mentorship vs. Sponsorship
Both are invaluable in helping advance careers. All the panelists acknowledged people in their lives who served in both capacities that helped get them to where there are today professionally. O’Keeffe explained the difference succinctly: mentors are people you seek out who you want to learn a certain skill from based on their experience. In a way sponsors are the opposite; they seek you out. They see the potential in you and help give you access to opportunities that you would not come across without their involvement. She recounted her experience of almost quitting the workforce when she became pregnant with her first child. Fortunately, her manager intervened, rejecting her resignation and devising a plan for her to reduce her workload until her return. “My manager supported me when I didn’t even consider advocating for myself; she recognized my potential and ensured she advocated for my future.”
Ryan-Cornelius added that a willingness to take on an assignment that others don’t want is also helpful in advancing: “If you put yourself out there when no one else is taking a step forward, you will get rewards for that.”
Allow Yourself/Others to Fail
One of the most valuable lessons Hoffstetter learned came at a tense point in her career at Ogilvy. She had been asked to move from Asia to London to work on salvaging a very important client relationship for the agency. The pressure to succeed was overwhelming to the point where she had nightmares about headlines of Ogilvy losing the marquee client. She received a call from Shelly Lazarus then global CEO of Ogilvy who before everything else asked her how she was and then told her it was okay if Ogilvy lost the client. The permission to fail served as a turning point for Hoffstetter, and from that moment on she focused on what had to be done rather than obsessing about losing the business. Give people a chance to fail because there’s as much development and learning in a failure (probably more) than in success.
Combat Imposter Syndrome
Find comfort in knowing that most people have experienced imposter syndrome. Acknowledge and confront imposter syndrome when it arises. Develop self-management tools to reject negative self-talk. “It’s your brain tricking you,” said Hoffstetter, “think about what happened the last time you felt like an imposter….nothing.” Recognize imposter syndrome in others and offer support to combat it.
Advocate for Diversity
The panel was frank in acknowledging that Ogilvy and the industry have a long way to go in diversity. They pointed out that programs alone cannot be relied on to achieve diversity and stressed the responsibility of all individuals to promote diversity in hiring and promotion decisions, recognizing the value of diverse thinking in creating stronger teams. Ryan-Cornelius added that if you are in a position to be making decisions, be brave and do what you should do not what you always did.
By embracing these principles individuals could navigate their professional journeys with confidence, resilience, and a sense of purpose.