Kelly Battelle, Chief People Officer at GumGum, explores the driving force behind her success – her many female mentors.
Inspirational Women in Leadership
There are certain moments in a career that give pause for thought – and my recent promotion to chief people officer at GumGum, a global technology and media company, was one of them. Having climbed my way up the ladder with 26 years in the industry, working in a wide variety of roles, I’ve finally reached the c-suite. But I couldn’t have got there without some truly inspirational female role models along the way.
It’s disheartening to me that although women represent 73% of HR manager roles in the US, they make up only 55% of C-suite HR executives. And even more sadly, men in C-suite HR roles earn up to 40% more than their female counterparts, for similar roles across junior and senior levels.
Since I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing female HR executives throughout my career, this imbalance has become something of a beacon to me. And as I move into the C-suite, I gladly take on the responsibility to influence and drive change in this area, picking up the baton from the women who inspired me.
As I reflect on these brilliant leaders and mentors, I feel a lot of gratitude. They have shaped me into the best leader I can be – fueling me with their grit, empathy and endless insight. I even wrote an email to these women when I got promoted, to thank them for all they had done. Here are the gems I’ve learned from the female role models who’ve made me the HR leader I am:
Innovate and be fearless: Oftentimes an HR exec is pushed into the part of trailblazer: you find yourself doing things for the first time as an individual, a company or even an industry. It’s thereby vital that you live and breathe a radical spirit of innovation in your role, as well as within the wider HR team.
Consider it your calling to throw out outdated ideas and models. Instead, try new strategies: dare to introduce new projects or ways of working that have never been tested before. This approach means you may well come face-to-face with the creeping fear of failure that follows us all; but keep leaning in despite this. Your impact will be so much bigger as a result.
Focus on the big picture: Too often, HR professionals and executives fall prey to doing ‘HR for HR’s sake’. In other words, they implement processes and procedures that are disconnected from the goals of the business. In order to be a successful HR executive, you need to be an HR business partner — always. Learn how your Company operates: revenue drivers, EBITDA drivers, industry trends, terminology, what clients want and need, etc. At the end of the day, HR is there to bring a proactive approach to all people and organizational matters in order to move the business forward. Ideally this will result in much fewer reactive issues to deal with. Participate in all business discussions and bring the value of your unique perspective and focus on people, teams and the wider organization.
Commit to the power of collaboration and partnerships: In order to push through meaningful change, HR execs need to develop trusted coworker relationships and partnerships with those around them. These will not just miraculously occur as you start at a new company or get promoted into a more senior level HR role. Rather, it takes time and thoughtfulness as part of a deliberate, ongoing effort. Make sure your presence is felt every time you show up, and keep showing up. When meetings get cancelled and you know you have value to add, reschedule them.
Take time to get to know your colleagues as full humans with lives outside of work, too, and don’t ask permission to chime in on any of their people-related issues. Just like the CTO is the expert on “all things technology” in your company, you are the expert on “all things people”. The strategy you bring will make the managers around you even more successful than they already are, by providing them with deep-rooted wisdom and learnings to optimize their teams. You’ll know this is going well when they are calling you for input on things, more than you’re calling them.
Make time for fun and self-care: The CHRO role is hard: it is taxing on a mental, emotional, and physical level. I can’t say that I’m perfect when it comes to taking time out for myself and holding down boundaries, but I know when to catch myself now so I don’t get to the tipping point. I’ve learned the importance of enjoying yourself. Stop and chat with people. Go to the fun events that your company offers and find ways to create fun in your own team. Laugh at the chaos. By treading lightly, you’ll help lighten the load for you and everyone else.
Be tenacious: HR leaders are tasked with all kinds of organizational and conceptual challenges, which makes a tenacious “get ‘er done” approach a must. Yes, this can’t be at the expense of your mental and physical health; but those who lack tenacity as a CPO will struggle. Push through the obstacles and figure out how to influence over time so that when you go to implement change, it’s easier to do so. Bring the business case to get the budget for what you know needs to get done. Prioritize and reprioritize. Set small goals to achieve the larger goals. And whatever you do, keep going.
These are the lessons the HR leaders in my life have gifted me, and the wisdom I’ll endeavor to pass on to the men and women who come next.
The most salient point I’ve learned from my female mentors, however, is simply to be yourself. Don’t lose sight of what you, glorious you, bring to the table. Keep your authenticity close, and the good times will keep rolling – no matter how many challenges come your way.
Authored by Kelly Battelle
Kelly Battelle, is Chief People Officer at contextual intelligence company GumGum.