Women in IT Exchange: Expanding Influence and Leading Change - Key Takeaways

There is an especially acute need for diversity in tech and IT today. While the number of women in IT rose to approximately 25% in 2020, that is still far too small. Women lead more Fortune 500 companies than ever before but sadly only represent 7.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs. The gender wage gap continues to persist, and true wage parity may still be a century away. 

I am personally passionate about how diversity and inclusion influence enterprise success—something supported by solid research—so I was excited and honored to moderate the Women in IT fireside chat at this year’s Zenith Live 2021. Part of accelerating change is recognizing and celebrating pioneering female leaders who have helped transform the IT industry from a business and inclusivity perspective. I enjoyed speaking with our dynamic, accomplished, and successful C-leader panelists: 

• Nicole Darden Ford, VP and CISO, Carrier
• Archana Rao, CIO, Atlassian
• Sandy Carter, VP of Public Sector Partners and Programs, AWS 
• Alisa Choong, SVP and CIO of IT Services and Operations, Shell
• Petek Ergul, Global Head of Telecommunication Services, HSBC Bank 
• Gülay Stelzmüllner, Global Head of AGN International Project Management, Allianz 

Owning leadership

We discussed one of the more difficult challenges women leaders face: defining what their leadership looks like. How do you make the leadership role fit you? Sandy shared a story about using vulnerability as a leadership tool. Early in her leadership career at AWS, she made a mistake. Her boss asked her to share it publicly at a presentation, which horrified her. But when she did, she found that there was leadership power in being vulnerable:

“Everybody makes mistakes. But if you can own that mistake, be humble, and openly share what you learned, you can build influence through trust.”

Archana discussed knowing and advocating for a personal vision. She stressed the importance of moving that vision forward and not just letting your work speak for itself:

“You must create a credible story around your strategy. Women can forget that, while the work should speak for itself, you also need to advocate for your leadership vision boldly.” 

Nicole stressed the importance of boldly taking risks. That often means doing what others are afraid to do. When she first started her leadership career, she was not a cybersecurity expert. Her boss asked her to step up and help build a brand new federal cybersecurity program:

“My mentor had asked several people to take on this role, and they had turned it down. I dug in, did research, called experts, and asked questions. I became a cybersecurity student. I built one of the first federal government cybersecurity programs from scratch, and it has become a center of excellence.”

You’re not alone

Our sessions discussed many of the differences between how men and women step up to the leadership table. Research shows that over 75% of women executives experience impostor syndrome during their careers. Men do not experience it as often (or in the same ways—they can easily find relatable representation). When I asked, all of the leaders in the fireside chat admitted to those feelings. But they also overcame them. 

Alisa remembered discovering how coming from a non-technology background was a potential leadership superpower. She came from the financial world and didn’t know much about IT development or applications. However, she did know user experience:

“When I first stepped into tech leadership, I felt like an impostor because the questions I asked weren’t deeply technical. But I saw how technology could transform how businesses operate and plan for success (this call is immediate proof). I asked questions that the development team and tech people never thought to ask. After a while, I understood that my ‘non-tech’ questions were exactly the value I could bring to leading the team.”

Petek also shifted from one industry to another. She loved tech and studied computer science to pursue her career in the mobile technology field. But she also liked a challenge, and when she had an opportunity, she moved into the financial world. “I left my comfort zone and got an MBA. When I changed from the mobile tech industry to the financial industry, it was a whole new world for me,” she remembered. “But I knew technology, and I was able to bring my experience there to help fuel the transformation taking place in the financial sector.”

She knew she had to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Confronting stereotypes

During our discussion, the panelists expressed how they often dealt with people’s preconceived perceptions of women leaders. These unspoken expectations can derail projects and undermine relationships. Sandy mentioned how, when hiring a team of ten that consisted of nine women, a male colleague called it out.”

“He asked me if I had a bias against men since I had hired so many women. I took his statement and asked if he felt his all-male team of seventeen reflected a bias toward women. I also asked (jokingly) if he’d like to do some trading? He didn’t.”

Nicole agreed with Sandy’s approach of recognizing bias and bringing it out into the open. “You need to bring a chair to the table,” she said. “I’ve seen the actions of a male leader viewed in a positive light, and the same actions from a female leader viewed in a negative light. To change the narrative, you have to change the culture by calling out biases when they appear.”

Archana concurred with Nicole, and emphasized that pushback should be in the form of business outcomes: 

“Women get branded with communal language: ‘she is so empathetic, she brings the team along.’ What about the outcome? What about the results? Women should be seen as providers of business value, and it’s up to us to refocus discussions to what we are bringing to the table.”

Beyond gender

Often, being a woman leader can be compounded by other issues of intersectionality such as race, gender identity, and sexual preference. The panel and I had a very candid discussion about the need to emphasize how diversity isn’t just a quota fill or number to hit, but a powerful tool for business innovation. It’s essential to see each person as an individual and recognize that different teams in different countries face different challenges. Gülay related it to the famous environmental slogan:

“Think globally, but act locally. You must understand the global company strategy and goals but keep the local team culture in mind as you implement a plan. Every country has different challenges. Speak as openly and honestly as possible, but speak to the audience you are addressing.”

Nicole expressed some of the challenges she’s faced being different in a room full of leaders and how that can set you apart. “I’ve walked into rooms where everybody is seen as a leader except me,” she related. “They greet me differently. They speak to me differently. We need to have honest, unemotional conversations about these differences.” 

It’s important to address those issues and hold firm to your expectations of respect.

Sage advice

As a final question, I asked our speakers what advice they would offer to their younger selves. As a whole, the group responded that they would tell themselves to take more risks. Petek offered, “I would tell myself to be brave and go for it. You worry about checking all of the boxes, and don’t be afraid to fail.”

Archana would advise herself to “use your voice to articulate your plans and needs. Advocate for your leadership vision.”

And finally, Gülay would remind herself to be a continual learner:

“Find a mentor early in your professional life who pushes you to be better than your current status quo.”

My two-decades-long career journey has made me personally committed to creating change across organizations and the industry. Working and talking with other incredible female leaders, such as the Women in IT session at Zenith Live 2021, demonstrates the power that diversity and inclusion bring to organizations. It was fantastic hearing from such impressive and accomplished technology leaders fostering diversity and inclusivity as part of their leadership journey.