Banking and Babies, Women Leaders Share How to Get Ahead

“Women are often asked to lead in those transformational moments.”

- Janet Balis ,?EY

This statement rings true for many women, but especially for?First Global Bank Limited’s?Mariame?McIntosh Robinson ?and?Cotton Babies’?Jennifer?Labit , who joined Balis for?YPO presents Ask the Experts – Break the Bias ?where they shared their personal stories of forging success despite an uneven playing field and what they learned along the way. These leaders also disclosed how they #BreakTheBias for women in leadership and their strategies for advancing gender equality in business.

Challenging Beginnings

Labit?and Robinson agree that women are skilled at leading in times of crisis, and their journeys prove the point. Robinson spent her early career in consulting roles with?McKinsey and Company?and then?Bain and Company?before being plucked from First Global Bank Limited’s board to serve as?its?CEO in 2016. She was the third CEO in a year but was up for the challenge to prove her skill as an operator. Robinson says, “…when I look around at my mentors, and I look at others in other industries, oftentimes when there’s a tough problem or a turnaround, you will sometimes find us at the helm of it.”

For?Labit, Cotton Babies was born out of necessity. She was pregnant with her first child; both she and her husband had been laid off from their tech sector jobs and she did not have a college degree. Cotton Babies is a truly?bootstrapped?company, fueled by?Labit’s grit and determination. As her family grew alongside her business?—she now has four children?—she was surprised by the low expectations around what mothers could do in conjunction with raising a family. She emphasizes, “we have so much within us that we can pull out and really innovate and do incredible things.”

Getting to the Next Level with Networks and Sponsors

For women to advance in leadership, they need an infrastructure of networks and sponsors. Robinson explains that there are socially?ingrained?differences in how men and women create networks. When they are together in social situations, men spend time talking about business opportunities and how they’re going to get ahead. They are also comfortable introducing business connections to their social circles. Women, however, talk primarily in emotional terms?—?how they are feeling, their families, but rarely about business and their career trajectory.

Robinson sees these differences firsthand when she speaks with her employees during “teatime” – an informal time she hosts daily that gives her employees a safe space to talk with her about what’s on their minds. Men will come to discuss promotion opportunities and how to rise in the ranks of the bank, while women will talk about cross-training and how to gain more experience. “Just that mindset puts women at a slower pace for development,” she says. This doesn’t mean that women must act like men, but they must be intentional about making useful connections. “Be thoughtful about your personality but don’t let it hold you back because the road is already?laid?for the guys; we have to create our path,” concludes Robinson.

A network should also include sponsors, not just mentors.?Labit?says the difference is that mentors will offer advice, while sponsors will risk their reputations to recommend someone for a position or promotion. A sponsor can also override lack of experience or formal education as barriers to the next level of success. As an example,?Labit?cites a pivotal meeting when she was building Cotton Babies’ first brand, Bum Genius. She met with?Fredrica?Coates,?whom?she describes as the premier intellectual property creator in the cloth diaper space. They discussed diaper design as well as how to build a patent portfolio, and their connection had a significant impact on?Labit’s business success. “That time with her qualified me for what I did next, which was to become the world’s leading intellectual property holder in the cloth diaper space. We’ve got patents all over the world?today.”?Labit?extends this sponsorship model in her own company by shaping employees with leadership potential to prepare them for increasingly advanced roles.

Being a Role Model for Other Leaders

Both Robinson and?Labit?put their principles into action and strive to be role models for both men and women. To demonstrate that parenthood did not limit potential,?Labit?brought her young children to the office while Cotton Babies was in growth mode and encouraged all her employees to do the same. The policy mitigated the career gap that many women face when they become parents, and it also changed the perception of the capabilities of working parents. When men began bringing babies to the office, it was a real revelation for?Labit. It revealed the different issues around family and?child care?that all genders face. “We’re never in a spot where we know all the things about how to help all the people around us, whether?it’s?our direct employees or whether?it’s?the people that we inspire. But those people can teach us a lot about how we can do better,” she explains.

To make sure all voices are heard, Robinson takes simple, practical actions like calling on people at meetings to give them an opportunity to speak and express their opinions. When she is sought out for speaking engagements, she often recommends another team member to amplify their profile and talents. As a Black woman leader, just the simple fact of wearing her hair short and natural gave her women colleagues validation that they don’t have to look a certain way to be an effective leader. Robinson prides herself on being an “unexpected leader,” and her role demonstrates that women can show up differently and still have an impact.

Challenges are a constant in business, and they are becoming more unpredictable as the past two years?have proved. Leaders must manage through geopolitical shifts, public health emergencies, changing regulations and a host of other pressures out of their control. But as?Labit?and Robinson attest, unexpected leaders can provide unexpected solutions. With strong networks and opportunities to advance, women can lead just as effectively as their male counterparts. By showing up with babies, natural hair, no college degree or no financial backing, they can #BreakTheBias without sacrificing who they are.

About EY

EY is YPO’s Strategic Learning Advisor. Click here to learn how we’re working together to help global leaders drive innovation, accelerate growth and create long-term value

About the?Author

Carrie Butt is a member of YPO’s global social media team focused on supporting?its?global accounts. She has extensive editorial and social media marketing experience for publishing, fine arts, civic and nonprofit organizations. Click?here ?to connect with Carrie.