CONMED Spotlight: Women In Leadership, Lisa McCallister

I have strived to grow and develop throughout my professional career so far and it has led to me forming a strong passion for women in leadership and how it can truly innovate and drive a workplace forward. As women, we may not always realize our full potential, but once it is unleashed, it has a direct route to our success! When women become leaders, we provide a different set of skills and imaginative perspectives which drive effective solutions. CONMED believes in the power of engaged talent, and we are fortunate to have many amazing female leaders supporting our organization. Read below to learn more about Lisa McCallister , HR Director for Corporate Teams & Training and Development Leader.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and what has contributed to your success so far at CONMED?

• Throughout my career, I think it would be fair to say that I have been results-oriented. Delivering on my promises and tangible results has always been a priority for me. I sometimes refer to myself as one of CONMED’s original remote employees – I’ve been remote since 2005. Because I was remote when few others were, I always wanted to make sure that the results I delivered left no question about my dedication or the quality of my work.
• Completing my master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology has also been incredibly valuable for me. It gave me a whole new set of tools and approaches to draw on, and increased my ability to analyze problems using metrics and data-driven approaches.
• Communication and building strong relationships have also been very important. I truly appreciate the many talented people I work with and am deliberate about expressing my appreciation regularly. I am always working on ways to improve my communication verbally and in writing. In a remote environment, being precise and clear are important for making progress, clarifying issues and keeping people aligned. Active listening is too – my team was recently teasing me about this because I really do work at this.
• Being open to feedback and taking action on it has also been very important to my growth. We all have blind spots and I am no exception. I need people around me to help me see what I can get better at. In fact, I think I could do a better job of seeking out feedback more often! When feedback stings, I know that is something I really need to pay attention to and work on.

As a female leader, what has been the most significant barrier in your career?

• This is a tough question to answer… because there are subtle dynamics that are sometimes of my own making. For example – I am a hard charger and blunter sometimes than I realize. My father has been describing me as driven and intense since I was 4 years old. I do wonder if this would be more acceptable if I was a man. I also know that I overdo it and I need to be the best version of myself. This is not something I dwell on, however, there are points when this has been something I’ve wrestled with and have worked through.

What advice would you give the next generation of female leaders?

• I read recently that women tend to get less feedback than men. Seek it out for your own growth and give it, especially the positive kind.
• Support, encourage, and celebrate each other!?

At CONMED, we embrace a people-first culture that starts with a mission to support our healthcare partners and the patients they serve, and we believe in the power of engaged talent. I am grateful to have strong female leaders across the company to look up to!

Interested in joining our team? Visit our?Careers Page .

Published by:?Rachel Dainelli ,Talent Acquisition Manager at CONMED