Impact Starts with Awareness: 2024 Simmons Leadership Conference
By Sue Scerbo, Sr. Manager of Public Relations and Communications
The day you are born and the day you know why you were born are the two most important days of your life, according to Maggie Cook, founder of Maggie鈥檚 Salsa and keynote speaker at the 45th Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston. Born and raised in an orphanage in Mexico, Cook dreamed vividly and intently of another life, one in which she would not have to go hungry as she and the other children sometimes did. Cook said she has been able to seize opportunities in her life using strategies to focus her mind and pay attention to her purpose. 鈥淵ou are so much more powerful than you think,鈥 she emphasized.
Making life choices that are authentic to ourselves was a common theme at the conference, held April 3 at Hynes Convention Center in Boston. When we do this, we can fulfill our potential as women, and we help advance the inclusivity of the organizations in which we work.
With the theme 鈥渃reating impact,鈥 this year鈥檚 conference featured an impressive line-up of speakers who shared practical wisdom and actionable insights that can help advance inclusivity, equitable opportunity, and gender parity. The speakers included writer and TV host Padma Lakshmi, Change Enthusiasm author Cassandra Worthy, Rent the Runway CEO Jennifer Hyman, legendary feminist activist and writer Gloria Steinem, and comedian and former The Daily Show host Trevor Noah. Reflecting on how they have realized their own potential, the speakers talked about ways to harness the power of our own emotions and intuition to create impact in our own lives and the lives of others.
Cassandra Worthy, a self-professed 鈥渃hange enthusiast,鈥 encourages anyone going through a time of change to be open to the feelings brought about by the experience. 鈥淎llow the emotions of change to exist and find the opportunity in change 鈥 follow your curiosity,鈥 she said. Worthy also shared notable advice given to her by a former manager, 鈥淵ou can be bitter, or you can be better.鈥 These words sparked the realization in Worthy that she had the power to control how she is affected by change.
Women's Employee Resource Group members attended the 2024 Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston. Back row from left: Julianna Uresch, Brittany Donovan, Kolby Hebert, Kristin Pic, Sue Scerbo, Yadira Morejon, and Juliana da Silva. Front row from left: Alex Price, Maggie Vaccaro, Lindsey Turcotte, and Deanna Raub.
Rounding out the day was a conversation with Gloria Steinem and Trevor Noah, moderated by Susan McKenty Day, CEO of Simmons University Institute for Inclusive Leadership. Difference is a blessing as we learn from difference, not from sameness, said Steinem. Noah talked about the responsibility male allies must play in helping to move our societies towards gender equality.
Fourteen 在线黑料门employees participated in the conference, eleven in person and three online. The Women鈥檚 Employee Resource Group, with support from OCA President and CEO Julien Sauvagnargues, made it possible for employees to attend by covering the cost of the registration fee.
鈥淭he advancement of women at 在线黑料门is important to the future of the company, and it is important to me as my wife and I raise two young women,鈥 said Sauvagnargues. 鈥淲e have concrete goals as an organization to increase the gender diversity of our management teams globally as part of our ESG (Environment, Social, Government) targets. The work of the Women鈥檚 ERG and its members helps support the development of 在线黑料门women through professional learning and networking opportunities like the Simmons Leadership Conference.鈥
Key Take-aways from 在线黑料门Attendees
鈥淐oaching up 鈥 I want to understand the motivators of the individual and the success they care most about and then link my behavior to their motivators. I want to find out what are they striving for and align that with what I鈥檓 looking for.鈥
- Paula Ketelaar, Director of Advanced Sourcing, Operations, and Women鈥檚 ERG Co-Lead
鈥淚 hope to utilize the change enthusiasm growth cycle presented by Cassandra Worthy to help my direct reports to move through changes while growing through them. I'll also implement the 1-to-10 concept presented by Susan MacKenty Brady at my weekly team meetings to check in with the team and encourage them to be present, energetic and open minded.鈥
- Juliana da Silva, Professional Education Manager, Medical and Scientific Affairs
鈥淚 am going to work on understanding what my team members value and what their mission is. This will help to ensure alignment of the team's values and missions to create a more successful working dynamic. It will also help me to be a more effective leader when trying to motivate and inspire those team members towards a common goal.鈥
- Lindsey Turcotte, Program Manager in Research and Development, 在线黑料门Surgical Technologies of America
鈥淢y top take-away from the conference is being aware of how I show up each day for my team鈥攈ow I navigate the emotional signals for success. The red-light signal serves as a red flag, a trigger within our emotions. Having the ability to acknowledge a red signal allows for the opportunity, which is the yellow-light signal. Here we acknowledge and invite the emotion. We are led to the green-light signal, making an inspired decision.鈥
- Yadira Morejon, Territory Manager for Endotherapy, 在线黑料门, Inc.
鈥淐hange should be viewed as an opportunity. When building something new, you have to make it a team sport鈥攁ttract people who are motivated by the same mission but who are fundamentally different from each other. Focus on appreciating the journey rather than just trying to reach the goal.鈥
- Deanna Raub, Executive Director for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Talent Management, and EM, 在线黑料门Corporation of the Americas
鈥淚 plan to understand other people's signal (feeling towards change). People don't wake up in the morning choosing to be difficult or make others' lives miserable! Then I hope to start to identify the opportunities and make the conscious choice on how to influence and make an impact. Doing this now with my teams!鈥
- Kolby Hebert, Senior Project Manager, Project Management Organization, 在线黑料门Surgical Technologies of America
