WOTC: Seven Pearls Of Wisdom On Purpose, Pivotal Moments And Embracing Uncertainty

From the 20/80 rule for a better work/life balance, to understanding different perspectives and speaking up, here are seven pieces of advice that were shared on stage at WOTC East 2024 this week from prominent channel leaders.

The annual Women of the Channel Leadership Summit East 2024 shined a light on some of the most prominent and rising women in the IT channel, all of whom bring their own experiences and stories to the table.

This week, more than 1,300 attendees in New York City heard from a slew of leaders on stage that represented both executives from some of the biggest tech vendors to smaller solution provider organizations across a variety of generations and points in their careers. The speakers all had one thing in common: the drive to help other women as they shared lessons learned and their own tips on how to address challenges head on in both their personal and professional lives.

Being a woman in tech is certainly not for the faint of heart, but with the right support system, mentors and determination, women can further their careers in IT and in the channel as far as they want to go. Here’ s a sampling of some of the inspired advice and stories that were told on stage this week at CRN parent The Channel Company’s Women Of The Channel Leadership Summit East 2024 event.

Kate Canestrari, VP, Global Ecosystem Marketing, Red Hat, On Embracing Change To Reach Your ‘Hero Moments’

Embrace change. That’s the constant—change. One door closes, another opens. It’s an old adage. Embrace it. Part of finding your passion, your purpose, is not to run from change. When you’re faced with adversity, when your career or your life doesn’t seem to be going the right way, embrace it. Because when you embrace that, you pick your pathway to impact, and those are the moments. That will be your hero moments.

Ami Tank, VP, U.S. Marketing, Fortinet, On The 20/80 Rule For Work/Life Success

I really like the 20/80 rule. My team all knows that. My colleagues know it. I do it at work too because I don’t expect perfection. I’m not perfect. The 20/80 rule is: Do the 20 percent of the things that are going to yield 80 percent of the things you want in life and drop the rest. Ask yourself: ‘So what? Why am I doing this?’ What’s the so what in why I’m doing something and if you don’t know it, then why are you doing it?

Kate Woolley, GM Ecosystem, IBM, On Building A Strong Support System

Showing belief in people makes a difference, but when you tell other people about that belief, it amplifies it tenfold. If you are deliberate about this, it really helps us reach for more and do more together. Women need more champions. We need them in the formal promotion process, but we also need them in everyday moments.

Stacey Goodman, Sr. Director, U.S. VAR Partner Sales, Lenovo, On Giving Gratitude To Who Helped Get You To Where You Are Today

Recently, I met a distinguished professor who had been traveling through South Africa. And while he was there, he was in a museum and he came across a display with a gold frog [ring]. He asked the director of the museum, ‘What is the significance of this ring?’ And the director said the ancient kings and queens of Africa would wear these rings and hold them out while they addressed their subjects. The professor said, ‘Why would they do that?’ The director said, ‘Did you know you cannot truly measure the length of a frog while it’s alive? It’s only after they’re dead that you can actually stretch them out and see how long they are.’ So, the kings and queens would hold out these rings to remind their people that you’ll never truly know the impact I’ve had on you until I’m gone.

So please, do not wait to tell the people who have advocated for you and who have impacted you how truly important they are … seek them out … call them. Let them know. But above all, continue to tell your own stories because someone will benefit by hearing it.

Kristi Kirby, SVP, North American Communities, TD Synnex, On Influence And Understanding perspectives

People see things at different times and read moments differently. It’s important to stop and think about where people are because you will influence them in different ways. It’s about making a difference. It’s about going out of your way for people who don’t ask you to. It’s about uplifting others intentionally."

Tara Fine, VP, Americas Partner, Commercial Sales, VMware by Broadcom, On Embracing Uncertainty

When faced with life-changing moments, you don’t really know what you’ll do until you’re in the middle of it. But you move through them with courage, vulnerability and a willingness to adapt. Embrace those moments with courage and authenticity. You dive into the unknown, you take the risk and you take the chance. Courage, vulnerability and a willingness to adapt to any situation are often at the core of our most profound experiences.

Danielle Post, Global VP, Marketing, Customer Experience, Arrow, On Advocating For Your Team (pictured second from right)

Speak up if there’s something that’s not going great in your career. Name what you want and tell your leadership exactly what you want. I couldn’t wait to turn 40 because I felt like maybe I would get invited to the meeting finally, or I would stop getting bad assignments. One way to really advocate for women in the organization—and this is something for women because so many of us are Type A and high achievers or overachievers—is that women will get assigned the non-promotable projects. We take them because we’re eager and excited. But advocate for yourself so you don’t get stuck with those projects. Don’t get dumped on. And if you’re a leader, make sure you’re advocating for the people in your team so that that’s not happening.