By Michelle Greene, EVP, chief information officer and customer support services
In honor of Women’s History Month, I recently had the pleasure of moderating a conversation among several other women leaders at Cardinal Health.
Though everyone’s path to leadership is unique, we discussed some of the commonalities, including the importance of learning from and advocating for one another, staying vulnerable and open to feedback, and gaining self-awareness.
The panel included four insightful leaders from across our organization (shown from left to right, below):
Our conversation was lively and wide-ranging, as the women shared some key turning points along the way, challenges overcome and the advantages of making some unexpected choices. I’m pleased to share some highlights here.
Career-defining moments
We started discussing transformative events or situations that helped each woman move into leadership positions; I was surprised how varied the experiences were.
“Having a great boss and a manager has helped me along the way,” Mathis said. “I knew my boss well before I came to work at Cardinal Health, and as I moved from public health early in my career into government relations, she mentored me and helped train me to be the professional I am today. She has coached me in multiple roles and has helped me to continue to grow.”
For Johnson, a pivotal moment was realizing she no longer had to prove herself all the time. “As a new leader, I came to understand that what my team wanted was to prove themselves to me. So, rather than trying to show them that I was smart, I purposefully began listening more and giving my team the opportunity to show how great they are. That changed me; I have learned a lot from my team, and listening more has helped my team understand that I support them.”
Adams said that getting the feedback that she wasn’t yet experienced enough to climb to the next level of leadership inspired a defining turn. “I came to Cardinal Health in an entry level role, and moved up very quickly. I became a manager, and felt I was ready to advance, but a leader at the company told me I first needed to broaden my experiences. So over the next few years I took several roles at the same level, moving around the company to do so. These roles both challenged and shaped me, and allowed me to finally assume higher leadership roles.”
Coffey added that, like Adams, she used new roles as part of her development. “Everything starts with a belief in yourself,” she said. “I learned that I enjoyed taking some professional risks. I became known as someone willing to take on new challenges, and I started looking at every new role as a development opportunity. I regularly asked myself, How can I become a better leader? How can I contribute? And how can I really be thoughtful about preparing myself for what's next?”
Challenges unique to women
I then asked each participant to share some of the challenges she’s faced, and how she’s navigated those challenges.
Johnson spoke about how being “the only” affected her early career. "I started out in supply chain, and was typically the only woman, and often the only person of color, in the room," she said. “Early on, I learned that a group of my colleagues hung out together, had beers together, went golfing together, but never invited me. I had to figure out a way to fit in. So when a golfing event was planned for the team, I decided that I’d join in, though I’d never golfed a day in my life. I was voted ‘worst golfer,’ but I think a lot of people respected me for trying. I learned that putting myself in uncomfortable situations could help people see me in a different light.”
Several of the women spoke about the changes created by starting a family. Mathis added, “In my early career, working in public health, I learned that, though the field is dominated by women, all the leaders I saw were men. It seemed to me that women were often passed over for promotion if they’d recently married or had children. It felt like there was a ceiling, and having a family might hold me back. So when I had my son four years ago, I chose to share with my team that my life was – and is – changed.”
Adams said, “When I was a young mom, I was on my own, and felt that I had to give everything to my job to ensure that I could provide. At one point, my oldest child said, ‘Mom, you didn't chaperone any of my elementary school field trips.’ It just broke my heart, but it also really shaped me as a leader. Now I try to show my team what I'm doing to prioritize nonwork activities. I want them to do the same, because I never want anyone else to discover suddenly that they’ve missed out on important life moments.”
Coffey agreed. “I want my team to know that having a family is not going to hold anyone back. If my child has a performance at school, I make sure my team knows I’m leaving early to attend it. Whether it’s kids, aging parents, or neighbors who rely on us, we all have lives outside of work. And my expectations are simple: Do your job well, and flex as you need. If you have to leave for a child’s appointment, you should prioritize that. It’s my job to help create a supportive environment where that is very okay.”
Advocating for other women
Finally, I asked these leaders how they think about advocacy for other women. They spoke about listening, modeling behaviors, and encouraging others to speak up for themselves.
“We can use our own voices to lift up the women around us and ensure their voices are heard,” Adams said. “And, as leaders advocating for other women, when we understand what roles they aspire to, we can make sure we’re representing them and their goals properly. I think it’s important, too, to share with other women some of the challenges we’ve been through, and those we continue to face. By being transparent and authentic, we can help others understand that they have a path to leadership, too.”
Johnson agreed. “I think an important way to advocate for women is to simply share what my life is like as a mother. I have a six-year-old and a nine-year-old; they keep me very busy. Some things are messy. We need to let others see that, like them, we’re balancing many things. When we don't share these experiences, others can feel that it’s not okay to be anything other than perfect. Yes, we show up and do a good job, but we’re real people, just trying to figure things out every day.”
This panel conversation reminded me how important it is to talk to each other and share vulnerabilities and experiences. It was a powerful way to learn from these smart, compelling leaders and inspire employees through open, honest dialogue.
This was just one of many events hosted at Cardinal Health during Women’s History Month. I’m grateful and proud to work for a company that provides a space to share stories, celebrate our unique contributions, and accelerate inclusion and allyship.
In her role, Michelle Greene leads teams in harnessing technology and innovation to better serve customers and evolve healthcare delivery. She is responsible for multiple teams, including digital and commercial technologies, the IT teams for PSS and Global Medical Products and Distribution (GMPD) segments, global business services, and information services. She also serves on the board of the Cardinal Health Foundation, Werner Enterprises, Goodwill of Southeastern Wisconsin, Goodwill Manufacturing, Inc., GreenPath Financial Wellness and Detroit Public Television. She also is an active member of the Links, Inc., ITSMF (IT Senior Management Forum), Chief and Black Women on Boards.