Opinion: More than ever, women need role models
BY SUZANNE HECKENLAIBLE | Vice president of public affairs, Delta Dental of Iowa, and executive director, Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation
On Oct. 27, I had the distinct pleasure of joining hundreds of professional woman along with my Delta Dental of Iowa colleagues for the Iowa Women Lead Change Central Iowa Conference. Since then, the women of Delta Dental have stopped me to discuss what they heard at the conference.
Without a doubt, the biggest takeaway is that women at all career levels need mentors and sponsors. Mentorship filters its way into conversations at every level. To know that someone has confronted the choices you face and emerged on the other side is sometimes all the motivation needed to move forward.
Having a sponsor in your corner rooting for you can help you believe a little more in yourself and your ideas.
It’s easy to take for granted, this gift of mentorship. Many of us, myself included, work for companies where women holding and being promoted into positions of leadership isn’t an anomaly, it’s the norm. We’re fortunate to know that the reason someone was promoted into a position has nothing to do with their gender status and everything to do with their experience, credentials and, more importantly, how they have led others and participated as a team member through company growth and change.
But we know that isn’t the norm. Sadly, a study by the Rockefeller Foundation notes that one in four Americans think that humans will colonize Mars before half of the Fortune 500 companies will name a female CEO.
On a more positive note, more than 70 percent in that same study think that having women in leadership positions positively impacts the wage gap, changing policies and a diverse workplace. Intuitively, we know promotion and support of women in leadership is beneficial; it’s a matter of putting that intuition into action.
What can you do today to take action to actively promote women in leadership? While mentorships can be formalized, just as many exist on an informal basis in our daily interactions. At Delta Dental, we have a “Leadership at all Levels” corporate value, meaning no matter what we do in our daily roles, we take pride and ownership in our work, show leadership in our daily activities and acknowledge those contributions that impact our collective success.
After the IWLC Central Iowa Conference, I would say we could apply the same philosophy to how we approach our relationships with other professional women. Let’s continue to seek opportunities to lift each other up and challenge our peers to do the same. Let’s push our employers to identify and promote pathways for career leadership for woman. And let’s give the gift of mentorship — formally or informally — by listening and leading other women in pursuit of their goals.
Suzanne Heckenlaible is vice president of public affairs and the executive director of the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. Her role as the Foundation’s executive director is to manage all aspects of the 501(c)3 non-profit, whose mission is to support and improve the oral health of Iowans. Suzanne currently serves as the Chair for the Iowa Women Lead Change (IWLC) Metro Women Connect Board.
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