My Seven Empowering Takeaways from BEWPS 2023

As a leader, speaker, mentor, and board member in a DEI role, I have heard and given many talks on leadership. I cannot remember one with so many gems that gently strummed the pain of my lived experience as a Black woman in corporate leadership, while centering me and making me feel seen and empowered, than the one I heard from Carla Harris at this year’s Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit. Combining her key points and my sauce, here are seven empowering takeaways from her Manifest Your Best Leadership conversation that received a standing ovation from the 1800+ women in attendance!

Mentor. Advisor. Sponsor.  Learn the difference between them because each plays a different role at different times in your career. Identify leaders who know you, your work, and your goals. Also, know at which table they have a seat and the juice to make things happen.

Stay in your lane. Carla’s statement “you can’t compare my report card to yours” illustrates the importance of putting on your blinders and focusing on your goals, your career, your path, and your time in your way. Heavy emphasis on “your.”

Honor and make space for love. Don’t compare your W2s. You each bring financial and non-financial value to the relationship. Honor all that you and they bring to the familial table. Money is important, but it’s not everything.

Pop your ‘ish and don’t abdicate your power. If you’re the only one in the room, you’re the only one in the room. Deliver your excellence anyway. The lower their expectations are of you, the more you’ll blow them away.

You don’t have to work twice as hard. The work culture our parents worked in is gone. Understand the key success factors and deploy a strategy to hit the goal. Work smarter, not harder.

If they can pay you less, they will. Get comfortable with talking about money and fighting for your worth. Or in the words of Rih, get comfortable saying “pay me what you owe me.”

Be authentic and aware. Understand the multi-faceted elements of who you are. Feel the energy in the room and you’ll know which authentic facet of yourself to bring.