We got women CEOs together and this is what they told us.
By Janet Nguyen
In the fall of 2019, against a backdrop of #MeToo, a group of leaders gathered to discuss the barriers facing women in the conservation sector. The discussions yielded many creative ideas. Two things that came to light that I want to talk about here are:
One, conservation organizations need more women in positions of power. Two, we could build a new organization — one led by women with a mission to transform the culture of conservation. The goal would be to uplift, engage, and energize everyone in the environmental space.
This gathering was the birth of Planet Women, a startup non-profit that partners with women globally to create a healthy planet. When we started the organization in 2020, we knew one of our programs would be the 100 Women Pathway, which is designed to double the number of women in c-suite roles across the largest U.S. environmental groups in the next five years.
Now, we’re thrilled to tell you that 100 Women Pathway is ready to launch! To kick it off, we recently held our first convening of women CEOs and Executive Directors from across the environmental field. Hosted by Julie Packard, CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Karen Poiani, CEO of Island Conservation, attendees discussed the most pressing challenges they face today as women senior leaders.
We asked the women leaders two questions: What keeps you up at night? What do you wish you knew before you became a CEO? While common challenges across workplaces today (like managing hybrid schedules, working with the board, and fundraising) came up, there were other topics closely tied to women’s leadership that I kept thinking about for weeks. Here are a couple of my key takeaways that apply to women executives, and all leaders.
1. As your responsibilities grow, learn to let go
As we climb the ladder and take on more responsibility, we often think about new things we need to start doing — but we don’t often think of what we should stop doing. Senior leadership requires letting go of tasks you used to do that no longer serve you in your new role. Asking yourself, “As CEO or senior leader, what do I need to let go of?” is critical in order to manage priorities and prevent burnout.
2. Don’t underestimate the importance of supporting employee mental health and balance
As a senior leader, you’re tasked with living through an ongoing pandemic intersecting with social and environmental issues, as well as managing the impact for the organization. We thought aloud about questions like: How do you work in a sustainable way when facing the stress of the climate crisis and the impact of global events? How do you balance offering grace to staff during difficult times while still encouraging motivation and performance?
Although research shows that women leaders manage better during a crisis, it certainly doesn’t mean it’s easy. I was impressed by the thoughtfulness women leaders shared around how to holistically support colleagues and employees during this stressful time.
3. Build a support system to prevent isolation and burnout
Although women who reach the highest levels of leadership are viewed as models of success and symbols of what is achievable, they are often alone and feel incredible levels of pressure to work harder to prove that they are the right person to lead.
This intense pressure and isolation can lead to burnout, which we can’t afford in a sector where women leaders are already such a rare presence. Bringing women leaders together in a community provides the sense of belonging that is so critical and yet lacking for women in many organizations.
What resonated most for me during our discussion was the need for forums just like these convenings where women leaders feel comfortable to express their concerns and share their ideas without fear of being judged. How many times in our careers have we truly felt deep empathy and understanding for our unique perspectives and challenges?
Looking ahead, I see incredible opportunities for collaboration between current women CEOs, male allies, and rising leaders driven to transform the culture of conservation. With women CEOs identifying rising women leaders for the 100 Women Pathway, we see an amazing group of talented women ready to lead.
As a community, we will help women advance faster and farther until we get to a place where women feel their power and belonging as never before. And because we know women’s leadership and environmental protection are connected, we are building a better future for nature and people.
We look forward to introducing the rising leaders in the 100 Women Pathway. Stay tuned about the 100 Women Pathway and all the exciting ways that Planet Women is cultivating women’s leadership by subscribing to our newsletter.
