On my train ride down to Chicago for the Forté Foundation MBA Women’s Leadership Conference, I reassured myself that I was prepared. I had done all the prep sessions with our career management team. I had mock-interviewed, researched the companies attending, and reached out to recruiters. I had even packed all the right business professional clothes, thanks to my mom who had graciously gone through outfit options with me. Still, I was nervous. I felt so out of my element.
The Forté Foundation is an exceptional organization that works to propel women into significant and impactful careers by providing access to business education, a network of powerful women, and professional development opportunities. Their motto is “More Women Leading.” As a designated Forté fellow, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the MBA Women’s Leadership Conference and meet hundreds of other first-year MBA women, attend development seminars, and participate in a career exposition with the goal of getting a head start on our internship searches. Scrolling through the agenda, I was amazed by the caliber of professionals speaking and leading sessions. Multiple C-suite executives, directors, managers, and other high-performing women were scheduled to take the stage.
I had already met most of the other UW-Madison Forté fellows at our On, Wisconsin weekend, so there were familiar faces going into the conference. We arrived one night early to have dinner and connect before the weekend. My nerves eased a bit as we ate Chicago deep dish and got to know each other more. We discussed the companies we were interested in and what we were looking to gain from the conference. We also talked about our summer plans, our current jobs, and our upcoming MBA journeys. As one of the younger students in our program, I couldn’t help but feel a bit of imposter syndrome. I have only been in the business world for a little over two years, and now I’ll be going to school with so many smart, talented, and prepared individuals.
The conference opened with a networking breakfast and welcome speeches by Elissa Sangster, the CEO of Forté and Chakilla Robinson-White, the Chief Learning and Fulfillment Officer at DaVita. Next, there was a panel that included Joyce Mullen, the CEO of Insight and Christy Jacoby, the CFO of PepsiCo. I listened to their speeches and sentiments, taking it all in. They were well-spoken and truly inspirational. As I learned more about their career paths and journeys, it resonated with me that they had once been in my position. They, too, were once starting their MBA journeys because they wanted to grow and invest in themselves. It is hard for me to picture myself in a position like theirs because it feels so out of reach. I think that this rings true for a lot of women. Each of these women shared sentiments about the paths they took to get to where they are now. Christy told us that at each step in her career, she felt she’d reached her max. She didn’t portray that on the outside, but continued to ask her superiors for the next step, and then felt ready when the time came to take it. They said there’s an aspect of “faking it until you make it” while still maintaining your authenticity. Chakilla and Joyce talked about sacrifices they and their families had made to relocate to a new city because of a job opportunity. Chakilla told us that it’s important to have a destination, but to understand and be okay with our paths changing along the way. Listening to these women and others throughout the weekend, I felt really inspired hearing their stories and journeys.
Throughout the weekend, we could choose which smaller, concurrent sessions we wanted to attend. I chose one about careers in the technology industry, a panel about leadership development programs, a presentation on cultivating a leadership presence, and a discussion about tapping my network to build my board. I learned things specific to my Human Resources specialization, such as insights from a director about hiring and retaining technical talent, and how leadership development programs tie into HR. After the career expo, I had the chance to sit down with some recruiters to learn about their company’s rotational HR Development Program. Since the Wisconsin School of Business offers a specialized MBA program, it was especially interesting to attend this conference from a Human Resources lens. While the conference itself was not an HR conference, many themes such as management, organizational development, and employee engagement tied into my specific specialization.
The common theme throughout the weekend was that there needs to be more women leading in the workplace, and the balance of power needs to shift. One necessary change is overcoming subconscious (and conscious) biases, like the double bind, where women are either seen as warm and kind, or powerful and bossy, but rarely as a positive combination of both. I learned some tricks from this conference, like how to change my posture, tone, pitch, and body language to command the room. I think that another aspect of shifting the balance of power is envisioning ourselves in these high-level roles. Women bring diverse perspectives and an enhanced work culture. Just from networking during these two days, I met so many remarkable women from different backgrounds who are already so impressive. And now, we are investing in ourselves by getting our MBAs and becoming even more marketable. We are capable and meant to be in leadership positions. An event like Forté propels women in the right direction. Traditionally, there are fewer opportunities for women, so we tend to compare and pit ourselves against each other. As I mentioned, this program surrounds me with so many competent and powerful women, so it’s easy for me to feel inferior. But that’s the opposite mindset we should hold. Not only can all of us be successful, but we actually need each other’s support and advocacy. Competition is healthy, but we need to build each other up. Women have too many good ideas and bring too much to the table to stay stagnant in their careers. It’s imperative we shift the balance of power in the business world. Women-led events like Forté are an excellent start, but creating real change requires the collective effort of everyone.
By the end of the conference, something had shifted in me. I felt more motivated. I know I have a long way to go, but I can actually envision myself one day in a position like these women hold, where I will make impactful business decisions and empower individuals. Before, I knew I wanted to make an impact and lead others, but I didn’t know what that looked like exactly. Now, I can definitely see myself in a leadership role, developing strategies and initiatives to drive growth in a company. There are many smaller steps to get there, and I know I have a long career ahead of me. I know I’m not going to be the Chief Human Resources Officer anytime soon, but I have a destination. I recognize my path will inevitably change along the way, but I am confident that this MBA program is the first step in the right direction.