netrashetty
Netra Shetty
The Progressive Corporation (NYSE: PGR), known as the Progressive Casualty Insurance Company through its subsidiaries, provides personal automobile insurance, and other specialty property-casualty insurance and related services in the United States. The company was co-founded in 1937 by Jack Green and Joe Lewis and is headquartered in Mayfield Village, Ohio
Moderator Janet Hanson, managing director at Lehman Brothers and founder of the global networking group 85 Broads, led the conversation by commenting on how important developing one's "personal brand" is to finding success in the business world. Hanson, who was the first woman ever to reach management ranks in the sales division of Goldman Sachs, asked her panelists, "How do you develop your own personal brand, and how does it affect your leadership style?"
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Back to Special Section Home
The Progressive Corp.'s Northeast Agency general manager Meryl Golden said her personal brand is best described as "work hard, play hard," and that it absolutely bleeds over into her management philosophy. "I'm a direct communicator and my 'work hard, play hard' attitude keeps my job in perspective," she said. "It also means I nurture other people who work hard, and I sell them within the company to help them find opportunities - which makes them more loyal to me."
For Anu Shukla, a serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur who is currently president and CEO of a web applications company called Rubiconsoft, classic entrepreneurial qualities define her personal style. "I am tenacious and optimistic, and like any good entrepreneur, I am fueled by the thrill of picking off the impossible and making it happen." In terms of her leadership style on the job, "as an entrepreneur I have a group vision I want to achieve for the company. My drive means I expect my team to rally around and make it happen," Shukla told the audience.
Travelocity CEO Michelle Peluso's personal brand focuses on passion and love for the job. "I can't do things unless I love them. I work extremely hard, so I believe you must have fun on the job to make that worth it." The work-as-passion approach makes success self-fulfilling as a leader, Peluso added. "I believe in having fun always. It's selfish; if my team is fired up, then Travelocity will succeed."
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Xerox's chief marketing officer Diane McGarry, by contrast, said she had never considered her career in terms of a personal brand, but characterized her leadership style as being inclusive and decisive, with good listening at the top of her list of important personal qualities. As a leadership guide, McGarry told the audience, "Go buy a copy of Jim Collins' book Good to Great. It reminds us how important it is to get the right people on the bus and get them in the right seats - then to motivate them to do what they do best," she said.
Growing the Next Generation of Successful Leaders
The issue of whether today's successful businesswomen have a responsibility to aid the next generation of rising women leaders is a matter of contentious debate: Should women see themselves as individuals in the corporate world, or should they be thinking collectively to move the whole group forward? Hanson asked the panelists to reflect on how their companies grow successful leaders and ensure women's success within the organization.
"We don't," stated Golden. "There are very few women at senior levels of Progressive. The bottom line is results. They are the only thing that have impact and are the only means to success." As such, Golden said she didn't subscribe to theories of collective advancement, but rather suggested that the best thing the conference attendees could do to ensure their own success was to work hard and become affiliated with successful projects. Shukla partly agreed, noting that in her early days in Silicon Valley the only way she became taken seriously while working at a chip company that sold to the missile industry was when she landed a $60 million deal with Kodak to apply the company's chip technology to the inkjet printer industry. "No one believed I had done it - I worked out the deal while I was on vacation - so I had to actually bring back the check," she said. "Results are everything." Now a business owner herself, however, Shukla said she consciously hires women and sets the example of how women should be treated within the organization.
As a young consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, Peluso said that at a team dinner, a partner once complimented her "great smile" while commending the male team members' business skills on a recent work project. "I answered by saying, 'Thanks, I've always thought you had great legs.' Humor can be powerful." Peluso added, however, that in order to break down stereotypes, women in business need to overcome the twin perceptions that they are not confident enough or willing to take enough risks to succeed. "State your views. Voice your ideas. And coming out of business school, remember that even if it is expected that you go into banking or consulting, you can chart your own path. Take a sabbatical. Go sideways. Do the unexpected. For a rich life you have to take risks."
Leveraging the Network
Women often talk about the formal and informal networks that are open to men and closed to women - and what an integral part these networks play in achieving corporate success. In response, Hanson founded a global networking group in 1999 called 85 Broads which now claims more than 4,200 members worldwide at more than 400 different companies. She asked the panelists to share what kinds of networks had been instrumental in their success.
The four panelists all agreed that informal networks were as important as formal networking or mentoring groups. According to McGarry, success at a big company such as Xerox requires an understanding of the many layers of office politics as well as the confidence to put your best ideas forward. "You have to know which people you need to get your ideas in front of in order to get those ideas advanced. Every time you make a move in a big company, you expand your network of people who are in your corner," she said. Peluso agreed. "Pick the five or 10 people you most admire and offer to take them to lunch to seek their advice. People genuinely want to go out of their way to help you succeed if you ask for their help."
Shukla added that while you should always be building your personal network through informal means, there were organizations such as the Washington, D.C.-based Women's High Tech Coalition and the Bay Area-based Forum for Women Entrepreneurs that had been invaluable to her as a business professional in the high-tech field. "Keep in touch with these organizations so they can help you raise your profile," she advised.
Glenn M. Renwick
President and CEO
Glenn is president and chief executive officer of Progressive. He joined the company in 1986 and has held numerous roles at Progressive, from product manager to business technology leader. His primary responsibilities as president and CEO are to establish and uphold Progressive's Vision, Core Values, financial objectives and strategies and to assist corporate leaders in strategic planning and communication. Glenn has an undergraduate degree in mathematics and economics from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and a master's degree in engineering from the University of Florida
Moderator Janet Hanson, managing director at Lehman Brothers and founder of the global networking group 85 Broads, led the conversation by commenting on how important developing one's "personal brand" is to finding success in the business world. Hanson, who was the first woman ever to reach management ranks in the sales division of Goldman Sachs, asked her panelists, "How do you develop your own personal brand, and how does it affect your leadership style?"
In This Special Section
Avon's Andrea Jung: "You Will Stand on Our Shoulders"
"Masstige" and Other Challenges: Making Your Mark in the Luxury Sector
You Are your Brand: Defining a Personal Leadership Style
Secrets to Success on Wall Street: Teamwork, not Ego
Back to Special Section Home
The Progressive Corp.'s Northeast Agency general manager Meryl Golden said her personal brand is best described as "work hard, play hard," and that it absolutely bleeds over into her management philosophy. "I'm a direct communicator and my 'work hard, play hard' attitude keeps my job in perspective," she said. "It also means I nurture other people who work hard, and I sell them within the company to help them find opportunities - which makes them more loyal to me."
For Anu Shukla, a serial Silicon Valley entrepreneur who is currently president and CEO of a web applications company called Rubiconsoft, classic entrepreneurial qualities define her personal style. "I am tenacious and optimistic, and like any good entrepreneur, I am fueled by the thrill of picking off the impossible and making it happen." In terms of her leadership style on the job, "as an entrepreneur I have a group vision I want to achieve for the company. My drive means I expect my team to rally around and make it happen," Shukla told the audience.
Travelocity CEO Michelle Peluso's personal brand focuses on passion and love for the job. "I can't do things unless I love them. I work extremely hard, so I believe you must have fun on the job to make that worth it." The work-as-passion approach makes success self-fulfilling as a leader, Peluso added. "I believe in having fun always. It's selfish; if my team is fired up, then Travelocity will succeed."
Read More About...
change management, success, women leaders, networking, mentoring
Articles
Six Months into the Job: How Successful Is the President's Leadership Style?
Knowledge@Wharton
BP's Fiona MacLeod: A Change Agent Sees Change 'Addiction'
Knowledge@Wharton
DuPont CEO Ellen Kullman's Four Principles for Moving Ahead during Turbulent Times
Knowledge@Wharton
[More results for: change management]
Xerox's chief marketing officer Diane McGarry, by contrast, said she had never considered her career in terms of a personal brand, but characterized her leadership style as being inclusive and decisive, with good listening at the top of her list of important personal qualities. As a leadership guide, McGarry told the audience, "Go buy a copy of Jim Collins' book Good to Great. It reminds us how important it is to get the right people on the bus and get them in the right seats - then to motivate them to do what they do best," she said.
Growing the Next Generation of Successful Leaders
The issue of whether today's successful businesswomen have a responsibility to aid the next generation of rising women leaders is a matter of contentious debate: Should women see themselves as individuals in the corporate world, or should they be thinking collectively to move the whole group forward? Hanson asked the panelists to reflect on how their companies grow successful leaders and ensure women's success within the organization.
"We don't," stated Golden. "There are very few women at senior levels of Progressive. The bottom line is results. They are the only thing that have impact and are the only means to success." As such, Golden said she didn't subscribe to theories of collective advancement, but rather suggested that the best thing the conference attendees could do to ensure their own success was to work hard and become affiliated with successful projects. Shukla partly agreed, noting that in her early days in Silicon Valley the only way she became taken seriously while working at a chip company that sold to the missile industry was when she landed a $60 million deal with Kodak to apply the company's chip technology to the inkjet printer industry. "No one believed I had done it - I worked out the deal while I was on vacation - so I had to actually bring back the check," she said. "Results are everything." Now a business owner herself, however, Shukla said she consciously hires women and sets the example of how women should be treated within the organization.
As a young consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, Peluso said that at a team dinner, a partner once complimented her "great smile" while commending the male team members' business skills on a recent work project. "I answered by saying, 'Thanks, I've always thought you had great legs.' Humor can be powerful." Peluso added, however, that in order to break down stereotypes, women in business need to overcome the twin perceptions that they are not confident enough or willing to take enough risks to succeed. "State your views. Voice your ideas. And coming out of business school, remember that even if it is expected that you go into banking or consulting, you can chart your own path. Take a sabbatical. Go sideways. Do the unexpected. For a rich life you have to take risks."
Leveraging the Network
Women often talk about the formal and informal networks that are open to men and closed to women - and what an integral part these networks play in achieving corporate success. In response, Hanson founded a global networking group in 1999 called 85 Broads which now claims more than 4,200 members worldwide at more than 400 different companies. She asked the panelists to share what kinds of networks had been instrumental in their success.
The four panelists all agreed that informal networks were as important as formal networking or mentoring groups. According to McGarry, success at a big company such as Xerox requires an understanding of the many layers of office politics as well as the confidence to put your best ideas forward. "You have to know which people you need to get your ideas in front of in order to get those ideas advanced. Every time you make a move in a big company, you expand your network of people who are in your corner," she said. Peluso agreed. "Pick the five or 10 people you most admire and offer to take them to lunch to seek their advice. People genuinely want to go out of their way to help you succeed if you ask for their help."
Shukla added that while you should always be building your personal network through informal means, there were organizations such as the Washington, D.C.-based Women's High Tech Coalition and the Bay Area-based Forum for Women Entrepreneurs that had been invaluable to her as a business professional in the high-tech field. "Keep in touch with these organizations so they can help you raise your profile," she advised.
Glenn M. Renwick
President and CEO
Glenn is president and chief executive officer of Progressive. He joined the company in 1986 and has held numerous roles at Progressive, from product manager to business technology leader. His primary responsibilities as president and CEO are to establish and uphold Progressive's Vision, Core Values, financial objectives and strategies and to assist corporate leaders in strategic planning and communication. Glenn has an undergraduate degree in mathematics and economics from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand, and a master's degree in engineering from the University of Florida