Day 2: Women of Power Attendees Learn How to Be Effective Leaders in the Workplace

Do you ever feel eager to get to that executive position, but wonder how you will balance that role as a power women of color?

Black Enterprise’s Women of Power Summit executive leadership session titled, Building Real Leadership in Real Time, offers tips for helping women plot a realistic trajectory that fits into their lifestyle and career objectives. With an expert panel including Adrienne Lofton, SVP, Global Brand Marketing for Under Armor, Ramona Rogers-Windsor, Managing Director, Northwestern Mutual Investment Management Co. L.L.C, and Katrina Adams from the United States Tennis Association, attendees learned how to strategize their way up the corporate ladder in order to reach their desired goals.

Moderated by Elizabeth R. Thornton, author and professor of management practice, Babson Executive Education, Babson College, Thornton dug deep with the ladies about their career path and how they channel their leadership skills in their role today.

When talking about their leadership as women of color and the responses they get in corporate boardrooms, Adrienne Lofton said it’s her work ethic that gives her leadership confidence and allows her to not need external validation.

“You’re not going to catch me not knowing the details of the business,” said the Howard University alum who also admitted that being a leader in the workplace has presented her with a constant work/life balance challenge.

Ramona Rogers-Windsor said that as a mother of two, trying to find the balance between work and professional has caused her to turn down opportunities in order to meet the needs of her family. She says that early on in her career is when she was really able to take her career to the next level because she knew the power in asking for what she wanted and allowing people to help her.

Adams, who is the youngest and first African American to hold her position at USTA, added to the ladies perspective on leadership and work/life balance and challenged the audience of women to not allow gender or race to affect their confidence in the workplace.

“You’re professional, you’re smart, you’re articulate and you happen to be African American,” said Adams.