‘Never give up’ and other in-the-trenches lessons from women in the IT industry
A recent study from Ensono shows 60% of US women in technology roles have been told they lack the proper skills or training required for a promotion. Yet, these companies do not offer mentorship programs or paid training courses.
The Technology Leadership Experience (The TechLX) provides an in-depth learning journey for cohorts of mid-level technology leaders who learn, engage, and grow together through a proprietary, IT-specific curriculum.
Here are the stories of several female leaders who are thriving in the local technology scene. They continue to inspire us with their knowledge, their leadership, and their determination to blaze a trail for any who wish to follow.
Lisa Nichols
Lisa Nichols is the CEO and co-founder of Technology Partners, a Women-Business Enterprise and provider of premier IT staffing, solutions, and IT leadership development.
Named among the Most Influential Business Women by St. Louis Business Journal, Lisa’s influence has been recognized by her peers and greater St. Louis community.
Lisa and her husband, Greg, founded Technology Partners in 1994, driven by their passion to revolutionize the staffing industry with a transparent business model. They have made it their priority to create mutual wins for their employees, clients, and communities.
Lisa has experienced firsthand the obstacles women often face when pursuing a career in IT. It’s because of these experiences that Lisa has so adamantly supported The St. Louis TechLX and its vision of empowering women in the technology sector.
Our TechLX alumni
Q: What advice do you have for women currently in leadership, or for those who aspire to lead?
SHARMA: Ask for it! Don’t wait for something to happen. Know your value, speak to how you can benefit your team and company, and ask for opportunities you want. I spent years waiting for someone to see my contributions and offer me an opportunity. Even if your value is obvious, many people in leadership are busy or don’t know what opportunities you are interested in.
SPALDING: My advice for other women leaders or those pursuing leadership is that we can strive for perfection, but we can still have victories even if we encounter failures along the way. We must believe in ourselves and remember we learn as much from our failures as we do from our successes. Remember it’s not about failing, it’s about being resilient enough to get back up and carry on.
RIJPKEMA: Have a positive, can-do attitude, know your strengths and, even more importantly, acknowledge your weaknesses. Be willing to seize every opportunity to learn and network.
OWENS: Build relationships. Building relationships and making key connections will help you in your leadership journey. Not only should you build relationships vertically, but also horizontally in your organization. Having a strong network and key connections will make collaboration and facilitating cross-team efforts easier. And if you are in a leadership role, develop a relationship with your direct reports. Having that relationship will help you to be a better leader. Since many of us are still working remotely, building relationships takes a little extra effort. So be intentional about building relationship by scheduling a coffee chat or lunch to catch up with key connections.
Q: What made you want to join the St. Louis TechLX leadership program?
SHARMA: The opportunity to connect with peers and mentors in IT was the driving factor, but training and focus on understanding my strengths was an amazing bonus. When my CIO presented the opportunity to me, I was excited about the relationship-building opportunity and better understanding myself as a leader and how I could grow.
SPALDING: I consistently look for opportunities in self-development. Taking advantage of insights from other leaders in the industry facing similar challenges as me is invaluable.
RIJPKEMA: As part of my latest role, I was nominated for the Technology Leadership Experience, which I gladly took on!
OWENS: I wanted to join TechLX to meet other technology professionals, to grow my networking and collaboration circle, and to learn specific skills that can help technology professionals succeed.
Q: What has the TechLX program done for you personally?
SHARMA: It gave me the opportunity to better understand myself and, through my mentor, drive for new opportunities to build my career.
SPALDING: I have learned that others are facing similar challenges as I am, and it’s beneficial to be open to discuss them with others. I have also learned that we do not all speak and think alike, so knowing your audience is a key part of communicating. This makes talking to leaders of all levels more productive and effective.
RIJPKEMA: The TechLX program made me think about how to influence others without authority. This was one of the first statements made in class after discussing “What is Consultancy,” which really answers these questions: Why would people come to you? What’s in it for them? How can you step into that leadership role? TechLX also helped me improve my listening, communication, and collaboration skills.
OWENS: I’ve been able to expand my network through TechLX. I met some amazing women from other local companies in my cohort. Also, my mentor has been great. I was promoted during the TechLX program and the insight I’ve gained from my mentor, during the transition into my new role, has been priceless.
Q: Who has had the biggest impact on your journey?
SHARMA: My previous CIO, Mike Early, was a great mentor and one of my biggest supporters. I’ve learned so much from him as an example of a strong leader, but also because he gave me and others the opportunity to lead and make mistakes.
SPALDING: I wouldn’t say it’s been one individual. I have learned so much from every manager I have had the opportunity to work with. Some good, some bad, and some amazing. All of them have taught me what kind of leader I want to be, and that I can never be complacent or content with the status quo. I must continue to challenge myself every day.
RIJPKEMA: My biggest influencers, and for the most part biggest supporters, have been my supervisors, my ‘bosses’ (I prefer to call them coaches). Learning from their strategic ways of thinking and managing, observing them lead by example and exercise their people skills while actively soliciting advice and feedback from them have had the biggest impact on how I function in teams, both vertically or horizontally.
OWENS: I’d say one of my past leaders has had the biggest impact on my journey. She encouraged me to pursue people leadership, a role that I didn’t think was right for me. Since then I’ve grown as a leader and have learned how much I can contribute to other people’s journey. And that has been greatly rewarding.
Q: What is one important lesson you have learned about leadership in IT, and how has it made you more effective in your role?
SHARMA: People are more important than outcomes. Whether good for business or not, happiness is what is most important. Most of the time, focusing on people will result in business success. And if it doesn’t, at least you still have a happier team.
SPALDING: Never give up. I have had many challenging situations that have made me question if I should continue to pursue a leadership role, however, getting through them has made me a better leader. We need to reflect on the experiences we’ve had to identify and develop new skills and industry knowledge that we can use in our professional roles.
RIJPKEMA: When it comes to solutioning IT requests/challenges, the most important lessons learned would have to be to listen, empathize and speak in a language the receiver understands. Striving to become a trusted advisor, build relationships, leverage my network and help others move forward. I’m happy to say I am still learning to be better every single day. That journey never stops!
OWENS: I’ve learned to be my authentic self. In my first leadership role, I was trying to lead like other leaders I’ve seen in the past. I admired their style and wanted to be like them. I can incorporate some of those traits in my leadership journey. However, I’ve learned over the years to trust in my strengths and what got me into a leadership role in the first place. I’ve learned to use my unique gifts, talents, and passion in my role. And that has made me more effective in my leadership role.
