Emily Henlein, EGM Design for Xero, Talks Challenges for Women In Business
I’d name my autobiography…
Easy Tiger – Finding Balance in the Culture of Busy
To me success means…
Success means I’ve inspired my teams, friends, family to dig deep, prioritise their self-care and thrive at what they do.
Best advice I’ve been given…
Many years ago during my time at Amazon and Microsoft, one of my bosses told me to “shut up and listen for a bit”. This may sound harsh, but learning to listen has been crucial to helping me become a successful leader.
I made my first dollar:
Wrapping gifts at a children’s clothing store in Louisville, KY. You could say this was my first step into design! It gave me skills I still use today.
Favourite book:
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. It’s the first and only book that when I finished reading it, I bought multiple copies and sent them to my closest friends.
My goals for 2020 are…
For me, this is the year of transformation. I’m quite regimented by nature but I’m living in a new country, working somewhere new and it’s time to challenge my well-worn groove. I want to be more open to what’s to come.
The women who inspire me:
There are a few. I’m an Ellen superfan. She has managed to stay true to herself while achieving career longevity in a tough industry. Also, Pema Chodron, who has an ability to find calm in the storm and give you tools to practise loving kindness and gratitude.
The main challenge for women in business is…
We still need more females in positions of leadership. In traditionally male-dominated industries, women are often the ones taking responsibility to call out bad behaviour. I’d like to see this evolve to become more of a shared responsibility.
Gender diversity in the workplace is…
It’s hiring people from diverse genders, cultures and backgrounds. Not so we can tick a box or give ourselves a pat on the back, but so we can see problems and possibilities through a different lens. That diversity of thought is what enables us to better solve our customers’ problems.
