MTI 

As leaders, we need to make a concerted effort to model and encourage confidence to support not only young women and men, but women of all ages as they go through their careers. Lack of confidence is a challenge that can last for decades.

As a role model, what do you hope to inspire in other women and girls?

Confidence. I’ve mentored women and girls from elementary-school age on up, and one of the most common themes I’ve come across is insecurity. It manifests itself many ways in business, and works against women and girls as they navigate their path in the world. Social media can have a negative impact, too, with its harsh judgments and unrealistic depictions of success. As leaders, we need to make a concerted effort to model and encourage confidence to support not only young women and men, but women of all ages as they go through their careers. Lack of confidence is a challenge that can last for decades.

What advice would you offer business leaders looking to increase diversity within their organizations?

I believe every business leader has the power to address diversity directly, regardless of their level in the organization. It starts with being deliberate in encouraging, supporting and promoting diversity. For example:

  • Make sure your HR partners are proactively seeking and fairly evaluating diverse candidates.
  • When considering equally qualified candidates for a position, project or promotion, let diversity be the factor that tilts the scales.
  • Extend opportunities to undervalued, underutilized employees and watch them shine.
  • Create training and safe-space networking opportunities for women to help with confidence, work-life balance and other career issues.

 

The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Gender Gap Report found it will take 257 years for women to catch up to men economically. Do women have a role in closing the gender economic gap?

Women have the power within themselves to help drive pay equity simply by asking to be paid more. Research shows that if an offer is made to a man and a woman, the man asks for more, while the woman accepts the original offer. Men also ask for raises more often than women do. It’s a matter of confidence. When you ask to be paid more, the decision-maker might say no, but they’re not going to rescind the offer. In fact, most times they will increase it. Research salaries to find out what’s fair and ask for slightly more than that so you’re leaving room for the other side to win. They’re likely to come back to what’s fair, or they may just give you the higher amount. It pays to ask.

Is there a particular quality you look for in a future employee?

A positive and passionate spirit. A person’s energy, reflected in their facial expressions, how they talk and the way they interact with others, speaks to what kind of a teammate they will be. Are they self-motivated? Will they care? When you finish an interview thinking, “Wow, I love that person’s energy,” think about the value they might bring to challenging projects and situations. I’d never say that every person on your team has to have this quality, because I’m a big fan of diversity, but it’s really great when you do find it. A company’s rock stars tend to be those with a positive, passionate spirit.

How do you inspire and motivate your team?

I let them see how personally excited I am about the work we’re doing at MTI. When I share my enthusiasm and vision for our future, either one-on-one or in a large meeting, they feel that. It inspires them to feel confident and enthusiastic, too. People want to know that their leaders are all in, that they’re working hard and doing everything they can for the company’s future.

How do you continue to grow personally and professionally at this point in your career?

I love learning, so I constantly consume new things. Whether it’s reading books or doing research, I expose myself to information from sources across industries, companies and people. I do it because I enjoy it, but also because it can be extremely useful to bring concepts and ideas from various sources together and apply them to whatever I’m working on. We are incredibly privileged to have a world of knowledge, history and scientific data at our fingertips. It’s a gift I enjoy every day.

Mary Jesse is CEO of MTI (Mobile Technologies Inc.), a global leader in retail security and tablet solutions, smart locks and field services. A licensed Professional Electrical Engineer, Mary has served as CEO, CTO, COO, CSO, VP, board director, board chair, founder, consultant and advisor for early-stage startups through Fortune 500 companies. She is a frequent advisor, speaker and writer on technology, innovation and diversity..