Posted on

Women in Tech – Books, Videos and Podcasts on Leadership You Must Check Out

Tech Women Top Books and Videos Part 2 Banner Image

As we are coming up on summer vacation season, here are some fantastic recommendations for your summer reading list. This is part two of a three-part blog series that shares a helpful curated collection of books, podcasts, and videos that are personally recommended by talented senior technology leaders active in the Women of Sitecore community. If you missed the part one, check it out here.

The following content is filled with helpful tips and resources to sharpen your career skills, strengthen your leadership skills, and gain inspiration from the stories of successful people. I’ve been enjoying listening to and watching the many wonderful recommendations so far. I encourage you to add these to your lists too!

Top Books and Videos on Leadership

Books

1. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. By Brené Brown

  • Recommended by: Stephanie Allen
  • Why Stephanie recommends it: Every book or talk by Brené will likely inspire you, but this book really leveled me up. It taught me how (and why) to bring the power of vulnerability into the workplace and has given me a framework to show up with my best self to challenges.

2. Start with Why by Simon Sinek

  • Recommended by: Jill Grozalsky
  • Why Jill recommends it: A phenomenal read about how to inspire people to take action. We so often approach work conversations around the who, what, where, when – but it is important to start with WHY to give projects a sense of purpose.

3. The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt

  • Recommended by: Ethel Crosby
  • Why Ethel recommends it: This book is an approachable read on the concepts around Theory of Constraints. It is important to think logically about the underlying problem your business is trying to solve, and realize the cause and effect relationship on how actions lead to results. Don’t lose sight of the goal and just focus on efficiency for efficiency’s sake.

4. Emotional Intelligence: Influence and Persuasion by Linda Annette Hill, Nancy Duarte, Nick Morgan, and Robert Cialdini

  • Recommended by: Jill Grozalsky
  • Why Jill recommends it: It gives great advice and input on how to be a leader and approach conversations to get people to support your cause. It gives a lot of great insight into the emotion of business and how to “change minds by changing hearts.”

5. Shoe Dog A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Knight

  • Recommended by: Ishraq Fataftah
  • Why Ishraq recommends it: Phil says: “The only time you must not fail is the last time you try.” Nike is a great example of how many times you might fail, your dreams won’t come true, or you get sued! But at the end, you will be able to build a loyal and obsessively driven team whose daily mantra is “JUST DO IT” and be one of the greatest brands you can ever imagine to create!

6. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink

  • Recommended by: Ishraq Fataftah
  • Why Ishraq recommends it: Always go back to the root when it comes to business: people! Daniel Pink reminds us to treat people as people and not assets, and to focus on motivational leadership.

7. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

  • Recommended by: Hetal Dave
  • Why Hetal recommends it: Inspirational journey of a woman leader. The book talks about women and leadership sharing insights on gender differences in the workplace.

8. The Business of Honor by Bob Hasson, Danny Silk

  • Recommended by: Isabel Tinoco
  • Why Isabel recommends it: This book presents how honor is the art of stewarding relationships well, with a special focus in business. Instead of being driven by self-serving, self-protection and fear, it presents the power of connection, including how to take the lead in building an honoring culture in any organization.

Videos and Podcasts

1. TED talk: How great leaders inspire action by Simon Sinek

  • Recommended by: Ethel Crosby
  • Why Ethel recommends it: Simple and powerful concept of “Start With Why.” It’s important to understand your company’s core belief of the business and why it exists in the first place. It’s a subtle, yet important, difference that separates the Apples of the world from everyone else.

2. TED Talk: Why we have too few women leaders by Sheryl Sandberg

  • Recommended by: Deepthi Katta
  • Why Deepthi recommends it: Every single time I watch this, I can relate to this in many situations that I have been through as a woman, as a mom and as a passionate individual. It motivates me to go beyond, help women next to me, and together we shall rise.

3. Podcast: The Crazy One by Stephen Gates

  • Recommended by: Jill Grozalsky
  • Why Jill recommends it: Great digestible topics around being a better and more innovative leader. The podcast is a bit more design focused but really provides helpful inputs on navigating office politics, building better relationships and provides an honest look at what’s facing people in the tech/design space every day.

4. Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink

  • Recommended by: Ishraq Fataftah
  • Why Ishraq recommends it: Video that highlights Daniel Pink’s novel Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.

5. Manager Tools Hall of Fame Casts by Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstmann

  • Recommended by: Alison Sainsbury
  • Why Alison recommends it: Comprising the best of the extensive range of Manager Tools podcasts, Hall of Fame brings together the top episodes from a range of podcasts and tools that have been recording for more than a decade – the first time podcasting was popular! Whether you’re managing up or down or looking for career tools, tips on all kinds of meetings, it’s all there. I love this because it’s the gateway to hundreds of really helpful coaching sessions I can just tap into any time I need.

Special thanks to all the women that shared their recommendations:

Stay tuned for the final post on the rest of the collection of books, podcasts and videos on Inspirational Journeys. You can also check out the Professional Development recommendations from the first post here: Women in Tech – Books, Videos and Podcasts on Professional Development You Must Check Out.

Update: Missed the other posts of this series? See the following:

Posted on

Women in Tech – Books, Videos and Podcasts on Professional Development You Must Check Out

If you want to expand your skills, get ahead in your tech career, or are looking for an entertaining read, look no further. This is the first of a three-part blog series that shares a helpful curated collection of books, videos, and podcasts that are personally recommended by talented senior technology leaders active in the Women of Sitecore community.

Last year, I was fortunate to speak on an all-female panel of Sitecore Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs) at the annual Sitecore Symposium conference, covering a topic I’m very passionate about – Empowering Women in Technology. I discussed how to overcome the barriers in the tech industry, like ‘imposter syndrome,’ by having a ‘growth mindset’. The term Growth Mindset was coined by Dr. Carol Dweck from Stanford University; essentially, it is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, and can change with effort.

Group photo of the Sitecore MVP Women Panel at Sitecore Symposium 2018 Conference
Sitecore MVP Women Panel at Sitecore Symposium 2018 Conference

I personally enjoy listening to audiobooks while I run, and I watch TED talks or other interesting videos on my commute to and from work. This year, I’m training for the Chicago half marathon series races, and I’ve been having trouble finding my next book or podcast to listen to while I run. To continue the conversation and promote continuous learning, I thought it would be valuable to share a list of the top books and videos that women and people new to the tech industry can check out to help develop their careers. To create the list, I reached out to the Sitecore community and partnered with many talented women Sitecore MVPs, as well as women in Sitecore leadership, to crowdsource the top recommendations for content that we have personally found useful.

Ethel wearing the Sitecore Symposium 2018 jacket during a 10K race in a snowstorm
[Photo Credit: The Morton Arboretum]

The result is a thoughtfully curated collection filled with helpful tips and resources to sharpen your career skills, strengthen your leadership skills, and gain inspiration from the stories of successful people.

Needless to say, I no longer have trouble finding my next thing to read or listen to!

Short on time? Here are pro-tips:

  • Blinkist App – Una Verhoeven recommends using the Blinkist app. It has a set of audio and text books from all areas, with special focus on management. It has also broken down a few key sections into 15-minute audio parts, which is very handy when you are doing a short commute. Blinkist Logo
  • Increase Playback Speed – Margaret Wise recommends listening to podcasts at 1.5 speed, which your brain can easily process. I also use this tip listening to audio books or watching videos at a faster speed to maximize my time.

Top Books and Videos on Professional Development

Books

1. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

Grit Book Cover Image
  • Recommended by: Ethel Crosby
  • Why Ethel recommends it: This is an inspiring book on confidence, illustrating how everyone can push themselves to be stronger than they think they are by putting in the effort to reach their goals.

2. Daring Greatly by Brené Brown

  • Recommended by: Ishraq Fataftah
  • Why Ishraq recommends it: I wouldn’t be exaggerating if I said Brené Brown influenced a lot of who I am today. Her TED Talks and books helped me realize my potential and helped me to never be afraid of being seen by others. Embracing my fears and vulnerabilities helped me stand up and contribute in both my personal and my work life, and I’m sure it will help you too!

3. Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte

  • Recommended by: Amanda Shiga
  • Why Amanda recommends it: This is my go-to guide when I prepare for a speaking engagement. Nancy’s structure for great presentations and the power of storytelling helps every time.

4. The Power of Story by Jim Loehr

  • Recommended by: Margaret Wise
  • Why Margaret recommends it: This book peels back the layers of what really drives you and helps you articulate your own story. It helped me crystallize my own personal mission of helping connect women to share their experiences with each other.

5. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

  • Recommended by: Stephanie Allen
  • Why Stephanie recommends it: An empowering and relatively quick read on how to trust yourself and realize the greatness that you possess. A perfect book to keep handy for those days when you feel knocked down and could use a confidence boost.

6. Presence by Amy Cuddy

  • Recommended by: Ethel Crosby
  • Why Ethel recommends it: This is a helpful guide on overcoming stressful times by rethinking your approach, being true and authentic to yourself, and stop worrying about what others think.

7. The Confidence Code by Katty Kay & Claire Shipman

  • Recommended by: Allison Simpkins
  • Why Allison recommends it: An informative and practical guide to understanding the importance of confidence and learning how to achieve it.

8. Brave Not Perfect by Reshma Saujani

  • Recommended by: Allison Simpkins
  • Why Allison recommends it: Inspired by her TED Talk, this book has powerful insights and practices to help all of us let go of our need to achieve perfection and make bravery a lifelong habit.

9. Constructive Living by David Reynolds

  • Recommended by: Amanda Shiga
  • Why Amanda recommends it: A great read on self-mastery and focusing on what the moment demands, instead of rumination. The author also talks about feelings following behavior, which is a helpful and refreshing reminder.

10. What If I Really Am the Best Person? By Shari Graydon

  • Recommended by: Amanda Shiga
  • Why Amanda recommends it: Shari advocates for women’s voices to be better represented in the media and public discourse. She encourages women to speak up and not doubt the validity of their perspective. I was lucky to do a workshop with her and the message was empowering! A good read for a boost of confidence and inspiration.

Videos and Podcasts

1. The power of vulnerability – Brené Brown – TED Talk

  • Recommended by: Isabel Tinoco
  • Why Isabel recommends it: This talk is so real! We all need connection and we all face vulnerability. Brené discusses how embracing and acknowledging our imperfections, being authentic, taking risks and practicing gratitude can make a big difference in our lives. Everything is a choice. My favorite part: “We are all worthy of love and belonging”.

2. Teach girls bravery, not perfection – Reshma Saujani – TED Talk

  • Recommended by: Christina Hauge Engel
  • Why Christina recommends it: To me, this is an extremely inspiring talk discussing how we are raising our girls to be perfect, and we’re raising our boys to be brave. The talk opened my eyes and has made me extremely aware of how I can inspire children to be comfortable with imperfection and what impact this will have for them in their future.
    We must teach young girls to take risks and learn to program just like we do with young boys – two skills they need to move society forward. To truly innovate, we cannot leave behind half of our population. A moving talk.
  • Recommended by: Allison Simpkins
  • Why Allison recommends it: A fantastic TED Talk on the importance of teaching.

3. Grit: The power of passion and perseverance – Angela Duckworth – TED Talk

  • Recommended by: Ethel Crosby
  • Why Ethel recommends it: A shortened TED talk video version of Angela’s Grit book. Great quick watch when you need a confidence boost.

4. The Call to Courage – Brené Brown – Netflix Original

  • Recommended by: Jacqueline Baxter
  • Why Jackie recommends it: “True belonging doesn’t require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are” – this is one of those documentaries that left me feeling simultaneously very seen and challenged to be better, do better, go farther and trust.

5. Your body language may shape who you are – Amy Cuddy – TED Talk

  • Recommended by: Ethel Crosby
  • Why Ethel recommends it: Great quick watch on the “power posing” concept; how physical body language influences how you act and how others perceive you. Good to watch in preparation for an important in-person work meeting or presentation.

6. Speaking Your Brand – Carol Cox

  • Recommended by: Alison Sainsbury
  • Why Alison recommends it: I came across Carol’s podcast when I was asked to moderate a panel, and I’ve been a fan ever since. Really practical tips & interesting interviews with women who are putting themselves up on stage and out in the world. How to really move people whether on stage or in person, such an important growth area for many women and something even the great ones can continue to improve.

7. Indian Girls Code – Aditi Prasad – TEDxChennai

  • Recommended by: Hetal Dave
  • Why Hetal recommends it: TEDx talk on cultural divides and challenges girls face in India.

Special thanks to all the women that shared their recommendations:

As I mentioned on the panel last year, I’m a strong believer in adopting a growth mindset. I believe that both women and men become successful if they care about what they do, work really damn hard at it, and have grit. It’s okay if you don’t know something or get uncomfortable at times. Read as much as you can to truly understand the concepts, ask questions, and get your hands dirty by digging into the details.

Stay tuned for future posts on the rest of the collection of books, videos, and podcasts on Leadership and Inspirational Journeys.

Update: Missed the other posts of this series? See the following:

Posted on

Women in Technology

As a woman in technology for over two decades I have been to many conferences over the years and have been daunted, especially in my earlier years, by being one of the very few women in the room. Conferences, even only 5 years ago, were packed with a predominantly male audience and there was not a woman on stage to be seen.

Many companies have taken notice of this gender imbalance and have made a significant effort to change this. Salesforce is a wonderful example of a company putting equality at the forefront of their values. They understand that diverse companies are more innovative and better positioned to succeed. Diversity brings alternate, unique experiences and perspectives that enable better problem-solving, and contribute to stronger operational efficiency and organizational performance. If 82% of women hold the purchasing power but do not make up even 50% of the boardrooms how can companies build exceptional customer experience without these perspectives at the decision making table.


Multiple studies indicate that companies who embrace gender diversity and inclusion in all aspects of their business strategically outperform their peers.

Another company I have spent many years involved with is Sitecore, who has started their own ‘Women of Sitecore’ initiative. Sitecore kicked off this program at their 2018 Global Sales Kickoff in San Diego, where I had the honor of delivering the keynote. The program was introduced by CEO Mark Frost and fully supported by Marketing and HR to follow it through in branding and recruitment efforts.

I commend Sitecore for carrying this to another level at their annual conference ‘Symposium’ where they hosted a Women in Digital Marketing and Technology luncheon focused on increasing awareness. The luncheon started with a keynote by an amazing woman named Jodi Kovitz, founder and CEO of ‘Move the Dial’ (www.movethedial.com). #MovetheDial is a phenomenal organization with a mission to increase the participation and leadership of women in technology. Statistically there are not enough women in tech as they only represent 6% of CEO’s; 13% on Executive teams and 8% on Tech Boards. #MovetheDial, led by Jodi Kovitz hopes to increase the awareness of this imbalance and change those numbers. Jodi’s passionate keynote was followed by a panel of women discussing our experiences as women in tech; why it is important and how we elevated our career in technology. The luncheon came with rave reviews and impacted many individuals and organizations in the audience to make a change in some way to bridge the gender gap.

Sitecore has continued to push for diversity and inclusion in their company through recent hiring’s on their Executive and Management teams. They continue to lead an effort to bring awareness to all on this not just being a female issue but a business imperative. Most importantly this is an issue for both men and women to tackle together in order to effect real change.

The state of women in technology is changing and we are slowly moving the dial. I believe we need to showcase more women role models so everyone can see the array of opportunity within tech across industries for women. Technology is everywhere these days – in the industries of tomorrow, every company will be a tech company in some way. We need to work now to ensure that we’re involving everyone in that progress and equipping each person, regardless of gender, race or orientation, to succeed as innovators and leaders in our communities.

It is all of our responsibility, as men and women, to show this generation and our next generation of female leaders the opportunities that are offered in tech.

My hope is that at some point we are no longer having this conversation about gender. We reach a day where a person gets the job because they really worked hard and earned it, not because they are a woman. A day where it won’t matter what the gender is of any founder, CEO, VC or board member; a world where both our daughters and our sons have an equal chance at significant leadership positions.

Posted on

The Value of Having a Mentor

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” – Steven Spielberg, director.

When I look back on my career so far, I have been extremely lucky in the jobs that I’ve had. Not only have I had some pretty amazing bosses and worked for great companies, but with each job that I have had, I have built and expanded my skills, landing me in a position that I truly love: Director of Digital Strategy.

I can’t take all the credit for how I’ve gotten to my dream job. I have had mentors – both inside and outside of work – that have helped my find my path and supported my professional growth.

Now everyone will get something different out of a mentor-mentee relationship, but I wanted to highlight some of the benefits that I have gained from having a mentor in hopes that it will either inspire you to become a mentor, seek out a mentor, or both! Continue reading “The Value of Having a Mentor”

Posted on

Getting Started with the Women of Sitecore

It’s been a slow (but steady) progression to our kick off at Sitecore Symposium 2018 in Orlando, Florida. Not only did we get started with a breakfast meetup on Ada Lovelace day, but we started seeing women (and men) popping up all over the place with Women of Sitecore enamel pins, glittery stickers and Rosie Symposie t-shirts. What started as idea, has grown into a community with a great deal of support and commitment to growth. Amy Winburn (if you didn’t learn about data sources for Sitecore fields from Amy, the person that taught you did) got us started by launching the idea, initial website and slack channel that saw the leadership team connect together. Whilst this was happening a group of female MVPs connected through Isabel Tinoco and submitted a session proposal for Symposium that was (eventually) accepted and saw 18 of us on stage discussing the challenges and benefits of being a woman in technology. Continue reading “Getting Started with the Women of Sitecore”