MIAMI – Women leaders are indispensable to the media and marketing industries, providing insights on the most significant segment of consumers in the United States. However, leadership traits aren’t necessarily defined by a person’s gender, but more by their personal style and experience.
“Leadership traits are like calluses of life. They come to you with experience and with sacrifice and with responsibility,” Jill Kelly, chief executive of Essence Mediacom US, said in this interview with consultant Joanna O’Connell at Possible in Miami.
It’s OK to not prove that you’re the smartest person in the room, Kelly said, because humility also is necessary for learning from others and nurturing the flow of ideas.
“I believe that a great question is better than a mediocre answer on any day,” Kelly said, “and I think there’s something very strong in not necessarily always having the right answer.”
The workforce is changing as the United States becomes more multiethnic than ever before, and younger workers are looking for role models, mentors and coaches with whom they identify.
“There’s something very special about that in terms of representation doesn’t happen with a single show-up,” Kelly said. “It happens with sustainable opportunities that you give to the next generation.”
You’re watching “The Best of the Badass Bosses,” a Beet.TV Leadership Series, presented by Integral Ad Science. This interview was filmed at POSSIBLE 2023 in Miami. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
