More than 200 female entrepreneurs attended the workshop and learned from Pascale's failures and successes leading different teams in various organizations.
Prior to accepting the role of CEO of Carebook Technologies Inc., Pascale notably ran her own company and held several positions, including that of Vice President of Global Operations at Disney Online Studios.
Here are some of Pascale's leadership tips :
1. Don't be afraid to follow your instincts
When building your team and your business, you need to believe wholeheartedly in your business model, your product, and your people. There may not be a lot of industry intelligence or historical metrics to base your decisions on, but if you let your vision, passion, and instincts guide you, you’ll be more likely to succeed.
2. Think about where the business is going, not just where you want to go.
You should put all your efforts into consideration that you architect database are part of a team. Often in business, we tend to want to achieve our own professional goals. However, if you are working with partners, you should always consider them in your decisions and take a global perspective.
3. Lead with intention-based leadership and create a team culture that aligns with your values
Get to know yourself. Stand firm in your values and believe in your vision, and stay true to them and to yourself . Ultimately, build a business that reflects you, and your people will embrace your values and vision.
4. Always think long term in your hiring process
An employee may wear multiple hats while your company is in its early stages, but later on, that person might be a good fit for a VP of product role. When hiring people, try to plan for how they will grow, evolve, and adapt.
5. Don't wait to launch a prototype
Many startups like to take their time developing their product and want everything to be perfect. Launch your product as soon as you can, then adapt it based on the feedback you receive.
6. Don't make all the decisions
Strive to build a company culture where everyone feels comfortable expressing their opinions, sharing ideas, taking on challenges, and making decisions. Start with the idea that you’ve hired great people and listen to what they have to say.
7. Mentoring is important
All you have to do is ask for it! People love to talk about what they do. It’s a great idea to give your staff members the chance to access mentoring and offer it back to them.
8. Adopt the “servant leader” philosophy
Put yourself at the service of your staff and always embody the vision of your company.
9. To empower your team, you need to know what they want.
Give your staff more latitude and collaborate with them. Take a genuine interest in your staff and their lives. Get to know them, but avoid forming close friendships, as this could cause a conflict of interest when it comes time to evaluate their performance.
10. Don't rethink your entire business plan after one failure.
If you fail, give yourself the chance to move forward. Challenge yourself , but not to the point where you are always rethinking and analyzing what you are doing. Instead, look for solutions and implement them .
