CANNES – Effective leadership involves an understanding of people’s strengths as they work together on teams. Sarah Kramer, chief executive of Publicis’s Spark Foundry, said leaders also recognize when they need the help of people with unique skills.
“Diversity and skill sets, hiring people that are smarter than you, that have specialist skills that are different from yours, I think all of that makes a whole team,” Kramer said in this interview with Beet.TV contributor Tameka Kee. “Strong leadership is about being inclusive and really spending time and putting the effort into understanding what that means: advocating for people, having confidence in what you do so that you can lead with confidence and vision.”
Even after decades of advocacy for fair pay, there are still differences in how much men and women are compensated. Some of those differences are attributed to the disproportionate responsibilities many women have in household chores and raising children.
“I had a point in my career where somebody said to me, ‘I assumed you wouldn’t want the global promotion because you have kids.’ And that really was a point I will never forget,” Kramer said. “I am glad that I charged ahead and now have made it a point to advocate for women in roles like that…It’s important to recognize that that is a reality, and we have to continue to work hard to create equality.”
Kramer said it’s important for women to advocate for themselves alongside efforts to build an internal network of advocates. Reflecting on her rise to a chief executive role, she said she would advise her younger self to be confident.
“Go for those promotions and that advancement earlier in your career, don’t be afraid. Don’t ever think that you’re not ready,” Kramer said. “Young men and women early on in your career, go for it. So, I think we need more of that in the workforce.”
You’re watching “Best of the Badass Bosses,” a Beet.TV series with She Runs It at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. For more videos from this series, please visit this page.
