Inspiring a Team

Everybody that I talked to who's worked with you before, say that you're one of the most energizing leaders ever. I mean, where does your inspiration come from? And how do you mobilize and unify your teams?

You wanna be someone that's really counted on, that is there in time of need, and is attempting to be highly resilient. We're all humans, and we all have what I call good days, and not so good days, but try and be resilient, in the process is important.

So Kim, let me ask you this, in addition to being the Chief Operating Officer at Deutsche Bank, CIO at Boeing, you were in manufacturing at Ford, and at Dell, even male dominated disciplines, what were the challenges that you faced as a woman?

So I've spent my entire upbringing from college being only a few women in the room. So, everything from when I started at the University of Michigan and Mechanical Engineering, an engineering school, and there were, I remember classes where it was just my best friend and I, who is still my best friend to this day, and, so it was very normal. Which is, lots of my friends were men. And, I always felt, even to this day, just be true to yourself. And---

Absolutely

I view one of my responsibilities now is to help the next generation of women. And so, the guidance that I will give women to this point is just be yourself. And there will be weird things that happen. Like, for example, years and years ago, I was in my 20s very early on my career. And I remember someone just assuming that I was the assistant and, please get them coffee. And it's like, "Yeah, get us all coffee." "I mean, let's go get some coffee." "Why don't you come with me - It's great - When we get coffee? (laughs) So we went together and got coffee, and then he realized I was actually running the meeting which was kind of awkward, but do you just kind of make light of it, and, I was lucky I never had anyone that crossed the line or anything like that, but, I think that, feeling comfortable in your own skin and just making light of it and checking when it's not quite right and just say, "Come on, let's go get coffee together."

Right.