MIT Alumnae Offer Leadership Advice

The MIT Women’s Conference is scheduled for March 28, 2025. Learn more.

While women leaders have gained ground over the years, they are still underrepresented in top business positions, according to the Pew Research Center. Fortunately for the MIT community, many successful alumnae leaders are willing to share the lessons they’ve learned to help boost those numbers.

Here are a few tips gleaned from the alumnae featured in the MIT Sloan series The Bias Cut:

Speak up.

“It’s crucial for women to recognize the value they bring to the table and to be vocal about their accomplishments.”
—Monica Kothari MBA ’19, senior manager of compensation consulting at Capital One

Market yourself.

“Make it easy for someone to understand what you do, why you’re the best at it, and why that matters to them.”
—Kerry Twibell MBA ’07, partner at go-to-market firm The AQ

Take risks.

“Stop being so cautious, stop being afraid; get in there and figure it out as you go. Bring all your knowledge, wits, and courage, but don’t only tackle things that you already know how to do. Remember: It’s OK to be wrong.”
—Stefania Mallett ’76, SM ’77, cofounder and CEO of corporate catering marketplace ezCater

Build self-confidence.

“Self-confidence is in the language of power: I can versus I could, I will versus I would. This is a skill we can teach young women.”
—Georgia Garinois-Melenikiotou SM ’84, former executive vice president of Estée Lauder

Take care of yourself.

“Attention to my own well-being is like putting on my oxygen mask before helping the person beside me. I truly believe that in order to help others—whether it’s my team, my family, or my community—I have to pay attention to my own physical and mental health.”
—Coleen Glessner MBA ’15, executive vice president of risk, ethics, and compliance, and regulatory and chief quality officer for Emergent BioSolutions

These quotes were excerpted from The Bias Cut, a series of articles focused on women in leadership published by the MIT Sloan School of Management. Explore the series to learn more. 

Illustration: Mary Zyskowski