As the fourth generation of our family business, F.D. Hayes Electric Co., I had a unique inside track leading to my role today as president.
I often tell candidates when they come to interview that my first job at the company was as the cleaning lady, and my first promotion was when I was given a broom and sent to the warehouse.
Growing up in the business, I was somewhat sheltered from the unique position I was going to hold as the “first and only” woman in many rooms. It wasn’t until later in my career, when I returned to the family business in a leadership position, that I realized how rare it still is to see women in leadership positions in skilled trades. I have had a variety of responses to often being the first and/or only woman leader in the room, and I have to say most of them have been positive.
Some of the tools that have helped on my journey of “first and only” include not taking things personally, even when it feels personal. It’s a mindset shift to act as a representative rather than an individual, and my hope is that representing women in leadership and women in skilled trades well makes room for more women at the table.
I also feel it is incumbent upon me to make sure that as we make room at the table for more women leaders, I make it clear that there is room at the table for all good leaders. As former Meta chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said, “In the future, there will be no female leaders. There will just be leaders.”
The thing that had the biggest impact on my leadership journey is the peer and mentor relationships I have formed. Many of these relationships are with others who are in similar positions, but many of them simply share core values and a similar mindset toward growth and leadership. I’m full of gratitude that I’m never alone on the road, even when the road isn’t an easy one to walk.
Early in my leadership journey, it was easy to feel overshadowed by my predecessor, who was my dad, Patrick Hayes. He left a legacy of excellence that I spent my whole life watching him work toward. I don’t think it is unique to feel overshadowed when stepping into a new role, and I quickly realized that I couldn’t focus on following his footsteps. I had to find my own way to be a leader that honored and preserved the legacy of the previous generations — while also leading with the authenticity and courage to forge my own path and the path of our company’s future. I hope I continue to engage with excellent leaders, of all genders, on this path.
