I had the distinct pleasure this week to attend PROTO’s (PROTO is an industrial tool brand owned by Stanley Black & Decker) national sales meetings in Dallas, Texas. While there, we were addressed several times by the President of Stanley Black and Decker’s Industrial and Automotive Repair division, a remarkable woman, yes, I said woman, JoAnna Sohovich.
What is remarkable about her is not only that she is leading huge team comprised of mainly men (my guess is 90 – 95%), but also that she is doing it with such intelligence, poise and grace. I wondered as she addressed the audience for the first time, if they truly rallied behind this woman who just over a year ago was thrust into this role as their division president. But after listening to her speak and observing the response from her team, it became clear to me that she commanded their respect. I suppose the fact that she is a Naval Academy graduate and was the President of Honeywell Security and Communications division prepared her well for her current role, but it is more than education and experience it is also who she is at her core that makes her a great leader.
I am hypothesizing here and I clearly am not privy to the inner workings of the organization, but from an outsider’s perspective it seems to me that the team is behind her as she comes across as focused, passionate, genuine, smart, cooperative, accountable, and fun. She runs a business that represents 25% of Stanley Black & Decker’s total portfolio and from what I’ve seen she has earned her spot there. I look forward to seeing where her leadership takes the business in 2013 and beyond.
As a female in a leadership position myself (albeit a much smaller business), I look up to JoAnna and others like her that can be successful immensely successful in a male dominated industry. You can be sure that I will take many insights about leadership from watching her over the last few days to help nurture and support the team, while focusing on growing the business. In the meantime, here are a few common sense points she brought up that are worth reiterating:
- Focus. Get laser focused on a few key goals that undoubtedly drive the business forward and the strategies that support those goals.
- Dig deep. Peel back the layers to really understand your customer and what their core business needs are.
- Differentiate. Set yourself apart from your competition by being more innovative, more agile, and more responsive.
- Recognize. Even if you have a tough year, recognize what you were able to achieve and thank the team for it.
Lastly, a huge thank you to the PROTO team for inviting us to the National Sales Meeting. We learned a ton, had many laughs together and met some wonderful new friends! Now, armed with in-depth, hands-on knowledge we’re looking forward to fine tuning and launching killer marketing plans supporting the incredible line up of 2013 tools.