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For the article View From the Top, I interviewed powerful women, as well as psychologists who study gender and leadership. While patterns emerged, most inspirational was how each boss successfully leveraged her unique personality, background, and talents. Here are some “bonus” insights from one strong leader: Erika Schimik, the President of SKELL Inc., and formerly the EVP of Media for Lionsgate movie studio.
Her Achievements: SKELL Inc., a start-up company founded by the artist Lorenzo Maggiore as a vehicle to bring his creations to commercial life, makes a best-selling “gun” (Bug-A-Salt) that exterminates insects with salt. “We doubled sales last year and will be up another 40% this year.”
Managing a smaller company—handling everything from finance to hiring to overseeing a factory in China—has been a satisfying challenge for Schimik, who was previously in charge of theatrical marketing for blockbusters such as The Hunger Games. With a 20 to 30 million dollar budget for each film, Schimik had to account for every penny spent. “An independent audit for shareholders proved that we had a better return on investment than any other studio.”
Gender Bias: “It’s complicated—sometimes being a woman can work in your favor. You might get better rates from vendors if you’re an attractive woman. Other times, it works against you, especially internally, in terms of how people compete to take credit for things. I’ve experienced different levels of harassment in the past, but for the most part, I laughed it off.”
“Manufacturing is male-dominated. When we had a problem with a Chinese engineering company they were definitely not treating me with respect. But I also noticed that they treated everybody poorly. Focusing on gender bias would be a hindrance. So instead of internalizing it, I look at it more as ‘This is how the game is played.’ People aren’t always collaborative and you can’t take it personally.”
A new hire recently told Schimik that he had a family and expected to be paid more because of that. “It struck me, because as a woman you are coached to think if you're hired, children should have no impact on salary or negotiation. And here this man was using it as a bargaining tool; he didn’t assume it could hurt him.”
“Leaning In”: “I've always leaned in.That's my physical and mental constitution. I never worried about raising my hand. I couldn't be effective as a business person if I was always worried about everyone's feelings. Having an ex-marine father probably instilled that in me—he was all about accomplishing goals and surviving.”
Leadership Style: Schimik likes to engage employees by asking them to “help me complete the narrative.” If she needs someone in the warehouse to send a shipment out in a tight time frame, she offers the back story rather than barking out an order, so that the worker feels he is a part of a bigger goal. “I want to remind them that we’re underdogs; that makes people strive more.”
Motivation: “I'm interested in money, but less concerned about materialistic pursuits. I drive a 12-year-old-Honda Element. I enjoy the game rather than the spoils of war.”
“I like going into work every day, and seeing what's going to succeed and what's going to fail. I’m not afraid of problems; I expect problems and enjoy solving them.”
