麻豆影院

Leadership is more than just a core set of skills. More than ever, it demands adaptability as ways of work change and challenges become more complex. Leeds alumni share the leadership lessons that have helped them motivate, inspire and problem-solve.听Read other leaders' stories here.

Beth Ann Catalano听(Mktg鈥�79), AHAVA, North America, LLC, A Division of Dead Sea Labs, Inc.

When Beth Ann Catalano was a teen working at the Clinique makeup counter, she didn鈥檛 just give out beauty advice. She gave customers her mom鈥檚 special spaghetti recipe. You may have it, too, since it鈥檚 just regular pasta and Ragu sauce from the jar. Catalano used the pasta recipe printed on an index card to give out to customers as a conversation starter. It made her memorable鈥攁dding surprise and delight to what could be a very transactional experience. Today, Catalano is the president and CEO of a global skincare brand, and her business leadership philosophy, though more sophisticated with time and experience, remains the same: Find how to connect authentically with people, make time to understand their concerns, provide viable solutions to the issue, and focus on educating, therefore, a sense of self-resolution solves future issues.

鈥淗ow do I bring out the best in each person, each day, on my team? This is my daily exercise.鈥� said Catalano. 鈥淚鈥檓 focused on being transformational and supporting my team in their professional growth. Your team鈥檚 growth is essential to continue to achieve your targets. All individuals must continually add value and I make it my passion to understand what drives them.听 Understanding their communication style is essential to feeling understood. And if you don鈥檛 do that as a leader, work and relationships become very task oriented and transactional instead of transformational.鈥�

Catalano understands differences in the workplace and is driven to create more space for women leaders to empower other women to find confidence, upward career mobility, and earning power.

This can be accomplished by focusing on an individual鈥檚 strengths and how the person enhances a team. She also believes in the importance of knowledge sharing and self-branding, noting that self-awareness can be key to navigating professional opportunities.

She shares that the journey to figuring out her own leadership style wasn鈥檛 second nature. She worked diligently on learning to lead in a way that aligned with her inner beliefs. For her, that means being humble and supportive of her team.

鈥淔ind the best in everyone and bring each out as an individual,鈥� she said. 鈥淢ake it a priority but know that it doesn鈥檛 need to be competitive. Then we can help each other succeed.鈥�