As we shared in our Celebrating Female Trailblazers in Learning & Development article, we had the opportunity to interview inspiring female leaders in L&D. We sat down with MaryBeth Anderson on a Monday morning, not unlike many other Mondays. Though instead of our typical topics of conversation, we asked MaryBeth for her words of advice on developing leadership qualities and aspiring to leadership positions.
Can you please tell us about your role at Holmes Corporation?
I am the President and CEO of Homes Corporation, and I’ve been here for 23 years! Before starting at HC, I worked for a company that required a lot of travel. And after having my first child, I knew that I wanted to continue to advance my career, but I also needed more balance in my life. I knew that travelling every week wasn’t going to be a good fit for me and my family. So, I was fortunate enough to find HC and it has been a great fit ever since.
Why do you enjoy working in L&D?
I have a lot of reasons that I love what I do. I love what we do at HC because we’re all about helping people advance in their careers, and I think we’re all passionate about that. We truly want to make an impact. I think we’re very fortunate because we work with some of the best associations, helping them to advance the careers of professionals in their industries and around the world. I personally believe in the value of training. In today’s environment, with the fast pace of change, it’s so important that we continue to invest in ourselves and in our education to continue to move forward.
How are women redefining leadership qualities in your industry?
I don’t know that I can specifically describe leadership qualities that are different between women and men, though I’ll share some leadership qualities that I think are important. I think that being humble is incredibly important. Being able to manage through change and lead through change is critical. And creating a strong culture is an important skill for leaders.
What advice do you have for aspiring leaders?
I would say believe in yourself. Don’t hold yourself back. Invest in yourself so that you continue to develop yourself both from both a technical standpoint and with your leadership style. One of the things that has been most beneficial for me over my career is education, And the group that I joined for the small business leaders where we were able to learn from each other has been incredibly impactful. I think you should continue to invest in yourself. Never stop doing that. Then you can shoot for the stars!
