Ellen Johnson: “Teams Win the Game”
By Kristin Russ Morgan
From the world of finance to family, Ellen Johnson, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Interpublic Group (IPG), knows what it takes to make impactful changes. As one of the major voices of IPG, she shared her priceless experiences with NYWICI’s WomenHeard podcast: from her hope of shifting the narrative for women’s advancement to removing the tug-of-war of work-life balance. Here is just some of her incredible career advice:
GIVE WOMEN PERMISSION
Women have always worn many hats and are pulled in multiple directions – both personally and professionally. “We are more and more likely to experience a caregiving impact to our careers,” said Ellen. By giving women more flexibility and creating more inclusive work environments, we will ultimately create a stronger culture and space for them to rise to more senior roles.
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
These days it’s easy to be in your own bubble. Thanks to the world of social media and remote work, seemingly conquering the world alone is the norm. When it comes to being part of a team, Ellen underlines how important it is to have partners that are strategic. Their collaboration helps formulate priorities and plans that are needed to drive growth. With an emphasis on sharing – whether that’s general information, opportunities or challenges – the collective is unstoppable and being collaborative is key.
SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO SAY YES
Waiting until you think you’re “ready” has been an overarching trend among both young and seasoned professionals. Ellen urges you to give yourself the chance to take on more responsibility – this requires confidence. If the vision and the objective is clear, you should be decisive and not be afraid to have a point of view. At some point, it’s time to jump off the porch and believe in yourself.
Thanks to Ellen Johnson for joining us! You can listen to Ellen’s complete interview and all of the episodes of NYWICI’s WomenHeard podcast here.
