Hannah Michal

I would probably pick three things: being an athlete, work ethic from my upbringing, and agility in embracing change. I intentionally say being an athlete, not just a female athlete, because so many learnings came from working together, navigating differences, strategizing, decision-making, learning about myself, and building confidence. I was playing sports at an early age, so that rooted me in a lot of those attributes and characteristics. The second is work ethic from my upbringing. I take immense pride in my work. We spend 40-plus hours a week at work, so what do I have to show for it? The third is agility and embracing change. Changing industries, changing specialties - it doesn't mean you have to really like the change sometimes, or you might be intimidated by it, but if you can function well with change, it really sets yourself apart. Those three attributes also lean into my values. We do a lot of work here at Lumen with Brene Brown, and my values are making a difference and efficiency. Making a difference is the thread through a lot of what I mentioned - having that perspective to understand that I'm part of something bigger than me.

If I could narrow it down to three buckets, I would say network, embracing patience, and being courageous. Early on in my career, leaning into my network of people that I engage with and just staying curious, and also talking about what I was interested in, really helped me navigate my path. If I look at all of the roles that I've had in my tenure, they have not been without the support of somebody else, or helping guide me, or maybe introducing me to something or someone that sparked an interest or intrigued me enough to go chase it. So leveraging that network was key. Then embracing patience - I was super eager early on to kind of chase, not necessarily the ladder, but really excited to have that certain title. But it's all about being patient and being ready for the opportunity when it comes available to you. The courageous piece that can help get you there was about not being silent in the room. I heard a lot about Roz Brewer, the CEO from Walgreens Boots Alliance, related to not being silent in the room. Even if you have some fear about making a mistake, it could trigger other ideas. So you're only bettering everyone else, and it's better to engage than fade in the background.

First, be authentically you. Really find confidence and believe in yourself. I love so many podcasts out there, like Hoda Kotb, Mel Robbins, and others, but you can't be all of those people. Find what resonates with you and being your authentic self is just going to make your life so much easier in that you're coming to work as the same person you are outside of work, not trying to hold all of that back. There's only one you. Understanding that will also help build some of that confidence. I would reference Emily Jansen, a confidence expert, who talks about this really good unlock that helped me along my way. Especially for females, confidence can be a real concern, and I think a lot of us have imposter syndrome. One of the easiest unlocks is stop competing and comparing yourself to others, but cheer them on. It's really this mindset unlock for you, and you then become - it becomes easier to celebrate yourself and celebrate your little wins. You're kind of tricking your brain to think in that positive sense. So authenticity and confidence go hand in hand. You've got to come to the table and be prepared. Know what you're bringing to the table - where are you going to add that value? Show up, be consistent. And embrace change. We're right now in the AI economy, and it's not going anywhere. Learning how to lead and lean into change is critical. You may not get it right, but it's not about being right. It's about getting it right in that iterative process.

To be honest, I would say technology, more specifically AI. So much has changed so fast, and there's a lot of uncertainty, whether that's people thinking AI is going to take over their jobs, so it's job security, or AI utilization in general. Most everything is going to change, and I think it's not leading with fear and what's coming, but bringing people along in the journey. In today's economy, thinking more specifically about AI, it's continuous improvement. I approach it really not as a disruption, but as a force multiplier for us when it's paired with strong strategy, disciplined execution, and some human judgment as well. From that broader business perspective, I'm really disciplined on where AI can create some more durable advantages rather than inefficiencies to get some clear outcomes and really build productivity, efficiency, and build more revenue. As a leader, it's navigating that change and providing clarity and adoption. Teams don't need more tools, so I have to think about bringing my team some confidence in how those tools can really help them. Our customers are leaning into AI, my team is leaning into AI - how can we bring all of that together? The advantage is really about adapting and not losing focus, and bringing that in and changing with the change.

My two core values are making a difference and efficiency. Making a difference is really about having that perspective to understand that what I do and what I'm contributing to is bigger than me and has a bigger impact. When I'm thinking about the 40-hour work week, it's not just trying to wake up, grind it out, and call it a day. Within those values, I'm all about really being a team player. What's important to me and what do I really value? That goes back to me being an athlete - cheering on others. I know we can't all do it alone, and that's part of making a difference and bringing people with you, cheering them on. I value those folks that lean in and want to row the boat together, and that even goes with my family and friends. I think that's foundational for everyone - we all need it. They're my why. But the theme here is really, even within my family and friends and what I'm valuing in both the work and personal life, is not being able to do anything alone. We can all make each other better. We can all make it more enjoyable, and we can all enjoy our time on this earth together. So I think it's this kind of togetherness that comes from that piece of making a difference. If I was just in it for myself, I wouldn't be able to make a difference. It's kind of doing it for others, and this team mentality, and that there's something bigger than yourself that goes on in this world and makes it go round.