Her Story
About Leslie
I started my career in operations at Chick-fil-A, working my way up through the ranks of leadership and fostering my leadership skills. I've always believed that management and leadership are two different things, but to be truly successful and bring up successful people around you, you need to master both and have that balance. I wanted to grow further and expand my knowledge, so I went to United Parcel Service in Louisville, Kentucky at Worldport, the largest logistics hub in the world. There I continued my management career with very large leadership teams in a time-critical, high-volume environment. I joined business resource groups for Pride Alliance, Women's First and Development, entrepreneurs, African American resource groups, and more, showing support for different groups and realizing we are all stronger together. Throughout my entire operational career, my focus and passion was developing others. It was never just about my journey moving forward. As I continued to grow, I realized I was more passionate and invigorated by bringing other people up with me and helping them accomplish their goals. Seven weeks ago, I moved into my current role in supply chain at Grainger as a program manager of continuous improvement and strategic initiatives, focusing on talent. I manage our supply chain rotational development program, bringing in entry-level people who haven't had that one-on-one experience and need development to get stable in their career. Being able to be a part of that and take part in the initiatives we're achieving in this industry is very satisfactory to me and something I've always been passionate about.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Leslie
01What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
In this field, whether it be operations or supply chain, it is male-dominated, but being a female in this industry is not a weakness. You might see it as a potential challenge, but there are always going to be challenges. Rise to that. Don't put your head down and say, okay, well, I'm the only one in the room. There have been so many instances that I've been the only woman in the room, and I haven't even noticed until the end of the meeting because I know what I'm thinking, I've presented what I needed to present, and I continue to strive and try to push those boundaries for the other women around me. Don't be intimidated. Be confident in what you have to say, be confident in who you are. If you are more reserved or quiet, be empowered by that. I always encourage women that if you're naturally loud, be loud. If you're naturally quiet, be quiet, but also own those differences and own your own prerogatives. Not all struggles are going to be the same as a woman, and what they're facing, and what they're scared of, but being confident and going into a room, you know what you know, and don't let anyone make you feel differently.
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