Monique McCloud, JD-MBA, SPHR

I attribute my success to my mother, Angela K. McCloud. She passed away over 5 years ago, and as I was managing her estate, I learned so much more than I was previously aware of about how she dedicated her life to her students and helping them be successful. She never bragged about her impact on others, but I went through boxes and boxes of thank-you notes and heard from people at her funeral about the impact she had in their lives when they were students. That really drove me to understand that excellence can be quiet. The values she instilled in me, along with my father and grandparents, are the importance of excellence and integrity, which have shaped who I am and how I approach my work every day.

Earlier in my career, I was advised to take assignments that no one else wanted, the difficult ones, and I did that. It helped me to an extent, but what I've learned and what I now advise others is to focus on building relationships as much as you're focused on your outcomes, because once you hit a certain point in leadership, your relationships matter more. Constantly build relationships. Never forget the people that helped you. Always say thank you, and be humble.

For human resources in particular, I would say it's to be an expert in your space. Understand the fundamentals of talent acquisition, compensation, labor and employee relations, and learning and organizational development. You don't have to run every function of human resources, but you need to understand the fundamental principles of them. And if you find a particular area of expertise, stay with it. I would also say to do something that I did not do, which is find an industry you love, and try to stay in that industry and learn it, because every time you switch industries, you're starting over from a credibility standpoint and from a learning standpoint, and it takes time to gain those, both of which are necessary to succeed. So I would say to find an industry that you are excited about, that is a fit for you, and build your career in that industry as an expert. People get impatient, and they switch jobs for money and titles, but that is a short-term benefit that may have a long-term cost over time. Be steady with your career growth and get deep in your expertise so that you are invaluable.

I think the intersection of being a woman and an African American creates significant challenges in environments that are not used to seeing women, in particular Black women, in leadership positions. There are a lot of things that men and other demographics can get away with regarding their confidence that Black women can't. I underestimated that earlier in my career, but I've noted it as a challenge that I will continually overcome. Learn quickly what environment you're in and understand quickly how you will be regarded, then navigate accordingly. For me, I've found it doesn't matter what level I've gotten to in my career, or that I went to Cornell and finished in 3 years, or that I got a JD MBA in 3 years, or that I've been an HR leader for over 25 years with major companies. My ability is always questioned and has to be proven. It's never assumed. That is something I've had to learn not to let wear me down emotionally. I have to take care of myself, set boundaries to achieve balance, and implement self-care always.

The values most important to me are honesty, transparency, and trust. There's a lot of mistrust in human resources, so I try to build relationships with people where if I tell them something, they know I'm telling them the truth. These values guide everything I do, both professionally and personally.