WO M E N WO RTH WATCHIN G
Lisa Munro
A Partner at Lerners LLP, Lisa credits having clear goals and taking on new opportunities for her success.
“I found and took opportunities, even when I did not think I had enough knowledge or experience for the task.” Building a career requires one to constantly ask oneself: What is my ultimate goal? It sounds trite, but without an objective, the path will never be clear. Of course, defining that objective is the hardest part, because one must be absolutely honest with oneself. I spent my first years as a litigation
lawyer simply learning the job, but over time I decided that, in addition to building a successful legal practice, I wanted to have influence within my law firm and be a part of creating its future. To achieve both, I needed people inside and outside my firm to recognize me as a leader. I didn’t create a formal business plan to meet this objective; my methodology was to seek out opportunities to
hone my skills and raise my profile, say “yes” to every opportunity that presented itself, and work as hard as I could to do the best job I could every time. I found and took opportunities, even when I did not think I had enough knowledge or experience for the task. I believe we must make our own opportunities, and I knew that, if I worked hard enough, I could do most things. So I forged ahead, and became recognized as someone who would put in the time and effort necessary to find solutions to problems. My advice to other women is the same: Take the initiative; demonstrate a commitment to hard work; become a person who can be relied upon to “figure it out”; don’t guard yourself too fiercely from feeling overwhelmed (because that is where the most growth comes from); and don’t let fear or doubt prevent you from trying. PDJ
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto, Canada is proud to support the leadership of Jackie Schleifer Taylor and others like her who set the bar high and inspire those around them to achieve their goals every day. As Vice President of Programs and Services, Jackie is known for her strong leadership, clear vision, strategic focus and commitment to ensuring excellent care for our young patients and their families. Congratulations to Jackie and all of the honorees on being Profiles in Diversity Journal’s Women Worth Watching.
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PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL September/October 2014