Top 10 Self-Made Women in Business, 2020

vol 07 | issue 11 | 2020

Women Impower Dynamics of Women Participation in the Everchanging Modern Workforce

e Art of Leading Attributes of a Good Leader

10 T O P

Self-Made Women in Business, 2020

Amy C. Cross

+

Industry Leader for the Greater Good

Editor’s Desk

She observes, She Strives, She Conquers Leadership is not just a passing phase, but a habit that evolves within a person experiencing various dilemmas

T

o create something from the scratch and take it to the heights for the world to witness, is what I prefer to call an art. Leadership is not a gift which is bestowed, but a true blended result of hard work and strong determination in one. Though the world is filled with many exceptional leaders yet the stars are those emerge from nothing and take up the responsibility to make a difference.

Unlike earlier times, the current businesses are not subjected to any discrimination but provides every individual to bloom impeccably. We have witnessed many proficient business women who not only created a successful stature for themselves but also inspired many budding women leaders out there.

Insights Success admire such leaders and brings out a special edition, “Top 10 Self-Made Women in Business, 2020” in order to celebrate some avid self-made business women who has made an impact and changed the customary ways of running businesses.

We are amidst the greatest pandemic the world has ever witnessed. This has affected the economy drastically as the businesses are facing many difficulties to sustain the markets smoothly. During such times we are in a great need of those impeccable leaders who are capable enough to take businesses back on track.

Here is the cover featuring passionate self-made leader is Amy C. Cross, Chief Executive Officer at StillPoint Capital, LLC. A person who comprehends the needs of the clients and makes efforts to bring the best for them, defines the true leader. Even though industries are filled

with many impeccable leaders, only a few have successfully attained the stature of being self-made.

Her unique approach to business and her ability to create opportunities has always been unconventional. She has tremendous perseverance and operates with strength, sincerity, and candor as she follows her gut instinct. She runs her firm as CEO and has a phenomenal team that has taken years to assemble. She takes pride in the firm’s corporate culture as they operate with transparency, honesty and integrity in all of their business dealings. The company’s accolades speak for themselves as they have also facilitated over $8 Billion in transaction value in just the past 5 years.

Let’s unveil such alike, inspiring stories and interviews of many such passionate leaders in this special edition and spread a word about their contribution in making this world a better place.

Also, while flipping the pages, don’t forget to go through the articles and CXOs written by our inhouse editorial team and industry experts respectively.

Bhushan Ghate

s Cover Story t n e t 08 n o C Amy C. Cross Industry Leader for the Greater Good

Women Impower Dynamics of Women Participation in the Everchanging Modern Workforce

18

Articles

32

The Art of Leading Attributes of a Good Leader

Alejandra Guzman A Leader who Shows the Way Forward

22 Martina Klingvall A Game-changer in the Telecom Industry

28 Mary Pat Moyer Excellence in Technology, ScientiďŹ c Achievements and Perseverance

36

Editor-in-Chief Pooja M. Bansal Managing Editor Anish Miller

Executive Editor

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Marketing Manager

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Top 10 Self-Made Women in Business, 2020

C. Cross Industry Leader for the Greater Good

&

A

person who comprehends the needs of the clients and makes efforts to bring the best for them, defines the true leader. Even though industries are filled with many impeccable leaders, only a few have successfully attained the stature of being self-made. One such passionate self-made leader is Amy C. Cross, Chief Executive Officer at StillPoint Capital, LLC. Her unique approach to business and her ability to create opportunities has always been unconventional. She has tremendous perseverance and operates with strength, sincerity, and candor as she follows her gut instinct.

She runs her firm as CEO and has a phenomenal team that has taken years to assemble. She takes pride in the firm’s corporate culture as they operate with transparency, honesty and integrity in all of their business dealings. The company’s accolades speak for themselves as they have also facilitated over $8 Billion in transaction value in just the past 5 years.

A Glimpse into Amy’s Journey Amy started her career on Wall Street in 1990, when she was just 19-years old. Even then she was acutely aware of the posturing and the lack of genuine sentiment around which some of the worlds’ strongest people and companies operate. It wasn’t until later in her career that she realized that their behavior was actually the intended consequence, if not protocol, for many of those people and companies. It simply baffled her that anyone could think that that posturing could be more powerful than sincerity. “It was then that I learned how little sincerity there is in the world, in business, and let alone on Wall Street. I decided that I would always come from my heart, listen to my gut, and I would be different. Let me tell you, it wasn’t easy.” stated Amy while describing her further endeavors.

She continued to let her hard work impress anyone who would notice, and by 1992, she became an Index Option Market Maker on the floor of the American Stock Exchange [AMEX]. By 1993, she was the fastest promoted woman to the ranks of Index Option and Equity Option Specialist on the AMEX. She traded on the floor, and later became an ETF Specialist.

She then traded for herself as a limited partner in a boutique-trading firm as an ETF Market Maker until October 2001, the month after 9-11. She was across the street from the World Trade Towers on 9-11, and the AMEX was closed for a month in the aftermath. It was a horrific day for her, and she lost eleven friends. The anniversary of that date still brings back difficult memories for her to revisit.

During her 10-year trading career, she was among the first to do live broadcasts from the trading floor for major networks such as CNN, CNNfn, BBC, ABC, and live Wall Street- related streaming Internet broadcasts.

“During those years in trading, I also opened businesses in NYC in my personal time. I believed in my ideas and their potential success so completely that I lived modestly and I invested every penny I made in the business models that I built. That said, I ultimately, ended up losing everything after the internet market crashed and my investors lost the majority of their net worth. It was tremendously impacting and shifted my outlook completely. You might say that I began to grow up! On the heels of that loss, followed by 9/11, my husband at that time and I decided to move to the Tampa Bay area in January 2003. I was excited to start over and was looking forward to a slower pace and starting a family,” Amy asserts.

Amy met her first business partner in StillPoint at a coffee shop the day after she moved to Tampa. Together they learned about Mergers and Acquisitions [M&A] of privately held companies and how to raise capital or conduct Private Placements. As they succeeded in business, they learned that there was a gaping hole in their industry for independent investment bankers, such as themselves, and decided that they would become the industry solution.

She states that her business partner was actually the “money” partner and invested the funds they needed to launch and run the company, and she was the “sweat equity” partner. As she put it, “I drew the short-straw in all decision making for the firm which is why I was forced to learn about securities compliance. Otherwise, I would have never considered it.”

“We launched StillPoint in 2004 and I began to work on a business model that our regulator [the NASD at the time, now FINRA] ultimately, and begrudgingly, approved in 2005. So, I literally built the business model that created the industry niche in which I work to this day,” says Amy. Some Life-changing Incidents told by Amy Ÿ My first big business failure in NYC rocked my world on every level and had me sincerely doubt my entire belief system for the first time Ÿ Being “there” on 9/11 and the PTSD that ensued was life changing Ÿ Marriage and divorce both had some of the biggest impacts on who I am today Ÿ Becoming a mom, and single mom, both naturally and through adoption, has changed my entire outlook on life

When asked “ how I did it, I reply, “By not giving up”

“

Ÿ Ÿ

and family and the work-related balance Particular battles I have fought in business have continued to mold me as a person and a professional and reinforce who I am

What it Takes to be a Good Leader?

Amy was clear that she could not imagine a leader who could be easily rattled. She also said that she could not imagine believing in a leader that she could not trust. “I also could never follow a leader who did not challenge me or provide for exciting upside or stimulus of some sort,” says Amy. Nor could she believe in a leader that did not give back to her community or causes that are important to him/her. She believes in all of these things to her core and has become the leader that she can believe in and would follow.

“I know that there are many leaders who are far more successful than I am that do not possess these attributes, and I cannot speak to that. But I am clear that those are the attributes that I would need to see in a leader and those without which I could not lead.” Amy adds.

Embracing Technology In our current times, technology is not a choice- it is imperative. “When I was first trading on the AMEX, I was hand-writing my BUY/SELL tickets for every trade, and then we were given our first hand-held computers. At that point, everything changed on a dime! Yes, I know, I continue to date myself! Did I mention I am only 48?” Is that old?” [Amy chuckles to herself]. “In order to operate

as efficiently as possible, technology is an inevitable component of business. Without it, not only would you fail your clients, due to increased human error, reduced efficiency, etc., but it would also put your firm at a tremendous disadvantage in the marketplace. I just don’t see it as optional anymore.”

She makes it a practice to hire very techsavvy people to do the research and recommends the technology that would best support the firm. Everyone at her firm has unbounded growth opportunities. This keeps her team excited and facilitates their collective spirit.

Dealing with Volatile Markets Amy explains that before COVID-19, the world operated in a way in which we expected it would, specifically with respect to everyday activities such as travel, retail, education, medical attention and even

communication. As of March 2020, COVID-19 changed the world. She feels that she, every entrepreneur, and business owner must be nimble, openminded and well informed. Otherwise, “The marketplace could become a tsunami that very well may wipe out those who are sitting stagnantly.”

In times of crises, teams, staff, support people all look to their leaders for guidance. While each leader is also learning the information at the same time as their team, they still look to them for answers or solutions, and their leaders need to have them. Therefore, continual reevaluation of business models as dynamically as things change is absolutely critical. There will always be hard decisions that need to be made during every new worldaltering event … decisions that weren’t even conceived of just a few weeks before, and it is essential that leaders provide that evolving, dynamic and creative support to both employees and clients.

Advice to Rely On Amy advises that before venturing out as an entrepreneur, one must make sure that they are so passionate about it and want it so badly that they don’t feel that they have another option. Because all businesses and business owners are tested, so you need to have that passion at the onset in order to get through the hard times. Amy adds, “It may take a while to get it right, and then it may take a while for the market to catch up with you.”

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vol 07 | issue 11 | 2020

Women Impower Dynamics of Women Participation in the Everchanging Modern Workforce

e Art of Leading Attributes of a Good Leader

10 T O P

Self-Made Women in Business, 2020

Amy C. Cross

+

Industry Leader for the Greater Good

“

Choose E xc e l l e n t, Choose Insights

Dynamics of

Participation in the Ever-changing Modern Workforce

18 | July 2020

www.insightssuccess.com

Women Impower

G

one are the days when women were stereotyped to a certain set of skills and professions, restricting them from exploring the world of endless opportunities. Today, women have announced their arrival in many fields of the business world. Therefore, it seems more important than ever before to recognize female contributions in every profession.

Fighting through biased work culture in favour of male dominance, women have conquered the unconquered on the account of their distinct calibre and predilections. In the times when the world female participation rate is to the dispiriting levels of around 67% and pay-off rate of about 63%, achievements by women go-getters are praiseworthy.

Listening capabilities is one of the distinguishing aspects of feminine species as compared to their male counterparts. Instilling and pursuing ones thoughts is undoubtedly important for effective working.

But being a better listener is something that can make a difference as studies show that the customer values and trusts the firms if they perceive that they are being listened to by the firms. With inherent caring and affectionate traits, women outclass men when it comes to understanding critical demands of the customers.

Emotional Intelligence (EI) - the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions as well as the emotions of others - is an essential skill when it comes to dealing with a diverse class of consumers. Women are naturally gifted with higher EI making them better suited for pressure situations and avoiding counter-productive decisions while keeping emotions in check.

Emotional Intelligence encompasses two major dimensions – awareness of one’s self and awareness of others. Both the attributes are very much significant for the survival and success of any organisation. Self-awareness involves being familiar with trigger points and behavioural traits when put to the test. This, in turn, helps to modulate impulses avoiding conclusions which are harmful for the welfare of business. In addition to self-awareness, an awareness of others is equally critical in business. Analysing and decoding non-verbal communication – that amounts to 93% of the message – eventually benefits in convincing and converting a lead into a client.

Collaboration, and not the cutthroat competition, is the modern era’s principle virtue to achieve success. Many endeavours which seem to be beyond the bounds of

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possibility can be attained by combining efforts from different resources, channels and departments. Further, collaborating products with consumer experience are enormously important. It leads to crafting the best solutions for customer’s pain points and compelling value propositions that reflect their overall business objectives.

Multiple studies have found that women prefer to work in teams, while men prefer to work alone. An unfaltering affinity towards collaboration primes women to garner success in different fields of business which gives them an edge over others.

Increased profitability can be a motivating factor for many firms to hire more pool of female talents as many studies support the fact. Statistical research shows that Fortune 500 companies with the highest representation of women on boards financially outperform companies with the lowest representation of women on boards. Moreover, genderdiverse teams have higher sales and profits compared to male-dominated teams, and a recent Gallup study found that gender-diverse business units have higher average revenue than less diverse business units.

Trust over female leaders is an attribute which needs to be reciprocated while making the choice. More American workers perceive female executives as honest and ethical than male executives. Pew’s “Women and Leadership” surveyed Americans in 2015 and found that 34% say women are better at this, while only 3% say men are better at it (64% say there’s no difference).

While it’s unclear whether this means women are actually more honest, it’s a subtle reminder of how tangled some business decisions can be. Leaders are often tasked with choosing between options that aren’t black and white, ethically speaking, and the capacity to lead honestly is important to the entire company’s success and job satisfaction.

Not to mention, increased job satisfaction and organizational dedication to cite positive and meaningful business culture are the added advantages feminine employees carry to the organisation.

However, the journey is not all merry go round every time.

Hindrances – seen, unseen – are there to check the unrelenting zeal of women aspirants to thrive in the industry. These obstructions need to be pointed out and rectified to create an environment that fuels women empowerment.

July 2020 | 19

Lack of confidence, according to many experts, is one prime reason women tend to question themselves and doubt their worthiness. In order to advance, they must coach their inner critics.

Out-speak and define what women want professionally if they want to get succeeded. Too often they don’t know or rely upon others to define it for them.

“Building relationships with those in positions of leadership is critical,” Susan Brady, executive vice president of Linkage Inc. says. “Put down the to-do list long enough to connect with decision makers across the organization, and help them understand who you are and what you bring to the table.”

Women are generally uneasy about asking for what they want. They must stop thinking about what they need as a self-serving request. They must develop the courage and fortitude to stand up and ask for what they want.

While proving value, women tend to overcompensate in order to demonstrate that they are adding value. Instead of doing it all alone, change the paradigm and track to encourage others to take on more responsibility, thus enabling them to scale and multiply their own impact.

Not to forget, biased work culture and regional barriers are the crucial obstacles in the road of women work participation. But, today women are breaking these shackles and coming out boldly to be a part of economic processes shouldering their male counterparts.

There has been obvious progress in achieving gender equality around the world over the past two decades: more girls are attending school, more women are working and are being elected to public offices, more women hold management positions, and the situation involving women’s legal as well as social rights have also improved.

However, a great deal still remains to be done to achieve equal outcomes for women and men. Recognizing women’s abilities, the values they bring to the organisation, the transformation they achieve as far as work environment is concerned, and considering monetary benefits associated with the female work participation, corporate sector need to welcome their emergence with open arms. No future is far where maledominated workplaces will be a tale of extinct, we believe.

20 | July 2020

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O

ne of the few accredited economic development organizations worldwide, the New Orleans

Business Alliance was formed in 2010 through a coalition of business and civic leaders to employ the best practices in economic development to position New Orleans as the ideal intersection of commerce and culture.

In an interview with Insights Success, Alejandra Guzman, the Vice President, Real Estate and Capital Attraction of New Orleans Business Alliance has shared few key insights of the business and her journey.

Kindly take us through your journey on becoming a proficient leader.

The nature of the roles I´ve had in all of my professional positions required mastering the balance of blending technical and relationship skills. For example, working at the New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) requires an understanding of a complex web of internal and external relationships in which I have to act simultaneously as a diplomat, influencer, team player, leader and listener. Economic development does not occur in a vacuum, so it is critical that we work well with others to accomplish our goals. In my position at Capital Natural, a leading management and administration firm for private equity funds and real estate investment projects operating in Mexico, I had to lead a multi-sector group of senior consultants to design and execute an urban development proposal that required me to understand when to switch from a leader to a follower.

Although I was ultimately responsible for leading our project, it was critical that I had the capability to step aside and follow the lead of technical experts to deliver a successful project.

How do you diversify your organization’s offerings to appeal the target audience?

At NOLABA, we are focused on enhancing the economic security of all New Orlenians by accelerating the diversification of the local economy, developing local talent and expanding entrepreneurial opportunity. We 22 | July 2020

attract new business and retain talent in New Orleans, by aligning our brand with the international business community’s increased focus on diversity and inclusion to drive innovation and enhanced profitability. Our brand tag line: Culture. Equity. Prosperity.

Describe some of the vital attributes that every business personnel should possess.

I would consider the ability of balancing and blending technical and relationship skills to be one of most importance. To achieve this one must be collaborative, empathic and supportive which allows a person to be team oriented and socially aware. I think that the success of most projects is multi-dimensional and that relationship skills influence execution.

As per your opinion, what roadblocks or challenges are faced by women in a corporate business? And what is your advice in overcoming them?

It is an unfortunate reality that women still face challenges in the work environment including obtaining equal pay, harassment, and career opportunities.

Although to tackle these issues we must advocate for societal and policy change, I believe there are personal tactics that we can take to navigate through this harsh environment. The first advice I would give is to invest in your professional development. It is important that as professionals we have a clear understanding of what are the skills that we need for our next career move. Finding an executive coach can be a great tool to help identify skill gaps and ways to address them. A coach can also help with preparations for salary negotiations and to address issues at work that have to do more with politics rather than technical skills. Most importantly, beyond being prepared, it is key for women to find a sponsor. A sponsor is that influential leader that will advocate on your behalf to open the door to new career opportunities, promotions and great assignments. To find your sponsor go above and beyond at your job and make yourself visible by taking on projects that provide exposure.

Have you in any ways contributed towards the cause of women empowerment.

One of the favourite projects I have worked on in Mexico focused on helping women to improve their www.insightssuccess.com

Top 10 Self-Made Women in Business, 2020

Alejandra Guzman

A Leader who Shows the Way Forward

www.insightssuccess.com

July 2020 | 23

quality of life and promote economic activity in their communities. We did this by providing training opportunities so they can acquire the skills to find a job or set their own business. Also, by supporting them with loans so they can buy building materials to improve their homes and local communities.

What are your insights on developing a better environment for women to evolve? And how it could be helpful in growing businesses?

It is a top priority for organizations to make intentional efforts to bring women to decision-making roles. We can´t expect to create a better environment for women without us being involved in the decision-making process. Also, it is wide documented that diversity in perspectives can only lead organizations to better decision-making dynamics that increases profitability.

Some strategies to achieve this may include specifying a target number of female candidates for each leadership position or having programs that encourage women to express interest in applying for leadership roles. These practices can be applied in any type of organization, public or private.

“When it comes to success, there is no such thing as good luck, only hard work and preparation to cease the opportunity when it comes knocking on your door.”

24 | July 2020

How do you strategize your game plans to tackle the competition in the market?

At NOLABA, we make sure that all of our programs include data driven solutions. In the case of business recruitment, particularly retail, we use the best consumer analytics tools in them market to prepare pursuit packages. We make sure that when we recruit a business, we deliver the reliable data that will prove the probability of success in our market.

How do you upgrade yourself with volatile technological or business trends to boost your personal growth?

A big focus of my current work is real estate development. One the reasons I love this industry is for its versatility and how it integrates a wide variety of disciplines - architecture, finance, community development, landscaping, engineering and many others.

To be up to date on trends in the industry I have joined organizations such as the Urban Land Institute and also the U.S. Green Building Council. These organizations are the perfect platform to learn and stay up to date on trends. Another great way to stay up to date with trend is attending key conferences.

What are your future endeavours/objectives and where do you see yourself in the near future?

Through the New Orleans Businesses Alliance, I´m working to develop a strategy that includes real estate to promote development in disinvested communities. One particular program that we are looking to leverage is Opportunity Zones. This is a federal program designed to drive investment to communities that have lacked critical investment. It provides an incentive for investors to reinvest their capital gains into financial vehicles. I see a lot of potential in New Orleans and my objective is to have investors also see this potential and help them find success in our community. With the right projects in place our local community will be able to enjoy better services and quality of life.

www.insightssuccess.com

Top 10 Self-Made Women in Business, 2020

Martina

Klingvall

A Game-changer in the Telecom Industry 28 | July 2020

www.insightssuccess.com

I

n the growing and hectic business world, humanity is facing the worst pandemic in the recorded history. In such desperate times, we are in a need of those impeccable spearheads out there who can sustain such a downfall and take businesses to the heights.

We have witnessed many great leaders and achievers, but the most who makes a significant mark are those started from scratch. A good compliance between a gist hard work and success prevailed. Meet Martina Klingvall, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Telness, one such avid leader who contributed in the evolution of telecom sector. Martina's compassion and passion towards the people and the company respectively helped her to achieve many milestones that came in her path.

succeeded going from an idea to being an appreciated mobile operator and have set a new standard in the market – with satisfied customers, digital and automized workflows and fair terms.

Telness has built the world's first-ever fully digital telecom platform to enable a different service, better customer experience, and scalable business. The aim of the company is now to make it possible for other operators all over the world to use their platform as a service (SaaS) and to help the telecom industry with innovative digital solutions in their markets. She also ensures that in the coming years, Telness is planning to take a significant market share for its operator business in Sweden and hold a strong position for SaaS services globally.

Below are the highlights of the interview between Insights Success and Martina:

Into the Shoes of Martina Martina states that she have an engineering background and a telecom career from one of the large operators in Sweden. In summary, she saw unhappy customers in most markets and a lot of legacy in technology making it hard to change and deliver on new expectations. There was an opportunity to set new standards in terms of an operator as well backend telecom technology to support a digital and great experience, which led her founding Telness.

Moreover she adds, mobile telecom is something that many business costumers' find complicated, expensive and boring. Telness is challenging the old mobile operators in Sweden with an innovative service based on customers need and by building the world's first digital telecom platform for businesses – making it simple, hassle free and digital. Further she states, in three years Telness has www.insightssuccess.com

What strategies do you undertake to make your employees resourceful?

I believe it is important to be able to engage people in today's modern businesses. But also to be able to share a clear vision and strategy, and clear expectations that comes with that.

Communication, passion for people and ability to change I think is key.

What are some of the vital attributes, in your opinion, that every leader should possess?

I think it is important to care and be engaged yourself to start with, both in your company but also about the culture and the people. Another vital attribute is to be a curious person.

Curiosity makes you ask questions, interact with all types of people and areas but also never be in a state where you think you know it all.

July 2020 | 29

‘‘

If you think you are to small to make a change, try to sleep with a mosquito in your bedroom.

How necessary is it to align business with technology and what are its outcomes?

I believe that technology enables business to create great things, as long as the technology is built to create value for the customers and not to be in center of itself. Technology can enable a company to be scalable and to generate great customers’ experiences and make people focus on generating value instead of manual processes, which is both efficient and more engaging for the employees.

How do you sustain your entrepreneurial spirit in this changing technological era?

I think it is easier to sustain an entrepreneurial spirit in a quick changing environment. No one knows how the future will look like and it is all about making the best foundation for yourself and your company to quickly adapt and use the fact that the era is changing. Isnt that what innovation is all about?

How do you deal with dynamics of market?

Telness competition are huge mobile operators and we have chosen not to play on their arena and instead use our benefits of being small, agile, personal and passionate about our customers. What is hard for them to copy and where 30 | July 2020

can we make a difference? By staying close to the customers and building our company and service based on customer needs, we make sure to be relevant where we should.

What advice would you like to give to the emerging entrepreneurs?

Reach out and meet a lot of people you do not know but think you can learn from!

www.insightssuccess.com

Martina Klingvall CEO & Founder Telness AB

www.insightssuccess.com

July 2020 | 31

Attributes of a Good

Leader

32 | July 2020

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The Art of Leading

L

eadership is about using the power of a position to empower a group of people in order to attain a common goal. A leader’s task is to implement the plans that usually look good on paper, through a delegated team, in a specific time with an ongoing motion. She/he may use the traditional method or may think out of the box. It depends on the leader as how to do it; the ultimate motive is to get the job done.

Although, each and every individual has a different approach on leadership, some might say it is about setting examples, some might say it is about sharing the authority; what matters is, taking the right decision when it is most needed.

Leadership varies from one organization to another. An organization is a dynamic body and creates new probabilities every now and then. And with new probabilities, come new challenges.

Although, it is impossible to overcome every challenge, the business environment has adopted certain leadership styles for the efficiency of business:

more detail oriented managers to successfully implement their strategies.

Transformational Leadership is considered among the most effective employees of the organization. One of the examples of this type of leadership is when a leader is assigned on a higher level for effective environment.

The Transactional leader The transactional leadership, as the name suggests, enables the leader to incentivize the team corresponding to their performance. The team gets rewarded when it attains the goals and the Leader has the power to review the results and act accordingly when the team fails to do the same. The goals and the strategy to attain them are decided by the leader and the team itself.

The Situational leader Situational leadership is a theory that the best leader will adapt to the required leadership style according to need of the hour. A Situational leader may adopt democratic style while discussion business with senior executive, but may switch to transactional at the time of team review. However every individual has a natural style of leadership and it may be difficult to switch roles at a certain point of time.

The Participative Leader Participative Leadership is the process of sharing authority with the work force in order to get optimum efficiency. The team, after getting access to certain powers, works responsibly to accomplish the goals set by its leader. The shared leadership also helps in case of any requirement of change, as the employees adapt quickly in such environment.

Incidentally, this style of leadership fits best in a scenario when there is a limitation of time.

Qualities of a good leader There is an old proverb that says, “Give a Man a Fish, and You Feed Him for a Day. Teach a Man to Fish, and You Feed Him for a Lifetime.” So is the case with leadership. One of the basic qualities of a Leader is to pass on the leadership skills.

The Transformational Leader A transformational leader inspires the team through effective communication and an intellectual environment.

However, these individuals require

• Communication Skills Communication is the basic requirement for efficiency in a business. As the level of hierarchy elevates, the requirement of

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Following are some of the qualities of a good leader:

communication grows. Especially, when it comes to leadership, there is no scope for lack of communication. A Leader who fails to develop this skill is looked up as incompetent, because it is his job to send the message loud and clear. Although, it is also important to listen as it is an integral part of communication.

• Integrity C.S. Lewis said, “Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” Be it giving credit to one of the team members or be it admitting a mistake, a leader wears integrity as a badge of honor. They do what is right, no matter what.

• Empowerment As mentioned earlier, Leadership is about using the power of one’s position to empower a group of people in order to attain a common goal. A good leader shares his authority with the team in order to get the job done. By doing this, he shows confidence in the team and obliged by the gesture, the team works with full enthusiasm to accomplish the goal.

• Decision making There is risk in decision to making.

Great leaders take great decisions when the stake is high and it is the success of those decisions that make them great. To add up, a good leader takes right decision at the right time.

In conclusion, a good leader can be defined by the dynamics of his style in leadership, the values that he brings to the organization, the methods he uses to make the best of the resources, and the kind of decision he makes in the given situations. At the end it is about the attitude of an individual to bring the change for good.

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Top 10 Self-Made Women in Business, 2020

MARY PAT “MP” MOYER S

ince the 1970s, Mary Pat Moyer has been very active in the academic, government, and industry Life Science Communities in San Antonio, the State of Texas, nationally and internationally. She served as the President of the San Antonio Life Science Association for about 20 years, as an advisor to many educational and economic development programs and as a co-founder or board member of multiple technology-based support organizations, such as BioMed SA. In Texas, MP served as Co-Chair for Biotechnology in the Texas Technology Initiative & was appointed by the governor to the Texas Workforce Investment Council.

Early Years Recognizing Leadership Mary Pat Moyer was active in educating elected officials about stem cells, cell-based therapies, and the sciencebusiness interface for technology companies in this field.

She has received company and individual recognition from many types of peer-reviewed awards, including grants and contracts and specific awards, such as Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, the international Athena Award, AAUW “Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award” and one of the “Top Ten Texas CEOs in Life Sciences”. Pinnacle peer recognition awards have been her academy elections to the American Academy of Microbiology (1991), the National Academy of Engineering (2019) and The Academy of Medicine Engineering, and Science of Texas (2019).

A Family Biotechnology Business Mary Pat Moyer founded INCELL Corporation LLC in 1993 after 3 life-changing events. She got divorced, government research funds were drying up, and her 36 | July 2020

department chairman was going to retire. Thus, she was stimulated to “re-invent” herself as a scientist-entrepreneur by founding INCELL as a path for taking care of her children and her staff. Important considerations at start-up: INCELL was incubated within a more established earlystage company and had access to an office and lab facilities.

This made INCELL eligible to compete for small business grants. The company’s first SBIR award was from NIH in 1995. A 50%-time commitment was required, so she gave up her tenure and went part-time at UT Health. The team also all agreed to continue seeking small business grants and contracts as part of the early stage investment in the company. Unlike most other early-stage companies, INCELL has always had something to sell.

The company has evolved from being mainly research products and research-focused to be a product developer & manufacturer of clinical use devices and human cell and tissue products. The company is unique in having very broad-ranging and multidisciplinary expertise. The manufactured products, which are INCELL’s or are made for other companies, are regulated by the U.S. FDA and various international regulatory agencies. This requires a robust quality system with huge investments of time, money & qualifications of the staff, facilities, and equipment. The company has had both ups and downs, with most of the downs related to trusting partners, and collaborators who were not trustworthy. Currently, INCELL is developing a COVID-19 vaccine and cell-based therapy for patients struggling with pneumonia and the cytokine storm that damages lungs and can be fatal. INCELL is also pursuing products and preparative work for clinical trials to www.insightssuccess.com

Dr. Mary Pat Moyer CEO & Chief Science Officer

“Be honest, hire good people, keep a spiritual center and sense of humor, love and be loved, and never-never give up!”

www.insightssuccess.com

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treat joint pain, degenerative diseases, neurological diseases, regenerative medicine, and cancer.

Doctoral Studies Overcoming Odds Mary Pat Moyer chose Ph.D. program offered by the highly-rated Microbiology Department at the University of Texas at Austin, which included in-state tuition and a teaching assistantship. So, she drove a U-Haul, pulling her little VW beetle, from Florida to Texas in 1973. To keep her living costs low, she purchased a mobile home, but was shocked that Texas law required a woman to have a man cosign! Mary took all her first-year coursework and did her student teaching. With her MS Degree and background, she worked full-time as a Cancer Researcher and Lab Manager, published and gave presentations on her work, and was active in professional science organizations.

Professor, Scientist and Trailblazer When Mary Pat Moyer graduated in 1981, she refused to do a post-doc since she had 13 years' experience in science and management. She was tethered to San Antonio by her family, so she sought a faculty position at the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio. MP had many offers, and many comments like “you can't have a faculty position without a post-doc” and she responded: “Yes I can, you just need to hire me!” She accepted an Instructor appointment in the Surgery Department in July 1981, even though her dissertation work emphasized molecular virology, cell biology, and cancer. She was considered a trailblazer because she was the department's first woman faculty member and first Ph.D. She was assigned 120 sq. ft. lab with a new biosafety cabinet, a cell culture incubator, and only $5,000 “start-up” money. Professionally, the attraction of the position was that she would essentially be her own boss with the freedom to operate – and succeed or fail—on 38 | July 2020

her own. The technical attraction was that she was an excellent cell culturist, and the surgeons had “throw away body parts”, that she knew she could grow in culture—and she did!

This was foundational to becoming an expert in many types of stem and progenitor cells and formulating media. After being in her job for a month, MP audaciously asked and was promoted to Assistant Professor, arguing that she would then be more competitive for getting the grants and contracts to support the research. So, she did what she was tasked to do: “create research” in the department, work with other faculty on projects, teach formal classes, train residents & student researchers, and set up a functional lab.

MP became the Surgery Dept. Research Division Head, was Director of the Center for Human Cell Biotechnology & Director of the SA Cancer Institute Cell and Tissue Bioprocessing Core and managed the biocontainment research facility. She was also cross- appointed in 4 other departments. Over time, she built infrastructure and established relationships & friendships in the science, education, and business communities. She built a reputation of blunt honesty & integrity, and the team and she did very good work in many areas of surgical research, regenerative medicine, cancer, and infectious diseases and spent hundreds of hours in the library. She developed contract services activities through the Centers she managed. She achieved the leadership, funding, research, teaching, community education/outreach, peer recognition, reputation, and other requirements of her job & promotions.

In 1989, she became a tenured Full Professor, joining only 4 other women faculty at that level. She was selected for various review panels for professional service to national & international organizations, government agencies, publications, and private industry. www.insightssuccess.com