Femtech CEO on Leadership: Don't 'Need More Masculine Energy'

[ad_1] "I have been pondering quite a bit about management fashions," Sarah O'Leary, CEO of femtech firm Willow, tells Entrepreneur. " There's been quite a lot of noise and information round, 'We'd like extra masculine power within the office.' It makes you query as a pacesetter: What's my fashion? How efficient is my fashion? I do not imagine that we'd like extra masculine power."

Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Willow

O'Leary characterizes her management fashion and the tradition at Willow, the model behind "patented leak-proof" wearable breast pumps and their equipment, as one which facilities transparency and empathy to construct belief inside the office. Based on the CEO, groups which have belief in one another — and of their leaders — usually tend to operate in a approach that is conducive to success.

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"I imagine [flexibility in the workplace] makes us extra productive."

Instilling belief inside group members means emphasizing a degree of autonomy, O'Leary says. Willow is a "very versatile office," O'Leary explains, noting that the corporate has by no means given its workers return-to-office mandates. As a mom of two herself, O'Leary is especially cognizant of the on a regular basis hurdles group members who're additionally mother and father face, and he or she desires to help them in any approach potential.

" If my youngsters' elementary college live performance is going on at 10 a.m., I will log out," O'Leary says. "I will go to that, then come again and hold going with my day. I do not imagine that makes us any much less productive. I imagine it makes us extra productive. I really feel very passionately that we are able to construct a tremendously profitable enterprise whereas additionally working in ways in which really feel genuine to our management and group."

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Willow is navigating its subsequent progress chapter with O'Leary on the helm. The corporate just lately introduced its acquisition of UK-based femtech innovator Elvie, which is predicted to spice up income by 50%. Willow additionally continues to associate with organizations that help mother and father. To kick off its Mom's Day marketing campaign this 12 months, the corporate introduced a partnership with Canopie, a preventive maternal well being care platform, to donate a million hours of maternal psychological well being help.

"[Being CEO is] a duty as a lot as it's a cool title."

Previous to getting into the CEO position at Willow, O'Leary served as the corporate's chief business officer and "beloved" the work. O'Leary has mirrored quite a bit over the previous 12 months on her resolution to grow to be CEO, and he or she says that ambition wasn't her main motivator; as an alternative, she acknowledged that she was the best individual for the job at this second.

"I cared deeply about our mission," O'Leary explains. "I had a imaginative and prescient for the place we might go. I understood the business operations of the enterprise and will convey that along with our product groups. In some sense, [becoming CEO] has put me in a servant chief sort of position — It is a duty as a lot as it's a cool title."

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On the finish of the day, O'Leary means that leaders be sure that their motivation is genuine to them — as a result of that is what is going to assist them lead via probably the most tough instances.

"New tariffs are introduced, and you have to determine that out," O'Leary says. "It's problem after problem, and the group seems to you and says, 'What are we going to do?' This position is basically about being prepared to take duty for the folks, merchandise and prospects. It is not all glitz and glamor. You are the primary one that will get all of the robust questions."

"I have been pondering quite a bit about management fashions," Sarah O'Leary, CEO of femtech firm Willow, tells Entrepreneur. " There's been quite a lot of noise and information round, 'We'd like extra masculine power within the office.' It makes you query as a pacesetter: What's my fashion? How efficient is my fashion? I do not imagine that we'd like extra masculine power."