I had the pleasure of interviewing Kelly O’Donnell, a decorated professional holding countless leadership positions throughout her career, most recently as President of Employer Solutions at Edelman Financial Engines. As the founder and executive sponsor of the Edelman Financial Engines Women in Leadership program and an invitee to the Harvard Business School’s Women in Leadership Executive Program, Ms. O’Donnell is a role model for young aspiring women. Although her expertise may be concentrated within the business world, her story and wisdom are insightful for anyone beginning their journey in the “real world”.
Kelly was introduced to the realm of business at a young age. Her father, who worked in finance and legal fields, taught her how to read stock symbols in the newspaper and understand sports and betting. This early knowledge was utilized shortly after when her friend started selling candy at school. Kelly decided to open a bank offering interest-charging loans to students who did not have the money to buy candy. Despite the administration’s disapproval, her promising future was just beginning. Kelly attributes her strong work ethic to not only her father but her mother as well, who was an active member of the community and taught her the importance of giving back.
Going from a small, all-girls private high school to a large, co-ed university was quite a culture shock, especially in a male-dominated field like finance. “Yes, there were a lot more males in many of my classes, but there was also this group of us that stuck together and helped each other,” Ms. O’Donnell said, referring to girls in her sorority who were also accounting majors. Remembering her mother’s emphasis on community, Kelly worked alongside her sorority sisters, sharing notes and studying together. This was just the beginning of her experiences being affected by gender. She recalls being in meetings with 31 men and only one woman: “What I realized…is that being different can be an advantage, and it’s only those that are intimidated or concerned about them not looking good are going to keep you down.” Although it may be intimidating, Ms. O’Donnell believes that it is “actually a huge advantage to be the only woman in the room in a meeting of 31.” Later in her career, the company she worked for purchased an organization with a limited female staff. Kelly saw this as an opportunity to empower employees who had very little exposure to women in leadership positions. Inspired by her time at Harvard Business School’s Women in Leadership Executive Program, she implemented the Edelman Financial Engines Women in Leadership program. With its success, she was able to expand the program to include any supporters of female empowerment, and it became Edelman’s largest employee research group. At first, Kelly dismissed the idea of launching this initiative so she could focus on her job, but when a coworker told her, “There will never be a good time,” she took a leap that turned into book clubs, day in the life’s, networking, volunteering, and training.
Among those training were courses focusing on bias, the leading contributor to ongoing discrimination. Kelly shares her shock at finding out that, despite leading an inclusive initiative, she had her own biases. “Here I am, you know, a leader empowering other women, but I have my own biases. They’re just unconscious.” Her experiences as the target of gender-based discrimination have often come from other women; the result of an insecurity stemming from the idea that there can only be “one female leader,” rather than having an abundance mindset. Kelly’s outlook on navigating any form of bias is through “[trying] to create shared wins.” “I think you get much farther by assuming good intent,” she says.
When it comes to academics, Kelly’s perspective is reassuring to those striving for success but who are intimidated by the demands. “I was a very good student,” she said, “But I wasn’t an A-plus student. I was very well-rounded. I liked the social aspects of college. I liked the community. And I am glad I did that because I still got a lot of job offers and I still got the other aspects of college around networking…doing classes that weren’t business and things like that.” Taking classes outside of your comfort zone is key to ending up in a space that you truly love. You do not need to know exactly what work you wish to pursue during college, your experiences will guide you to figure it out. Ms. O’Donnell emphasizes upholding a healthy work-life balance throughout your years in school and during your time in the workforce. She suggests viewing different semesters, phases, and projects as seasons in one’s life: “You have to look at your seasons and say for this season, these are my goals personally and professionally.” Essentially, “it is about being intentional” with what areas of her life she fixates on, with consideration to what responsibilities and expectations she has during that time. For this to be successful, Kelly emphasizes the importance of communication. For example, if you know you are expecting to enter a rigorous semester, communicating to your friends that your potential absence is not your attempt to weaken your connection with them, but rather a time when you may not be available to socialize as much.
Once you get into the business world, “It’s not just about what you learned in the book. It’s about putting it all together.” Receiving a job offer is not necessarily indicative of being the highest academic performer out of all the candidates; strengths such as emotional intelligence and the ability to foster relationships have a tremendous impact on the hiring process. Kelly claims that she does not have the highest IQ or largest network and that there wasn’t a singular quality of hers that qualified her to hold leadership positions. “I just kept at it. I was resilient. I kept raising my hands. I kept asking for help. I made mistakes, I learned from those mistakes, and I kept going,” she says. Ms. O’Donnell shared what she calls her “recipe” for working up the leadership ladder: raising your hand and asking for new or tough assignments even if you may not be considered qualified. “It is not about confidence, it is really about self-reliance. It is about being resilient.” Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of asking for help. “A lot of women are worried about asking for help because they think they need to know it all and if they don’t know it all it shows deficiency. It’s not. Asking for help says ‘Oh I am curious, I want to get other people’s perspective, I recognize that this is better done by the input of others, not just me owning everything and trying to control everything.’” This piece of advice resonates with me in particular, as I am sure it does to many ambitious young women. She claims one of the most important parts of being an employee on the rise is having the ability to work with others. “If you don’t help others succeed, nobody is going to want you on your team.” Self-reflection is another important aspect of growing as a worker. You should be asking yourself, “Would I want to go to a meeting with myself?” If the true answer is no, that provides you with areas to develop. This mindset contributes to her success in the business world.
Kelly believes that, despite not having the typical resume, employers believed in her due to her willingness to learn from others, ask for help, and work hard. No matter what gender, having people around you who support you is critical for success and personal well-being. If you feel demeaned by your environment, that may be a sign it isn’t a fit for you. Finding a job is “kind of like dating. It’s not just about whether they like you. It’s ‘do you like them?’.” When on the job hunt, you should be asking questions about programs the company supports, what communities employees are involved in, and why they have stayed at that job.
Ultimately, “you will have failures, but your biggest growth will come from those failures.” As long as you ask for tasks, work without being told, seek help, and learn from your trials and triumphs, you will find success. Missteps are inevitable, but “for people who care as much as you do or I do, we’re going to find our way. It just may not be the way you thought.”