For this issue focusing on women in business, we turned to three leaders in their respective fields. They include:
Beverly Kracher, Ph.D., holder of the Robert B. Daugherty Endowed Chair and professor in Business Ethics and Society, Heider College of Business, Creighton University, and founder of Business Ethics Alliance.
Amie Gamboian, principal consultant to CEOs and executive teams, Table Group Consulting, a firm dedicated to making employee work more fulfilling and companies more successful.
Crystal Sauser, director of human resources at Airlite Plastics, a privately-held, family-owned packaging company based in Omaha. Founded in 1946, the company employs 1,100 people across six North American locations and produces over two billion recyclable molded units annually.
B2B: How long ago did you begin working in this career and/or field? Did you ever imagine that you would have a leadership role in this profession/organization?
BK: I have been a business ethicist for about 35 years, and my path has been atypical. As a farm kid from a country high school, first generation college, I didn’t imagine that I would be a professor. In the early days, I didn’t imagine that I would, years later, start a nonprofit, the Business Ethics Alliance, lead it for about 15 years, and leave it financially secure and in good hands. I didn’t imagine that during the years I ran the Alliance, I would be called to other cities to explain the Business Ethics Alliance model and give them the tools to create an Alliance for themselves. As I reflected upon my actions as the years progressed, I learned about myself that I had become a community leader. That is different from being a leader of a team, which I did at the Alliance, but not to the same ability as what I did in the community. My leadership strength has been acknowledged several times by the community, most recently by being inducted into the Omaha Business Hall of Fame. It’s the cherry on the icing on the cake.
AG: I’ve been in the coaching world for over 20 years, and in the consulting lane for over five. The invitation from Patrick Lencioni to be part of Table Group Consulting was presented to me in the midst of the pandemic. Health (whether physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, or relational) has long been a core value of mine, so having the opportunity to professionally support leaders and teams with their organizational health is a natural fit for me. I’m highly motivated to ignite change and help leaders and teams embrace transformation–going from dysfunctional to high performing.
CS: I started my career in 2008 and, oh my gosh, no! I never thought when I graduated college I would be where I was today serving in a leadership role in the Human Resources function. As an HR Leader I constantly tell people [that] I am a horrible HR person. I push every barrier, I am driven to motivate and empower. I rarely take direction and complete tasks. I ask the tough questions, I fight for what’s right–not what’s easy. I really do swear way too much, but I care even more. I want to see anyone who trusts me to employ them meet their goals, where they are at, on their timeline. Joining the Airlite Plastics family in 2018, I realized how incredibly rewarding it was to work for a company that supported my mission and goals and makes it so incredibly easy to serve in leadership for all of our teams. As for my industry, NO! I would have never thought manufacturing was where I belonged! I was a business gal with a flair for eccentric communication. Not an industry gal–that’s what my dad did. But, here I am, and I don’t know that I could see myself serving in any other industry.
B2B: What inspired you to be a leader? What motivated you to step up?
BK: I’ve never thought to myself, “I want to be a leader.” I don’t think that many people do that. Instead, there’s a drive for more; an excitement; a thing that you see needs to get done. When you latch onto it, it feels like nothing else really matters except that thing. All energy is devoted to it. You wake up thinking about it. You waste paper with visions and plans and ideas you don’t want to forget. It’s exciting because it’s something that no one else seems to see but you see it and can’t believe others don’t. There’s an urgency. You have to put it together before anyone else sees what you see. It’s not traditional. It’s alternative, unusual, maybe even weird, and ultra-important. So, I saw a thing that no one else seemed to see. At least no one seemed to see it from the academic world in which I was living. Education is an established institution with processes and boundaries. In the world I joined as an assistant business ethics professor, there were undergraduate and graduate classes to teach, 15 weeks long, with lectures, tests, and papers, all taking place within the university walls. I stepped outside the walls and interacted with business professionals who loved profound conversations and yearned for tools to live their values at work.
AG: I always had a deep desire to have a significant impact on people and found myself in various leadership roles at a very young age. I believe we’re called to serve others and consider every leadership opportunity one where I can invest in the lives of others. Leadership isn’t about titles, positions, or authority; it’s about God-given influence. Stewarding the influence I’ve been given well, and for the good of others, is very important to me.
CS: I would have never thought leadership was in my cards! In college, I was completely lost with the focus of a 20 year old! However, once I settled into my degree program, I realized people were interested in what I had to say and my approach. Believe me, I was as confused as the next guy! Throughout my career, I was blessed to work with great leaders who inspired and taught me their ways. I was a sponge. In 2012 I met my mentor, Lori Bruckner, and she pushed me so far out of my comfort zone and reminded me that I could do anything and supported me on that journey. Watching her time and time again secure a seat and a voice at the table meant everything to me. Her inspiration and constant support paired with my internal drive to do what is right, because, hell, it’s the right thing to do, caused me to continue to serve in a leadership capacity.
B2B: What are the benefits to having women in leadership? How can we calculate the positive impacts of having women in leadership positions?
BK: The benefits of having women in leadership positions are the same as having men. Women are analytical, organized, reflective, collaborative, ethical, creative, compassionate, tenacious, action-oriented, and prone to action. Women have ambition and drive. Should I continue? … Our nation is built on the ideals of equal rights and equal opportunity. They were originally “endowed” to white men, but we currently understand that equality must apply to every human being regardless of gender, race, and sexual preference in order for the concept of equality to be meaningful. How do we calculate the positive impact of this inclusivity? Numerous academic and industry studies show that companies are as profitable, or more so, when there is diversity of leadership. The beliefs of younger generations that they can fulfill their goals because they see people that look like them in leadership roles can be used to calculate impact, too.
AG: Whether male or female, we all lead in unique ways according to our hardwiring, gifts, beliefs, and relational abilities. Each of us should have a leadership brand that is distinctive and authentic, not a duplicate of someone else’s. Many women contribute remarkable strength, emotional intelligence, empathy, confidence, and wisdom in their leadership roles. When combined with vision, strategy, collaboration, resilience, and attention to results, these are very powerful combinations. Calculating or quantifying such impacts in leadership is impossible—it’s critical that women who are gifted to lead step up to do so!
CS: Women look at things differently. Women view the world from varying angles and lenses based on our experiences. Women do not always follow the mold. I like to think that power and control aren’t primary drivers as women grow in leadership. Women have a unique ability to understand where others are coming from and look uniquely at the overall impact of decisions versus following a script. Having a diverse palette of leaders at the table, including women, adds a level of recognition that not everyone needs to have the same things in life.
This article originally appeared in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of B2B Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
This article originally appeared in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of B2B Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
