More Than A Mentor
The best mentor/mentee relationships happen organically; they don’t need to be forced or prescribed. And so, it has been with Jeanette and me, whose presence in my life has been consistent for the past four decades, transcending my corporate life to my personal one. Jeanette was a trailblazer for women in the workforce; already an accomplished business leader by the time she joined the company where we met. She was personally recruited to join by the CEO, who had learned that she was the "smartest woman" in our industry. Once on board, she voraciously championed women colleagues and never let a man intimidate her or any of her posse. She role modeled for us what it meant to be a strong female amongst a primarily male executive team. And she took us under her wing, individually and collectively, pumping up our confidence so we could contribute to our business in a meaningful way.
Jeanette’s presence was legendary. While most female executives wore the traditional boring blue suit in the 80’s, hoping to blend in with the men, she wore colorful, textured garments and accessories to express her exuberance of life. Without apology. Her signature red eyeglasses telegraphed her confidence and uniqueness. She always wore big, bold bracelets and stacks of rings on multiple fingers. Each and every accessory had a special history and meaning. Each told a story of a visit to an exotic country or a gift from an interesting and beloved colleague or friend. Even her “legendary legs,” slim and dancer-like, were most often billboards for decorative, art-enhanced pantyhose.
And “smart" was an understatement. Razor sharp was more like it.
An avid reader of the NY Times every morning, she was completely plugged into the world by the time she was at her desk, which was very early. She was a voracious reader of all types of books, even out of print historical editions; a number of which she and her beloved husband, a serious historian and scholar, eventually had re-printed and donated to the Library of Congress.
Her quest for perfection (and intolerance of mistakes) was also legendary. Her red pen, ever-present, served as a sword to edit, cross out, and spell-correct every document sent to her. It was also an indication that she read each and every word of everything put in front of her. Nothing went past her. She believed in respecting the work of others, taking the time and consideration to weigh every word, every punctuation.
Jeanette could conquer any project. As head of our International division, she reached out to world leaders to attend our events in different countries. She negotiated with politicians and the elite of the business world to ensure our success. Literally nothing intimidated her.
And while she was omnipresent and powerful, she took personal interest in those who were willing to learn from her. And I was one of the beneficiaries of that willingness. (While I was in awe of her for sure, I never felt intimidated—mostly impressed by her “badass” attitude and actions).
Jeanette recognized in me a strength that I didn’t recognize in myself. She cherry picked me and trusted me to oversee a new acquisition, requiring a level of commitment, patience and fortitude that I dug deep to find. I’m sure that on some level, I rose to the occasion to please her and to make her proud. She continued to champion me to the C-suite. Eventually I landed another top position of significant responsibility. When I was given that senior role but not the commensurate title, she called me into her office to strongly and passionately explain why I had to stand up for myself and demand the title I deserved. She insisted that a man would have received the appropriate title. And that I needed to do this not just for me but for other women. She gave me the confidence to advocate for myself and the outcome proved to be successful both for myself and for those females who followed in my footsteps.
Our relationship continues to this day as it has transcended the corporate world. It’s a friendship based on deep mutual respect and Jeanette’s continuing drive to encourage me and other women to engage in life both professionally, whatever that looks like at an older age, and personally, to be involved in philanthropic endeavors.
What I’ve learned from Jeanette is difficult to capsulize into a summation. What I know for sure, is that workplace mentorship can provide life lessons that go well beyond the office and can have enduring impact. Our relationship and her role modeling have provided me with encouragement, confidence and inspiration, during my long corporate career and currently as well, to continue on a journey of learning and fulfillment. And when I get the occasional bubbling up of self-doubt or even a touch of “self-ageism’,” I remind myself of Jeanette and how she’s worked tirelessly to change things for women of my generation and beyond. Reaping these rewards, I’ve never thought twice about paying it forward, reaching back down as I made my way up the ladder.
So, when I get my first birthday call from her each and every year without fail, and hear her rendition of Happy Birthday, I think I to myself... how lucky I am to have Jeanette as more than a mentor.
