Women in Leadership Series: Carrie Seymour
Every once in a while, you run across someone who is a born leader. They have a certain presence about them. They’re brilliant and savvy. They’re an equally good listener as they are a great communicator.
All of this couldn’t be more true for Carrie Seymour, Director of Consumer Insights, wife, and mom of 4 (you read that right - 4 kiddos).
I was SO excited when Carrie agreed to share her wisdom with you and I can’t wait for you to soak up these gems.
Tell us a bit more about you and what you do for a living. I’m Carrie. I’m the Director of Consumer Insights at Kohler Co. In more lay terms, I’m a research geek. I like to say that my role exists to help the organization gain a deep understanding of people. Understanding people – their needs, desires, motivations, behaviors and values – will make us more successful in business. And honestly, I think the world would be a better place if we all had a better understanding of one another.
How long have you been in a leadership role? I’ve managed people on and off for over two decades. To me though, leadership isn’t necessarily about title or direct reports. It’s about having the courage to go first and try new ideas, being open to truly listening even when we don’t like the answer and speaking up when something isn’t right.
Did you always know you wanted a leadership position? Why / why not? Yes, absolutely! In High School I was voted “Most Likely to be President” (I’m really glad that didn’t come true!) I’ve always found a lot of gratification in helping people elevate their great ideas and then hunkering down and making something happen. I also look to hone my skills by taking on leadership positions outside of work (for example, leading parent organizations for local sports teams)
What do you find most rewarding about being a leader? Watching people grow and develop. I love when someone is able to figure out the solution to a sticky problem and to see the smile on their face when they feel proud of themselves. I’ve had people reach out to me years later to say that they remember something that we worked on together or something that I said that I had totally forgotten. Those stories and connections stick with me. And it motivates me to be better. It’s a reminder that the interactions we have with one another every day are impactful.
Tell us about the best boss you’ve ever had and what made them so special. I’ve learned something from every boss I’ve ever had, ranging from technical skills to communication. From some I’ve learned what to do. From others, I’ve learned what not to do. But my current boss urges all of us “not to let the urgent overwhelm the important.” I find that incredibly useful guidance.
How do you manage being a wife, mom of 4 and a leader in your organization? Well…It’s a combination of extreme organization (if it isn’t on the calendar, it’s not happening!), teamwork, pursuit of higher purpose and gratitude. Humor and humility also help. Have I pulled a jersey out of the hamper to hustle to a kids’ game? Yes, yes I have! One piece of advice that stuck with me early in my parenting journey was to tell my kids what I like best about my work, what energizes me and why it gives me purpose so that they could see even as young children that it isn’t just this bad, stressful place that takes me away but rather something that I enjoy. I feel that is important to role model. And as they’ve gotten older, we’ve been able to have conversations about things like listening to customers. Working at Kohler, we talk a lot about water and how it’s a precious, finite resource. My kids have heard many times about kids who aren’t lucky enough to go to school because they have to gather water instead. It’s lead to healthy conversations. My kids are everything to me. My team teases me because I have a “mom fan” T-shirt for every sport and event my kids are in and you will find me on the pool deck, the soccer field, the volleyball court, in the show choir audience, the baseball diamond, and more. You name it, I’m there and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Do you believe work / life balance exists? What do you do to manage both? I don’t. Balance implies that you have two things of equal weight that are in perfect equilibrium. Any wobble would send the whole thing toppling. There is too much “wobble” in my life to claim balance. Instead, I’ve worked hard on keeping perspective and letting go. I certainly haven’t perfected it. I feel like I run a marathon of housework and kid prep before I even get to work, and when I get there I’m greeted by another to-do list and a stacked meeting line up. I have to accept that “catching up” is not really a thing. I try my best to spend meaningful time with my kids every day. I’ve learned to ask myself what are the things that I can let go of each day. And then I have to actually DO it, which is the hard part. At times I’ve found myself gripping so tightly to the endless to-do lists and it’s not healthy. I need to take time to breathe and be present. I’ve found that taking five minutes to be truly grateful for even the smallest things like a hot cup of coffee or a goodbye hug from my one of my kids changes the way I think, and actually sets the tone for the whole day. I highly recommend the Five Minute Journal.
What are some of the biggest challenges women in leadership face and what advice do you have to overcome them? Most women that I talk to are incredibly hard on themselves. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached about the “secret” of work life balance (it is often quite literally in a whisper) as if there is something they are missing and they are doing it wrong. There is no one right way to do it, and we need to lift each other up and give ourselves grace. I believe the more we can be honest about when / how we’re struggling, (and perhaps find the humor in it when we can) we would all be better off. The most powerful voice we have is the one we use to talk to ourselves. I encourage people to ask themselves… “would I say this to my best friend or an admired colleague?” If not, don’t say it to yourself. Sometimes we shame ourselves for the most trivial things. Make time to reflect on what you’ve actually done, because often that list is a lot longer than you think. At work the pace is often so hectic that we’re looking to the next thing before we take the time to acknowledge what we’ve already accomplished. I’d also say they should carve out time for personal development and protect that time fiercely. Too often we spend our time on other people’s priorities and neglect ourselves.
What’s one thing you wish you would have known earlier in your career? That it’s going to ebb and flow. The difficult parts are when we grow and we just have to have the perseverance to see it through. I’ve also learned through experience that sometimes I just needed to be brave enough to ask for what I needed or wanted. The answer wasn’t always yes, but it was yes a lot more than I’d expected.
What advice would you offer the next generation of female leaders? Find the people that you trust and talk to them. Make the extra effort to connect with your peers and those you admire on a one-on-one basis. More often than not, you can find someone who has been in your shoes or can empathize. You don’t have to figure everything out on your own and sometimes it’s helpful just to hear someone else say “I’ve been there too!”
