Lunch with Leaders: Influence Extraordinary Authentic Women in STEM Careers for Empowerment

Dr. Lola Adeyemo: Thriving in Intersectionality; Leadership and Influence for Women in STEM - 031

Who is this for?This episode is for leaders, HR professionals, and women in STEM who want to build inclusive workplace cultures. If you are a multi-layered professional, an immigrant, or someone passionate about creating spaces where everyone can thrive, Dr. Lola provides the strategic insights you need.SummaryIn this insightful Women’s History Month conversation,Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya⁠⁠⁠ is joined by Dr. Lola Adeyemo, a leadership strategist, author, and the founder of EQI Mindset. Dr. Lola, who also founded the nonprofit Immigrants Incorporate, shares her journey from growing up in Nigeria to becoming a leading voice on intersectionality and employee resource groups (ERGs) in the corporate world. She breaks down the crucial difference between representation (seeing what’s possible) and belonging (a personal feeling of being seen and valued for who you are).The discussion offers a masterclass on ERG strategy, highlighting common pitfalls like treating ERGs as underfunded side projects or creating them without a broader inclusion strategy. Dr. Lola emphasizes that to truly thrive, we must embrace our multi-layered identities and find communities that support each facet of who we are. She encourages listeners to move past imposter syndrome by embracing fear as a sign of growth and taking consistent steps toward their goals.Key Takeaways:Belonging is Personal: While organizations can foster representation, the feeling of belonging is a personal experience that leaders must create a safe space for.ERGs are Cultural Activators: Employee Resource Groups should be integrated into the company’s core strategy, not treated as siloed social clubs or DEI side projects.Embrace Your Multi-Layered Identity: Find different communities to support the different facets of your identity (e.g., as a professional, a parent, a person of faith). You don’t have to show up as everything, everywhere, but you can be your whole self.You Are Capable: Overcome the fear of not being good enough by taking small, consistent actions. Embrace fear as a sign that you are stepping out of your comfort zone.Memorable Quotes:"Belonging is personal... it’s not your role as a leader to tell me how to feel belonging." [19:27]"ERGs are not your DEI. ERGs are basically cultural activators." [25:03]"You are capable. You can do it. There is no perfect time, perfect qualifications that can help you move forward. Just believe in yourself and then take those steps." [45:15]Timestamps:[03:10] Dr. Lola’s work on leadership, identity, and belonging.[11:17] How to thrive in your intersectionality.[17:18] The difference between representation and belonging.[23:39] Common mistakes organizations make with ERG strategy.[39:03] Dr. Lola on legacy and the power of choice.FAQs:What is the difference between representation and belonging? Representation is seeing people like you in various roles, showing what is possible. Belonging is the personal feeling of being safe, seen, and valued for who you are.How can I start embracing my different identities at work? Find communities inside and outside of work that support each layer of your identity. Build confidence in each area separately, and over time they will come together.Connect with Dr. Lola:Guest: Dr. Lola AdeyemoLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drlolaadeyemo/Website: drlola-adeyemo.comInstagram: @adeyemololaTikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@drlola.a⁠Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lola.adeyemo1Website: https://www.drlola-adeyemo.comEmail: lola@eqimindset.com

Dr. Nikki Harris: Authentic Leadership, Overcoming Guilt & Charging Your Worth | Actionable Marketing Tactics - 030

Who is this for?This episode is for ambitious women leaders, especially those in STEM, who are navigating the complexities of leadership, family, and entrepreneurship. If you struggle with guilt, undercharging for your expertise, or feeling like you have to compartmentalize your life to succeed, Dr. Nikki Harris offers a powerful and integrated alternative.SummaryIn this powerful Women’s History Month episode, Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya⁠⁠ sits down with Dr. Nikki Harris, a 30-year veteran educator, author, and founder of a coaching firm for women leaders. Dr. Nikki shares her profound wisdom on leadership as an act of service and stewardship. She challenges the notion that leaders must be autocratic, instead offering a model of servant leadership that builds authority and influence through genuine connection and impact.The conversation dives deep into the real struggles women leaders face, from the pressure to be perfect to the guilt that comes with balancing a demanding career and family life. Dr. Nikki provides a game-changing perspective: stop compartmentalizing your life into different “hats” (mom, wife, executive) and instead see them as different “meetings” you attend as your whole, authentic self. She also delivers a powerful call to action for women to understand their value and “charge their worth, plus tax,” explaining that true service includes sustaining yourself so you can continue to make an impact.This episode is a masterclass in authentic leadership, resilience, and building a lasting legacy.Key Takeaways:Leadership is Stewardship: True leadership is about serving others and stewarding the influence you have, not about being served.Integrate, Don’t Compartmentalize: View your different life roles (work, family, etc.) as different meetings you attend as your whole self, rather than separate hats you have to switch between.Overcome Guilt by Respecting Seasons: Guilt often comes from measuring yourself against someone else’s timeline. Embrace the season you’re in and trust that what’s for you will come at the right time.Charge Your Worth, Plus Tax: Your experience and wisdom have a cost. To avoid burnout and serve your true audience, you must charge what you are worth.Memorable Quotes:"Leadership is stewardship. You’re stewarding the responsibility of being a leader." [04:26]"Guilt comes from you feeling like you’re not measuring up to somebody else’s measurements." [20:50]"Wisdom is not free. It comes at a cost. So if your wisdom comes at a cost, as should your service come at a cost." [44:25]Timestamps:[04:08] What is servant leadership?[11:59] The “meetings” analogy for balancing work and family.[20:15] How to overcome guilt by respecting your life’s seasons.[30:38] Why do you need to “charge your worth, plus tax.”[50:09] The importance of community and an accountability team.FAQs:How can I be a servant leader and still have authority? Dr. Nikki explains that serving well is what builds your authority and influence. They are interconnected.How do I stop feeling guilty about prioritizing my career or my family? Reframe your perspective. Recognize that life has seasons, and it’s okay to be fully present in the season you’re in without comparing yourself to others.Website: DrNikkiSpeaks.com

Unlocking Your Career Potential: From Expert to Leader with Essential Leadership Strategies - 029

Who is this episode for?This episode is for high-achieving women in STEM who feel stuck in their careers despite their deep technical expertise. If you’ve ever been passed over for a promotion you deserved, felt like your hard work isn’t paying off, or wondered why less qualified colleagues are moving up faster, this episode will provide the clarity and strategic shift you need.Summary:In this solo episode of Launch with Leaders, host Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya⁠ dissects a common career roadblock for women in STEM: the “Expert Trap.” She explains how the very technical brilliance that gets you recognized early in your career can become the thing that holds you back from senior leadership. For years, you’ve been rewarded for being the go-to problem solver, the one with all the answers. But at a certain level, being indispensable in your role means there’s no incentive to promote you.The episode challenges listeners to shift their identity from “the expert who wants to lead” to “the leader who has expertise.” Adaeze makes a critical distinction: the expert solves the problems in front of them, while the leader decides which problems are worth solving. It’s a call to give yourself permission to step fully into leadership, not by abandoning your hard-won knowledge, but by positioning it differently. You'll walk away with a practical exercise to start shifting how you show up in meetings, moving from reacting and responding to actively shaping and directing the conversations that matter.Key Takeaways:The Expert Trap is Real: Being the indispensable technical expert can make you too valuable in your current role to be promoted.Shift Your Identity: Move from being the “expert who wants to lead” to the “leader who has expertise.” Your knowledge is your foundation, not your ceiling.Leaders Shape, Experts Answer: Leaders set direction and decide which problems are worth solving, while experts provide the answers to those problems.Be Intentional in Meetings: Pay attention to how you show up. Are you only responding, or are you actively shaping the conversation and offering a point of view?Memorable Quotes:"Your technical brilliance and expertise got you here. But right now, it may be the very thing slowing you down or keeping you stuck." [02:19]"The expert solves the problems in front of her, the leader decides which problems are worth solving." [08:03]"If you’re useful, if you’re indispensable, and that becomes your identity, there’s really no incentive to promote you." [05:43]Timestamps:[00:56] The frustrating question: “How do they have that title?”[02:19] How your expertise can become a career block.[06:36] The strategic shift: from expert to leader.[08:57] A practical action step for your next meeting.[10:02] The Leadership Edge Diagnostic: a tool for self-assessment.FAQs:How can my expertise be a bad thing? It’s not bad, but if it’s the only thing you’re known for, it can keep you pigeonholed in a technical role and prevent you from being seen as a leader.What’s the first step to shifting from expert to leader?Start by observing how you participate in meetings. Make a conscious effort to not just answer questions, but to also offer your own perspective and help set the direction of the conversation.Connect with African Women in STEM on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow African Women in STEM on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow African Women in STEM on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the African Women in STEM Membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit the African Women in STEM Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TEDX Talk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Decision-Level Advisory Application | Fill this Form >>⁠

Niouma Semega: Environmental Justice and Leadership for Empowering the Next Generation - 028

This podcast delves into Niouma's personal story, from her childhood in Mauritania to her current PhD studies in environmental health at Boston University.Her experiences as a Black woman in STEM, often being the only one in the room, fueled her passion to create change.The Mission of Semega Change: Niouma founded Semega Change to address the underrepresentation of women of color in STEM. The organization's mission is to empower these women with the resources, mentorship, and opportunities to become leaders and problem-solvers in their communities.A Multi-Faceted Approach to Empowerment: Semega Change operates on local, national, and global levels. Their programs include mentorship opportunities, leadership summits in countries like Nigeria and Tanzania, and the annual Semega Change Gala that celebrates the achievements of women of color in STEM.Community-Centric Solutions: A core theme of the conversation is the importance of community-driven solutions. Niouma emphasizes that those who have experienced the problems are often the best equipped to solve them, and Semega Change aims to empower them to do so.The Intersection of Environment, Justice, and Policy: The podcast explores the deep connections between environmental issues, social justice, and policy. Niouma's talk, "Racism Polluting the Water," is highlighted, and she discusses how environmental hazards disproportionately affect minority communities.A Call to Action: The episode concludes with a powerful call to action for listeners to support Semega Change. This includes following them on social media, donating to their cause, and spreading the word about their impactful work.Timestamps[04:19.4 - 04:22.3] "something I call workaholic, where I just cannot sit down."[09:22.6 - 09:29.0] "I was the only woman or the only woman of color or black woman in most of these rooms."[11:21.5 - 11:21.5] "racism pollutes the water. Tell us more."[16:06.2 - 16:11.7] "nimbyism or not in my backyard they're like don't put this mercury polluting building in my backyard put it over there"[32:34.5 - 32:43.5] "I was the first Black student in the department in five years or more"[35:35.7 - 35:39.5] "for us it's also important that we are the ones to create the solutions for our communities"[57:00.8 - 57:08.0] "So Make a Change actually stands for Science, Environment, Medicine for Girls Achieving Change. So, you know, it's also a play on my last name."[58:50.7 - 59:02.6] "A lot of the issues we have no longer exist, but for them to have the urge and the passion to continue the work if we haven't gotten to where we need to be because someone like me has started it or moved it along or to sustain it if we are in a position where things do get better."LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/niouma-semega-3b6483205/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/semegachange/Website https://www.semegachange.com/Donate here: https://link.africanwomeninstem.com/SemegaChangePublic Hearings: https://www.senate.gov/committees/how_to_committee_hearings.htm“Racism Polluting the Water” https://youtu.be/FiUGlGa_ouA?si=gDB098rYymTX52oC

Winning the Career Game: Building Influence and Leadership for Women in STEM with Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya - 027

In this solo episode of Launch with Leaders, host Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya tackles a critical issue facing many women in STEM: the feeling of being stuck and exhausted despite working tirelessly. She challenges the long-held belief that hard work alone leads to success, arguing that for women in STEM, this advice often leads to burnout and disappointment. The episode highlights the crucial distinction between performance and positioning, explaining that while performance gets you in the door, it’s strategic positioning that allows you to rise through the ranks.Adaeze shares a powerful story of a client who, despite going above and beyond in her work, was passed over for a VP role because she was so focused on executing that she wasn’t visible in the conversations that mattered. The episode serves as a wake-up call, urging listeners to recognize when the career game has shifted from “checkers to chess” and to develop the skills needed to play to win.It's a call to action for women to stop blaming themselves for a system not designed for their success and to start building the strategic relationships and visibility that will truly move the needle in their careers. She closes with a practical challenge: check your calendar for meetings with people who can impact your career.Key Takeaways:Performance vs. Positioning: Performance gets you noticed, but strategic positioning gets you promoted. At senior levels, who knows you and what they think of you is as important as the quality of your work.The Hard Work Trap: For women in STEM, simply working harder is often a failing strategy that leads to exhaustion and being overlooked.Visibility is Key: You can be the best at what you do, but if the right people don’t see you, your efforts won’t be rewarded. You must be present in the conversations that matter.The Game Changes: The strategies that got you to the mid-point of your career are not the same ones that will get you to the top. Recognize when the game has shifted and adapt your approach.Memorable Quotes:"Performance gets you in the door, but it’s positioning that gets you to rise through the ranks." [00:00]"You need to realize when the game has changed from checkers to chess and you need to brush up on the skills so that you can play to win." [06:37]"The most capable women I know are also the most exhausted and that’s because they’ve been pouring extraordinary energy into a strategy that does not work." [08:21]Timestamps:[01:24] The Sunday evening dread and the myth of hard work.[03:43] The critical difference between performance and positioning.[03:53] A client’s story: why being the best isn’t always enough.[06:49] Actionable steps to increase your visibility.[08:39] The Leadership Edge Diagnostic: a tool for clarity.FAQs:Why isn’t hard work enough for women in STEM? The system is often not structured for their success, and they have to work much harder for the same recognition. At senior levels, visibility and relationships become more important than just performance.What is the difference between performance and positioning? Performance is about the quality of your work. Positioning is about your visibility and influence with the people who make decisions.Connect with African Women in STEM on Social Media:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow African Women in STEM on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow African Women in STEM on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the African Women in STEM Membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit the African Women in STEM Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch Adaeze Iloeje-Udeogalanya's ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TEDX Talk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Decision-Level Advisory Application | Fill this Form >>⁠