At a time when women continue to be underrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), it is heartening to see women who rise to leadership positions and actively encourage and empower other women to advance. Nicola Palmer, the chief network engineering officer at the Fortune 100 company Verizon, is committed to supporting the thousands of engineers she manages as well as helping girls and women gain the STEM skills that will help them make a positive impact in any industry.
“I always tell young women, whether they want to be a farmer or a fashion designer, a strong command of science, technology, engineering and math, will make them a better one. Armed with these skills, they can confidently choose a career and contribute solutions to address society’s biggest challenges in areas like healthcare, poverty, education and the environment,” says Palmer. The advice resonates for her because she received similar advice from her own parents. “I feel so fortunate that my father, also an engineer, was a strong role model, and both my parents encouraged me to turn my interests in math and science into a career in engineering. Not every young girl gets breaks like that,” she says. We spoke about her 28-year career at Verizon, inclusive leadership and actionable ways we can support women in STEM fields.
What are your responsibilities as chief network engineering officer and head of wireless networks at Verizon?
My team builds our industry-leading wireless and wireline networks. That responsibility includes recruiting, training, mentoring and developing the talent needed to plan and design those networks. I would say my people management responsibilities are as important as my technical ones.
I heard you speak on a panel about inclusive leadership and workplace equality. How do you define inclusive leadership, and how do you think we can get greater workplace equality, especially in a male-dominated workplace?
The best approach is to have a diverse workforce and leadership team in every way. A diversity of ideas, backgrounds and genders is vital to any organization’s success. There is overwhelming evidence that a variety of perspectives leads to better strategies and decision making. Leaders believing in, embracing and committing to inclusion is critical. It includes a strong focus on hiring diverse talent and purposeful development. And, by the way, the promise of the digital age won’t live up to its full potential if we don’t have women fully represented in the process.
This is one of the reasons I am such a big advocate of STEM education, particularly for young women. STEM careers are not only fast-moving and meaningful, but they are lucrative as well. Fixing the gender gap in STEM fields is one way to improve inclusive leadership and workplace equality.
You lead thousands of engineers! What are some tenets of your leadership style?
It’s important to get the basics right: Paint a compelling vision of the future, set clear direction and aggressive goals, measure, reward and course correct. But, ultimately, a leader’s job is to create the culture in which the mission can be achieved and people thrive. I try to spend at least 50 percent of my time on people, one of our greatest assets, listening, coaching and mentoring. It has an amazing multiplier effect.
How do you think we can encourage more young women to pursue STEM careers and advance to leadership positions?
The key is to start early. With our youngest girls, let’s show them the wonder of science in our everyday lives through nature and play. Let’s intervene in middle school to hold their interest as pressure mounts to abandon “geeky” studies. Let’s partner with teachers to provide role models and a support system. In high school, it’s critical to illuminate clear pathways to STEM careers. You don’t have to be an engineer to encourage our young women to follow their abilities wherever it takes them and to fully explore their interests and continue to learn. We can all do more to lend our unique talents to the cause.
What’s the biggest lesson you learned at work and how did you learn it?
After a couple of engineering roles early on in my career, I was encouraged to take a job supervising line operations. Initially, I was hesitant since it wasn’t “engineering.” I ultimately followed the advice of people that had my best interests in mind and, looking back, I learned more in that job than maybe any other. I learned how the work really gets done. I learned about the importance of connecting with people and customers on the “frontline” and learned that no matter how much design optimization and automation occurs, it’s ultimately people that will make it work or not work.
What is one thing you wish you had known when you were starting out your career?
Making an impact by taking the best of science and technology and working with talented people to solve real problems has always been at the heart of why I love going to work every day. I’ve always been somewhat driven, but I wish I had been a little less serious early in my career. It’s important to have some fun at work. Take the work seriously…yourself, not so much!
What is your career advice for other young professional women?
Building a support network is enormously important. In the context of your professional life, it’s helpful to include people inside and outside of your company and your field. Connecting with other professional women has helped me tremendously through the years. The lessons that can be learned from those who have already been in the trenches, so to speak, are invaluable for weathering the inevitable storms and achieving long-term satisfaction.
Your network outside of work is equally, if not more, important. I often joke that the most pivotal career decision a woman can make is who they choose to marry. The truth is, the home support system for women with demanding jobs is vital and there is no one size fits all strategy for success. In my view, the best strategy is to find people you can rely on who are invested in your success. And of course, the best way to get support is to give it freely!
