4 Women in Colorado Tech Share How to Create Your Own Distinctive Leadership Style

Women from Verblio, DAT, Conga and AMP share their leadership stories, the lessons they’ve learned and the advice for women in tech.
Written by Colin Hanner
September 30, 2021Updated: February 1, 2024

If the system is broken, don’t fix it — start from scratch. 

That’s the basis of Mary Beard’s call for reimagining the structure of power through the lens of women in her 2017 book, “Women and Power.” 

“We have to be more reflective about what power is, what it is for, and how it is measured,” Beard writes. “To put it another way, if women are not perceived to be fully within the structures of power, surely it is power that we need to redefine rather than women?”

Historically, men have been at the helm of just about everything for millennia, and the dial has only shifted slightly in recent decades. For example, according to the World Economic Forum, only 28 percent of managerial positions globally were held by women in 2019. 

Instead of only a select few women chipping away at the power structures dominated by men, Beard calls for an actualization of the popular aphorism, “a rising tide lifts all boats.” In other words, women can reestablish power as an effort of many — not just of one — by empowering other women around them.

“It means thinking collaboratively, about the power of followers not just of leaders,” Beard writes. “It means, above all, thinking about power as an attribute or even a verb (‘to power’), not as a possession.”

In the workplace, women can and should hold positions of power, but in the manner of Beard’s reasoning, they should lend a hand to other women looking to lead, no matter the title or seniority they may have. 

In that vein, Built In Colorado recently interviewed four women who shared their leadership style in their respective roles, the lessons they’ve learned along the way and what advice they have for women who are looking to define themselves as leaders today. 

 

Amanda Marrs
Senior Director of Product • AMP

First, how would you describe your leadership style? 

As a leader, I believe my primary responsibility is helping my team be successful so we can help make our customers successful. There’s no one leadership style that I use; I flex my style as needed. When teams have competing interests, I may need to be a more centralized decision-maker. When teams are able to collaborate, my role is to facilitate discussion in a way that effectively leads to consensus. I truly believe that together we know more than any one individual, and I prefer ways to expand team collaboration whenever possible.
 

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to leadership, but inauthenticity is easily detected and will erode the trust of your team quickly.”


What experiences or lessons helped shape your leadership style throughout your career?

I am grateful to my previous employers for excellent formalized training programs on leadership style, facilitation skills and strategic development. A couple of pieces of advice specific to being a female leader in a male-dominated field:

  1. Don’t ask “Does that make sense?” It comes across as a lack of confidence rather than the intended collaborative spirit. Instead ask, “Do you have any questions or feedback?”

  2. Don’t apologize — replace it with a thank you. So “I'm so sorry I’m late” can become “Thanks for your patience while I wrapped up a meeting that ran over time.” 

  3. Leaders don’t ask permission for a seat at the table — they show up early and take a seat because they know they have something to contribute.

 

What advice do you have for others who may be struggling to define or own their leadership style?

Be authentic to yourself. There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to leadership, but inauthenticity is easily detected and will erode the trust of your team quickly. Try out some different styles. Find a mentor or coach. Take note of things you like from other leaders and want to emulate.

 

Zoe Treeson
Sr. Director of Operations • Verblio

First, how would you describe your leadership style? 

Collaborative. I believe in hiring smart, creative folks who play nice with others. I like having a diverse team when it comes to strengths, experience and opinions. As a young leader with a non-traditional background, I rely on my team to help solve complex problems. Rarely does one person have all the answers. I prioritize frequent one-on-ones with my teammates to ensure we have face time to work alongside on projects. I believe in the power of group work, from retros that help us celebrate our wins and dig into how to keep improving to brainstorm sessions that lead to the wackiest, most out-of-the-box solutions to our biggest challenges. I’m lucky enough to be at a company that is aligned with the sentiment that collaboration between fun, smart people has the power to truly change the world. 
 

Being flexible in terms of how you collaborate and lead will serve you well in work and in life!”


What experiences or lessons helped shape your leadership style throughout your career?

When I came onboard to Verblio I was fresh out of business school, hadn’t yet managed anyone in my life and ended up taking over the operations department — an area where I had, you guessed it, zero experience. The ey in finding my footing and taking over the fastest-growing team at the company was collaboration. The department already had some rockstar players who helped me understand the history of the company and some of the biggest challenges it faced. One-on-ones with our CEO — my boss and mentor — were also incredibly helpful in building my confidence and skill set in leadership. And I prioritized making connections with other leaders in the space who could mentor me and let me bounce ideas off of them. This path was incredibly collaborative, grounded in listening to my peers and being transparent in my own ideas for how to jumpstart growth at Verblio so as to foster discussion and brainstorming. 

 

What advice do you have for others who may be struggling to define or own their leadership style?

I guess my advice would be not to spend too much time trying to define and narrow your leadership style. Instead, simply pay attention to what behaviors make you happy and successful when working with others, from your boss to your direct reports and even your peers. Therein will lie how you successfully lead. Also, know that being an impactful leader means you’ll need to be able to adopt different leadership styles depending on the situation. Great leaders are adaptable to context and know how to connect with all sorts of different people. Being flexible in terms of how you collaborate and lead will serve you well in work and in life!

Lisa Henshaw
Vice President, Human Resources • DAT Freight & Analytics

First, how would you describe your leadership style? 

I start from a position of trust — not just with my own team, but across the organization. The alternative is micromanagement, and that’s a guaranteed path to ineffectiveness and alienation. When people feel trusted, it boosts productivity, yes, but more importantly, it creates a culture of mutual respect. That’s what really drives systemic success across a company.

I also set a fast pace for myself, which means I have to empower my team to architect their own solutions. This is, of course, predicated on hiring people who are independent-minded and who have the aptitude to support that independence. Hiring people who can think for themselves is a high-value play because I can spend my leadership time advising my team on the work at hand, instead of advising them on how to do their jobs.

Rounding out my leadership style are equal parts mentorship and partnership. I develop each person’s abilities based on their own strengths and interests, and my team also knows that I’m available to them as a sounding board, to help them course-correct, or to collaborate when asked. Above all, I’ve got their backs, and I never miss an opportunity to celebrate individual and team wins.
 

The good news is that you don’t have to work too hard at defining your leadership style because it does not exist independent of you.”


What experiences or lessons helped shape your leadership style throughout your career?

I didn’t plan on a career in human resources. Early on, my introduction to this function suggested that these roles were administrative in nature and reactionary to the predetermined goals of the business and to regulations set forth by various government agencies.

I was encouraged to learn this actually wasn’t a foregone conclusion when I joined my current company, where I’ve been for more than 20 years.

I learned that I could raise my hand and offer (and deliver upon) compelling suggestions. I soon realized my team could actually help drive the business and make a difference in the engagement of our employees. Since experiencing this shift in thinking, I’ve made it a priority to help leaders across the business adopt this mindset.

There’s also nothing like being in over your head to inspire an empathic leadership style. I’ve been lucky enough to find myself in situations where I knew I was outnumbered and outmatched. Why is that lucky? Because it’s precisely those times when you realize the indispensable value of a supportive peer or mentor.

I’ve learned from the humanity that was shown to me and I wear it as a badge. It informs every decision I make, big and small.

 

What advice do you have for others who may be struggling to define or own their leadership style?

The good news is that you don’t have to work too hard at defining your leadership style because it does not exist independent of you and it does not have a mind of its own. Quite the opposite, it will always be inextricably tied to your values and will sit atop a foundation of the cumulative experiences you’ll have in your career. You do not need to forge it from the depths; it will find its way to you.

The other thing to remember is that your style will evolve as you do. You will be a different leader in five years than you are today, just as you are a different person today than you were five years ago, and so on.

Translation: Go easy on yourself. Stop being a perfectionist, realize you’re fallible and learn quickly from mistakes.

I also recommend using your evolving style to inform you of when you are or are not aligned with an employer. Imperfection is normal, but if you’re constantly being forced to go against what you know to be right or reasonable, remember that it’s not an indication that something is wrong with you (or even with your employer); it’s a sign there is a mismatch, and you’ll need to consider making a change if you don’t see a path to improving the situation.

 

Dayna Perry
Chief People Officer • Conga

First, how would you describe your leadership style? 

Pragmatic. I’m good at navigating the gray space and making decisions when a complete set of facts is unavailable. I far prefer guidelines and the application of high judgment versus rules and structure, but I always lean on data and anecdotal information to inform my point of view. 

I’m also open and transparent. I work with smart people who, when given a broader perspective or a set of information, will make better decisions. It’s important to practice trusting, and it’s important to feel trusted. (I also have a terrible poker face, so being sensibly transparent is authentic for me.) 

It’s important to have high expectations for myself and others. It’s important to me that, as a people team, we have a purpose, are easy to work with and produce high-quality contributions for material business impact. In my mind, speed and quality are not mutually exclusive and, to deliver scalable and sustainable impact, it’s necessary to understand the system’s bigger picture — how all the pieces fit.

I’m focused on building great teams. My entire life I’ve played sports, from which there are many parallels that translate to how I lead in business. It’s just not possible to succeed as a leader without the support of a great team.

 

My suggestion is to seek experiences that push you out of your comfort zone and force you to reflect.”


What experiences or lessons helped shape your leadership style throughout your career?

I honestly believe that when you hear, “This is way outside your comfort zone,” it’s an opportunity that will amplify your development. There are also times when you won’t get it right, but you’ll never get it all right. 

I experienced one of those times and, though uncomfortable, in retrospect it was a wonderful learning. In short, I was tasked with a project that could have benefited from the support and input of my peers in HR. It was an opportunity to be a partner to them (not just the business) and leverage their collective influence, rather than feel I had to power through it on my own. 

When I think back on it, I realize that while the “what” was incredibly challenging, had I focused more on the “how,” I could have been much more effective for it. I’ve learned that while it’s hard to ask for help, doing so can build trust.

We often learn from things that don’t go well and, as a result, force reflection. And I’ve found that most people are pretty hard on themselves. My suggestion is to seek experiences that push you out of your comfort zone and force you to reflect.

 

What advice do you have for others who may be struggling to define or own their leadership style?

Be authentic. You can’t be a leader who is incongruent with the person you actually are. 

Embrace the idea of “always better, never perfect.” Leadership is something that, as agile learners, we continuously work on. You can’t be everything to everyone. Use each experience to help refine what works for you.

Find and hire talented people. Look for those who want to build something bigger than themselves, thrive on being part of a team, face challenges with positive resilience and are invested in each other’s success. 

Trust. While it’s important for leaders to know and understand functional and technical details, trusting your team to own their spaces is essential.  Don’t fight the struggle as you take on new leadership challenges. Take a deep breath, embrace the discomfort, cut yourself a little slack (but not too much) and work on refining your style over time.  

It’s important to remember that your leadership style is not a stagnant thing — it continuously evolves with experience and reflection. We grow as we learn. Earlier in my career, I held a much “tighter grip on the wheel” than I tend to now; while my expectations haven’t changed, my approach has.

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