Strands of Genius: Elizabeth Herbst-Brady + Future of Work
featuring: an interview with our guest editor and a research report
Welcome to the Bonus edition of Strands of Genius! On Fridays, we’ll be publishing interviews from our guest editors, and sharing a research report. Thanks for being along for the ride. Oh and by the way, you look great today :)
:: STEAL THIS THINKING | RESEARCH REPORT ::
In the past three years, there have been not one but two generational shifts in how work gets done, both of which were only possible because of decades of research and development. The first shift occurred when COVID made us realize how powerful remote and hybrid work technologies had become, as well as how much science was available to guide us in how to (and how not to) use these technologies. The second arrived this year, as it became clear that, at long last, generative AI had advanced to the point where it could be valuable to huge swaths of the work people do every day.
:: DIVE IN | THE INTERVIEW ::
ELIZABETH HERBST-BRADY, CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER, YAHOO
>> Elizabeth Herbst-Brady guest curated Strands on February 29th, 2024. Read it here.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and what keeps you busy. How did you end up doing what you’re doing today?
I grew up in a family where hard work and never giving up was core to who you were. I had the honor to be influenced by both my parents and their work ethic, each in their own ways. Seeing them work made a huge impact on my own drive to get where I am today.
I started my career at CBS, which provided me a step into the TV Marketplace. From there, I was at FOX, Barry Diller, Starcom and MAGNA and Viacom - each of which provided me insight into different businesses and consumer touchpoints. Before coming over to Yahoo, I was at Snap, where I was at the forefront of the consumer journey. I have been at Yahoo since 2019, where I’ve had the chance to bring it all together - marketing, media and tech and during a time where I’ve taken on a role of transformational leadership which has been a really exciting chapter for me.
I have twins in their twenties and two furry cats. I love to run and find myself in the kitchen baking whenever I can find the time.
What excites you most about what you do?
The opportunity to learn from others. A role like this allows you the opportunity to constantly be learning, adapting and growing.
What beliefs define your approach to work? How would you define your leadership style?
I aspire to servant leadership. Having the ability to enable and support your teams in a way that drives towards the greater good of the full organization is my aim. At the heart of this is the notion of listening to understand.
To accomplish that, I try to adhere to the mantra of “Curious, Accountable and Grateful”. Being curious allows you to listen to learn and understand and let go of the need to be right. Accountability helps you learn from mistakes. And being grateful - keeping yourself centered - we all need that!
What has been the most rewarding project you’ve worked on and why?
Alongside my revenue job at Yahoo, having the opportunity to take a leadership role as the Executive Sponsor of Yahoo’s Women Inclusion Network. The business case for women is clear: helping more women join and succeed in the workforce is critical for our shared future. I find myself looking for what I can do, practically, from where I sit.
At the top of my list is finding ways to ‘lift as we climb’, which is an idea framed by Mary Church Terrell. We climb confidently, while lifting up others as we go.I have used my platform to elevate this conversation with my peers and continue to do so through an on-going panel series with women across the industry. A few themes come up consistently:
Don’t be afraid to speak up: talk about your career trajectory and compensation goals with your manager. Consult your mentors for advice and your peers for information.
Be yourself: show yourself and let people really know you – authenticity is an incredibly powerful thing.
The power of resilience: try as we may, we cannot control everything. Setbacks happen. But it’s coming back and honing our ability to focus on what lies ahead that are key success factors.
I remain optimistic about where we are headed and focused on the places where I can make a direct impact. My call to people of all genders is the same as my own mantra: be curious, be accountable and be grateful. We can become more aware, we can be honest when we fall down and we can receive these lessons, with some gratitude, grit and grace. It is how we can learn and become better versions of ourselves, individually and together.
We are big believers in diversity -- Not only because we believe in equality, but because we also think it’s better for business. How do you frame these kinds of conversations, both internally and with clients? Is there an emphasis on action, or are the conversations really more about communication?
Diversity, equity and inclusion isn’t a ‘nice to have’ - it is a business imperative. To me, the question is how we make meaningful progress.
It is really important to think of DE&I as an embedded part of the culture. At Yahoo, we have a number of different employee resource groups that work both independently for specific groups as well as across the organization to cross-pollinate and encourage the conversations we all need to be having. My work on the board of the Gilder Lehrman Institute has also enriched my perspective on how we can use history to understand the present and create the future.
Switching gears a bit, how do you find time to balance personal interests with your career? Do you believe work/life balance is possible? Anything you’ve implemented that you recommend that others try?
I’m hesitant to say that work/life balance exists. I think “balance” is the wrong construct and leaves people feeling like they’re doing it wrong.
The way I see it, you have to be clear about your priorities. And then you have to be realistic about what’s necessary to achieve those priorities. The “balancing” comes in weighing the priority against what it will take to make it happen. If you are supporting the things that are ultimately the most important – with your time, energy, focus and heart – then ultimately you’ll be fulfilled.
An important question then becomes how you put yourself in the best position to accomplish what you have set out for. That’s where the art comes in, because it’s a combination of how you center yourself and create connectivity with the people and activities that nourish you. It’s also where experience helps – by now, I know that I have to run. It keeps me right. Time with my family, connectivity with my team, a chance to bake, to read…these things all help me keep my feet on the ground. And your priorities speak for themselves - if you’re living your values, it’s clear what you’ve prioritized when you look at your life.
What’s your media diet? Where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration all over. I am a voracious reader and am open to anything from historical fiction to modern non-fiction to biographies. And of course a good guilty beach read! Most recently, I’ve been reading about points in time in history that I have very little insight into - just finished ‘Say Nothing’ by Patrick Radden Keefe which was all about troubles in Northern Ireland.
What’s the best piece of advice/knowledge you’ve stolen, and who/where’d you steal it from?
“Do not bow your head to anyone, own your role and speak up.” And the corollary: it’s my job to 1) remind myself of it, 2) remind those around me of it and 3) find ways to help others with it when they are struggling on their own. As we say in today’s language: be an ally!
It’s advice that a mentor, Bob Cesa, gave me when I was unusually quiet at an industry summit in my role as the new Head of Ad Sales for Universal Television. I was the only head of sales who was a woman and, honestly, was feeling a bit overwhelmed. He had spent the past three years working with me, and knew what I could do. During the meeting, he proactively asked me to join the conversation. Afterwards, he pulled me aside and delivered that line, which has stuck with me ever since.
Almost a decade later, I was looking to return to New York from Chicago, and he welcomed me back to Twentieth. Just as quickly, he encouraged me to take on the President’s role at Magna. In his final years in the business, and up until the point we could still connect, he was a tireless supporter and champion, believing in me even when I did not believe in myself. I am lucky to have worked with him, but even luckier to count him as my friend, and I am grateful for the mark he made on me as a person and a leader.
You can keep in touch with Elizabeth on LinkedIn.
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