A Leadership Conversation With Danielle Hunsicker and Brenda Knowles- Power Hour Recap

By: Maddie Rollins, WFCA communications coordinator and Julie Borgognoni, Mannington Commercial marketing coordinator

I had the pleasure of attending an enlightening WIFI Power Hour session, "A Leadership Conversation with Danielle Hunsicker and Brenda Knowles." The discussion was led by Danielle Hunsicker, COO of Diverzify, and Brenda Knowles, VP of customer experience at Shaw Industries, who is also a WIFI Board member. The speakers delved into the essential skills needed to thrive in your career, from being an individual contributor to an executive role. Both Danielle and Brenda shared their insights on managing teams, building relationships, leading leaders, and selling the vision. Their practical advice and personal anecdotes provided a valuable roadmap for women in the floor covering industry to advance our careers! Here are a few key takeaways I had from the session:

Early Career: Curiosity, Appreciation, Delivering Results, and Building Relationships

In the early stages of a career, the focus is often on mastering skills and delivering results. This phase is marked by curiosity, a drive to learn, and building relationships. Danielle Hunsicker’s advice is to look around to who’s on your left, and who's on your right, and bring them into your space and start building out your network to set the foundation for future leadership roles.

Brenda shared her insights on how important building trust is for delivering results in this phase: “Trust is earned. You cannot deliver results on your own as an individual contributor. It is about building those relationships internally in your enterprise, and through organizations like WIFI that can help contribute to your success, the organization's success, and the success of all that are around you as well."

Along the Way: Authenticity, Leading Teams, Customer Centric, and Business Planning

As you progress in your career and start to move from individual contributor roles to leadership roles, authenticity becomes an important theme. Being true to yourself and your values fosters trust and respect from your team and peers. Leading teams requires a shift in focus from individual performance to team performance. Effective communication, empathy, and support are critical in this phase, as is a deep understanding of your team's strengths and areas for improvement. A customer-centric approach ensures that your team's efforts align with the needs and expectations of your clients.

Danielle shared an interesting anecdote on how she made sure she understood her team and customers in her early days of leadership: "I was always trying to understand what another department did or what another person did. I remember when I was with ARDEX I would go out on jobs and I’d mix the cement, and I loved that because I was learning about the products, learning about the customer, and learning about the environment that they were used in. All of that really fueled my understanding of the business.” 

Executive Leadership: Prioritization, Advocacy, Leading Leaders, Strategic Planning, and Selling the Vision

As an executive, Danielle shared, there are an unlimited number of things you can put your energy towards at any given time. She believes knowing what to prioritize is the key to success in an executive position. Advocacy, both for your team and for strategic initiatives, is essential in driving progress. Brenda shared her love for mentoring and that she believes it is important to not only be a mentor, but an advocate for individuals on your team. Leading leaders involves empowering them to drive change, and selling the vision to your team is crucial for driving that change. An interesting concept Brenda shared about selling the vision was “a hard no versus a soft no.” Sometimes when you hear a “no,” that just means you have not sold the vision enough.

Resilience

Next, the speakers focused on describing resilience and adaptability as vital traits for leaders, especially in the face of change and adversity. Whether it’s a global crisis like COVID-19 or internal challenges, resilient leaders continue moving forward and adapt their strategies accordingly. The ability to remain steadfast and optimistic in difficult times can inspire and motivate your team, reinforcing a culture of perseverance and continuous improvement.

Tradeoffs

Next Brenda and Danielle shared about understanding trade-offs as a critical aspect of leadership. Work-life balance often involves making intentional decisions about where to allocate your time and energy. Prioritizing what's most important at any given time, whether it's work, family, or personal commitments, requires clarity and decisiveness. Learning to say no without feeling guilty is a valuable skill that helps maintain focus and prevent burnout.

Know What You Stand For

The two wrapped up the session by discussing values. Leadership is a journey of continuous growth and learning. Knowing what you stand for and ensuring that your actions reflect those values builds your personal brand and influences how others perceive you. By embracing the principles of effective communication, empathy, strategic thinking, and continuous learning, you can navigate the challenges of leadership and drive meaningful change in your organization.

I am so grateful to Danielle and Brenda for sharing their insights and expertise on this Power Hour! As a woman in the early stages of my career in the flooring industry, the advice shared on delivering results and building relationships opened my eyes to areas I can improve in. This Power Hour not only broadened my understanding of what each career phase entails and how to excel in each position, but it also instilled a sense of confidence within me. I am eager to apply these lessons and advance towards my career aspirations!

Register for future Power Hours here!

Watch the recording here!