FWM: You are empowering women globally. How is your company, Phoenix Global LLC., setting the stage for diversity, unity and gender balance?
I have been fortunate to have lived in both Europe and the Middle East, exposed to many different countries, ethnicities, cultures and business ethos’. As a businesswoman, I’ve been shaped by each of these experiences, drawing on the work ethic and business traditions in each of these cultures. I’ve learned that absolutely no business strategy is universal, and those who fall into the cattle chute of doing “business as it’s always been done”, are truly the ones missing valuable opportunities as a result of this short-sighted strategy. Businesses tend to set their expectations for profitability and efficiency by comparing themselves against other businesses within their familiar and ‘known’ eco-system. But when we step back, allow ourselves as business leaders to be open to a more global perspective – learning about, respecting and embracing business strategies implemented by other cultures and locales, we can customize our own individual cocktail of success, not being limited by that “business as it has always been done” strategy.
I often find that women are the ones most open to considering alternative points-of-view and embracing unconventional strategies. While I realize that this statement is somewhat of a generalization and doesn’t always apply universally, men tend to be more linear when it comes to business structure and operations, following a more prescribed plan – enhancing and innovating, but doing so based on the order of our standard business practices. Women, on the other hand, tend to be more open to new concepts, approaching business in often unconventional ways. The end goal is generally the same – profitability, growth and sustainability, but the pathway to this end is often very different. For many years – decades really, as women, we attempted to carve a niche for ourselves on the climb up the corporate ladder by ‘doing it the way men did it’. We wore black or grey suits, we were tough, hid emotion, and emulated our male counterparts. But now, in this Century of Women, we are embracing our differences, recognizing that men and women fundamentally think differently. We approach problems and formulate solutions differently. We are proud that we are softer, more empathetic and emotional, as that allows us to inject new perspectives and thought processes into corporate problem-solving. And women are more open to considering new approaches, integrating diversity, innovative concepts, and disruptive thought processes.
Each woman has her own unique qualities based on her talents, interests, and education, so there is not a specific recipe that will empower all women. What inspires and drives me, will not be the same catalysts which will inspire you. By respecting one another, honoring our diverse perspectives, and embracing and supporting one another, we will create global empowerment of ALL women.
A woman should never be ashamed to be “a girl”. Being feminine does not make a woman less strong or influential. Just because a woman is feminine, wearing high-heels and lipstick, does not mean that she is not equipped to be a strong leader, innovator or respected contributor. We are emotional, we are nurturing, we are soft and compassionate at times, but make no mistake, we can be equally fierce and tough when needed. Many of the greatest female leaders in the world through history have been authoritative, dynamic and forceful while remaining ladylike. As women, it’s okay to have a bad day. It’s okay to be emotional at times. Cry it out, put your lipstick back on, and try again.
It is not about competition between men and women, rather, I simply hope to spotlight the unique qualities of women, encouraging them to embrace these attributes and be proud of our feminine attributes. When men and women learn to understand and appreciate the value that we each contribute to a well-rounded business mission, we will be able to set aside the concepts of gender equality and glass ceilings.
“Women possess strength, tenacity, courage, and leadership. We are shameless multi-taskers, juggling professional responsibilities with family. At times, women are fierce and fearless, and other times they can be compassionate nurturers. Because we always feel the need to “prove” ourselves professionally, sometimes women have a tendency to sabotage one another rather than support one another, so it is important that we join together, encourage unity of women, building cross-sector support networks, mentoring one another, supporting one another, forming life-long friendships which will allow us to continue to grow as business leaders and individuals.”- Larisa B. Miller
FWM: You have been recognized by several magazines and organizations as one of the most influential women in the world for business, your impact on Africa, and women’s empowerment, receiving significant appointments, honors, and awards. Tell us your “backstory.”
I grew up in beautiful Central Pennsylvania in the heart of Amish country but had an insatiable curiosity to see the world from the time I was young. I was an avid reader as a child, discovering people, places, culture and history on the pages of books or in National Geographic, and as an adult, I endeavor to see as much of the off-the-beaten-path destinations in the world as I can.
I started my career in the early 1990s with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture as the assistant to the executive director of the Animal Health and Diagnostic Commission, and later as the assistant to the Deputy Secretary and Secretary of Agriculture. Growing up on a farm, the daughter of an influential agricultural lobbyist, agriculture has always been an important part of my life, and to this day, agriculture remains a key interest and focus for investments that Phoenix Global facilitates globally.
Following my time at the Department of Agriculture, I went on to work for Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge, in his office of public policy. It was in this position that I learned how the many sectors of business intertwine to ensure the smooth operation of a complex society. Each cog – even from unrelated sectors – merges, enabling all wheels to be in sync operating in cohesive and orderly functionality, providing unity between the public and private sectors. It was during my time with the Ridge administration that I truly became interested in ‘the businesses of societal operations’ – finding ways to match meaningful investment projects with strategic investors, creating value for the investors and sector which they impact.
More recently, I worked for a member of the Royal Family in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, responsible for business development, as well as serving as head of their non-profit foundation, focusing on building opportunities for women and youth in refugee camps and rural areas of Africa through education and literacy. Working in the UAE for a government and a Royal Family where youth, tolerance, happiness and the importance of gender balance are prioritized, it is easy to see why the UAE – a country eight times smaller than the state of Texas, is one of the global leaders amongst nations, and I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to live and work there.
Having lived in Europe and the Middle East and working extensively in Africa, I have experienced business in many different markets. Business is business at the end of the day, but how business is executed differs based on culture, geographical local, and national priority, based on the unique production, import and export needs of these countries. Global business is infused with different priorities, methodologies, and strategies. I’ve had the opportunity to see what works – and what doesn’t work, in our global business strategies. There are things we do well here in the United States, such as how we create opportunities for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and our inclusion of women in the business roadmap which should serve as an example to other countries, but, there are strategies that other countries have as part of their business culture which could benefit us here, such as their readiness to embrace global partnership, and see opportunity in collaboration with entities outside of their borders. We, as American businesspeople, can recognize that if we are isolationist, believing that we always do things better, are stronger, or that business must be kept within our shores in order to be successful, we are limiting our potential. In this hyperconnected world, business must fundamentally change. As business leaders, we must recognize and appreciate that we have instant access to the globe. Instead of having a customer base of 328 million (the population of the USA), we have a potential customer base of billions, if we are brave enough and open enough to embrace a globally collaborative mindset.
FWM: If we want to see more women in Senior Positions, what is most needed?
Women possess strength, tenacity, courage, and leadership. We are shameless multi-taskers, juggling professional responsibilities with family. At times, women are fierce and fearless, and other times they can be compassionate nurturers. Because we always feel the need to “prove” ourselves professionally, sometimes women have a tendency to sabotage one another rather than support one another, so it is important that we join together, encourage unity of women, building cross-sector support networks, mentoring one another, supporting one another, forming life-long friendships which will allow us to continue to grow as business leaders and individuals. If we recognize the importance of our own uniqueness and originality, we will stop comparing ourselves with other women, as too often we measure our abilities and worth of the abilities and worth of others. Let’s focus on building our own talents, strengths, and perspectives. A woman who confidently respects herself embraces her own talents, cares for herself as much as she cares for others and isn’t afraid to have a different view or opinion from others – even if that view is unpopular, will be unstoppable. As for how to help women feel greater ‘self-worth’, that is an internal battle waged individually. Helping women to improve their feelings of self-worth comes from giving them confidence by making them feel valued, respected and important – both in the workplace and at home. Having groups, clubs and working environments which allow women to interact with one another in a positive and encouraging manner will go a long way toward establishing, promoting and furthering a culture of confident, empowered women.
Women have every opportunity today to reach senior positions. When we struggle to climb the ladder to the top, it’s not so much about equality and proverbial glass ceilings as much as it is about building our own confidence, not teaching our minds to be our friends, and not our worst enemies, as too often we get in our own heads and negative thoughts are like mental poison causing self-doubt, discouraging us from achieving our full potential. Coming together as global sisters to support one another, we can help each other reach senior levels of success. Sometimes we dwell too much on ‘equality’. For me, equality in the workplace means ‘equally respected’. Men and women will never be “equal”, as we are so different from one another, however, if we embrace these differences, respectfully working together, uniting our diverse perspectives and thought processes, we will effectively end the need to discuss disparities in gender and equality.
From my own experience, my advice to women aspiring to reach senior levels – whatever the term ‘senior level’ means to them specifically, is to focus on your own personal development, constantly building your knowledge-base, refining your personal traits such as patience, empathy, and perspective, and helping to encourage businesses – either as leaders or employees – to appreciate and respect that men and women can ‘work together’ rather than feeling the need to compete with one another. If we focus on creating a more cohesive society, we will realize greater business success, and finally be able to do away with the proverbial and cliched concepts of “glass ceiling” and “gender balance”.
FWM: It’s not business as usual, due to the coronavirus. What is your vision for the future?
As we enter a new world – Infrastructure 2.0 as Mark Cuban recently referred to this new global emergence, we must accept that the way we knew the world…the way we knew business, will not be the same moving forward. However, we are the authors of this next chapter, and how the story goes…how the chapter will end, is up to us. There will be those who will be so overcome with the magnitude and struggle to maintain their business during this difficult time that they will not set aside time to consider the future. There will be some who will retreat to lick their wounds during this time of global slow-down, and they will prefer to wait until the lockdown is over to concept a way-forward. But the businesses which will emerge to draft the blueprint for the future, and cut the new path that others will follow, will be those who take the time now to envisage innovative new strategies, disruptive concepts, and who recognize the current gaps in business and society. They are taking this time to regroup, re-strategize, and transform their business models to align with our new reality. As Charles Darwin said, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent; it is the one most adaptable to change”.
The ability to help craft this change and design the transition of business is what I enjoy most about my career as a consultant. It is strategy, vision and creativity welded together that allows us to construct – and disrupt – the future of business. But it takes courage to change a business model that has worked in the past, it takes courage to stand up to critics, stakeholders and customers who are reluctant to pivot and walk down a new path with you as a business leader, and it takes courage to accept that there will be successes, failures, hurdles to overcome and critics to silence, as you architect this new way-forward.
As a change-leader, be brave enough to adjust the pathway of your journey, be resolute and steadfast on this new course, and always seek to empower, encourage and uplift others – be it stakeholders, clients, customers, and even competitors. Unity amongst competitors does not diminish our strength, individuality or profitability, rather, it allows us to build our collective knowledge, grow our networks and customer bases, and enhances our value creation. Together, we are stronger.
FWM: Why is solidarity more important than ever?
Now, more than any other time in history, it is essential that we come together in global unity. We are fighting the COVID-19 virus, which is an invisible enemy that knows no race, ethnicity, gender, religion or socio-economic standing. The only way we can defeat this enemy and recover our global society – both economically and socially, is to work together. This virus has been a great equalizer. It has shown a spotlight on the fact that we have become a very fragmented world – an ‘us against them’ world. What we fail to realize is that, as business leaders, our long-term strategy must be built on international cooperation. Even if a business is wholly domestic, there is undoubtedly some component that depends on an overseas market or producer. If you analyze your supply chain, rarely will your full supply chain be entirely domestic. We have this wonderful gift called the Internet, allowing us to instantly connect with others anywhere in the world. Not only can we use this to accelerate our businesses and expand our markets, but we can share knowledge with one another, expose ourselves to new techniques and strategies, and build our networks, allowing us to truly become global businesses and global citizens.
FWM: What is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?
There is not one specific challenge that leaders face, rather, a leader must be adept at shifting gears, and prepared to address a myriad of challenges caused by catalysts such as supply chain disruption, economic downturns, operational interruptions, and other causes that are difficult to anticipate, such as this COVID-19 virus and subsequent shut-down. Rather than look at the challenges facing leaders, I’d prefer to look at the attributes that define an effective leader in times of adversity or difficulty. Many of these attributes coming from years of experience, others simply come from being a human being – empathy, patience, compassion. In my opinion, one of the most important qualities of a leader is the ability to make a decision. Too many people get bogged down in what I call “the conflict of response” – asking others for the opinions, waffling back and forth. Multiple opinions only tend to muddy the water of thought, so a strong leader should weigh the situation or problem alone or with one close confidant, consider options, then make – and believe in, the decision. Once you make a decision, follow it through to the end, regardless of the outcome. Sometimes the end is bitter, and sometimes sweet, but each conclusion you reach will leave you stronger than you were at inception.
As a leader, be resolute and do not quit. One of my favorite sayings is, “You haven’t come this far to only come this far”. Life is unpredictable and ever-changing. Be brave enough to change with it, and do not be afraid to embrace this change, as I mentioned earlier. Be strong in your convictions, even if those convictions are contrary to popular opinion. Do not be afraid to swim against the current. Sometimes a leader is very popular and well-liked, and sometimes they are the loneliest people – especially when you have to stand resolute behind unpopular decisions.
FWM: You have served as head of the Royal Family’s large non-profit foundation, which focused on women, youth, literacy, and education. Share your experience. Oh…I have so many stories. Spending time in refugee camps and with communities in rural Africa absolutely and fundamentally changed the way I see the world. All too often, we make gross generalizations about people based on what we see on the news or the politically-driven opinions of our leaders, but if we take the time to actually learn about other people, setting aside our biases and preconceived ideas, we can learn many valuable lessons. People are people despite race, ethnicity, gender or religion. There are good and bad people…good and bad behaviors in all nations and cultures. If we are respectful of others, open to hearing their stories, we will be more empathetic, growing as individuals, allowing us to raise and mentor the next generation to be tolerant, inclusive and open-minded.
In Iraq, I met a young girl named Nala, who lives with her family in a refugee camp near Mosul. She was so happy when I showed her a little attention, affection, and kindness, and she was pleased just to walk with me and hold my hand. It was quite cold, and she had no coat and mismatched shoes. We spent quite a bit of the day together, with sheer companionship and touch as our vehicle for communication, as we did not speak a common language. Towards the end of the day, she was asked by a friend of mine in Arabic what she wanted. She clearly has needs…she doesn’t have toys to play with, she could use shoes, correctly-size clothes, and a coat. And yet, she responded to Maktoum that she didn’t want anything, she had everything she needed. This moment with Nala humbled us both and was a significant moment in our friendship, as we were both were impacted by her words. Young Nala and her bold declaration has been one of my biggest life lessons. We have everything we need, and yet we constantly want more, more, more – often failing to appreciate what we already have. Every day, when I think of her, I am reminded to be thankful, grateful and appreciative for all that I have.
In Amman, Jordan, I visited an urban refugee centre, where two young Iraqi boys treated us to song. They had wonderful voices, and they sang their national anthem – the national anthem of Iraq, for us. They were so proud to sing, but by the end of the song, both boys were overcome with emotion and had tears rolling down their cheeks, struggling to keep singing. When we spoke afterwards, they expressed how they don’t feel as though they belong in this new country. They missed their homeland and it was their dream to someday return home to Iraq. The misconception of refugees is that they WANT to move to other countries and have no desire to return to their homeland. This is fundamentally false. The things that refugees have seen, the experiences they’ve lived through, and the atrocities they’ve endured are beyond anything that we can imagine. They are mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, teachers, artists, scientists, doctors…they are human beings, and rather than ostracize them, or treat them like blights on the world, we should be coming together to collectively find a solution.
FWM: You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good, what would that be?
If I could inspire a movement it would be to build a global unity of youth. The youth are the future. They will be the ones charged with healing the damage that previous generations have inflicted on this planet. One of our most important mandates moving forward is to raise our youth – the future leaders, innovators, problem solvers, and peacemakers, to be kind, tolerant, empathetic, and to respect that value and perspective that can be found in people who are different from themselves. It is only by setting aside our differences, seeing beyond our cultures and religions that we will be able to unify for a global solution. Instead of being the problem, we must come together to find the solution.
FWM: As a leader in business development, entrepreneurism, and sustainable development, what advice do you have for small businesses today?
I encourage small businesses to build a platform of sustainability right from the start. It is proven that businesses that prioritize sustainability significantly outperform competitors. Eventually, all businesses will be required to adopt strategies of sustainability, demonstrating responsibility and creating value for stakeholders and customers. If small businesses use the UN Sustainable Development Goals as the framework, choosing one or two of the goals for which they can have the most impact, they will impart a measurable contribution to the future of our planet, society, and our profitability. We are all stakeholders of this planet, and in this UN-declared Decade of Action, it is our collective responsibility to not only espouse change but to BE the changemakers.
Photo Credit: Corporate Headshots Miami
