Amy Fauth Of OneStep Coaching & Consulting On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Childcare programs/support.
Stipends for childcare would go a long way to helping the family dynamic for single moms and dual-income households. Take the stress of money away or at least alleviate it a bit and again, the company yields a bigger return with a more dedicated, focused, and less stressed employee.
Despite strides towards equality, women remain underrepresented in leadership and management roles across various sectors. In this series, we would like to discuss the barriers to female advancement in these areas and explore actionable strategies for change. We are talking with accomplished women leaders, executives, and pioneers who have navigated these challenges successfully, to hear their experiences, tactics, and advice to inspire and guide the next generation of women toward achieving their full potential in leadership and management roles. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Amy Fauth.
Amy Fauth is a certified leadership development coach and facilitator and owner of OneStep Coaching & Consulting, LLC. With over a decade in corporate Human Resources and Talent Development she saw the inner turmoil of teams and leaders firsthand — especially women leaders. Amy brings her expertise and experiences to help women leaders grow their confidence and lead holistically so they can have a career and life they are proud of. Amy’s favorite things to say are; “we weren’t made to simply go to work, pay bills, then die — we were made for more!”, and “in order to lead others, you have to lead yourself first”. Amy believes wholeheartedly that great leaders are made, not born which is why she is passionate about coaching and developing — to flip the script on what it means to be a leader in Corporate America.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I’ve had many jobs in my life. My college and career path were unconventional; I didn’t really figure out what I wanted to do until I was 31 which is also when I finally finished my degree — while being pregnant and having a newborn. Finally landing a job in Human Resources for a large healthcare organization, I began to narrow in on which parts of HR I liked the most. It’s here that I realized I love to teach — my focus then switched to Talent Development.
A few jobs and companies later, I was connected to a leader who was a certified coach. We had many conversations about what he loved about coaching and it peaked my interest. I remember the day I decided to get my coaching certification. I had just came back to my desk from a team meeting with the whole HR department, so many different functions, and realized how unhealthy the team was and how toxic the behaviors were. Why were we competing with each other when we were on the same team? I realize now that this is very common and it’s my mission to change this approach through coaching and helping one leader at a time.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
The Pandemic. Being an HR leader during the pandemic was the most challenging (although maybe not interesting) time of my career. Everyone knows how polarizing, stressful, and emotional the pandemic was and as a leader in a position where new rules had to be launched that not everyone agreed with, this was the toughest point in my career.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your path to leadership?
A pivotal moment in my career that significantly influenced my path to leadership was being told that I didn’t have what it takes to be a leader, believing it, then getting a leadership position because my direct leader (the hiring manager) saw potential in me during the interview process that I didn’t see in myself.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
There are two people actually. The boss who introduced me to coaching and encouraged me to apply to the coaching school I attended.
The second is a leader as well. He has an uncanny ability to ask the right questions, push you out of your comfort zone with high support, and challenge you to be your best. I remember being fairly new to the organization and still learning his leadership style. He gave the leadership team a task related to our five year vision, I turned mine in and he gave it back to me and said, “I don’t think this is the highest and best work you can do”. I remember being mortified. I tried again and it turned into a deeply engaging and thought-provoking conversation where I left feeling like I could fail and not be fired. High challenge, high support.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I call the book, Multipliers by Liz Wiseman, my leadership bible. It’s about as thick as a bible ☺ and is full of real-life applicable and do-able leadership best practices. I refer back to it quite often. Another favorite leadership book is an oldie but a goodie, The Leader in You by Dale Carnegie — again, just so many great leadership lessons and stories.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
In the book, Dare to Lead by Brene Brown, she references a speech by Theodore Roosevelt called, “The Man in the Arena”. I use it as my MO and inspiration to keep going when things feel tough and fruitless, I have it on a plaque in my office. We all need to be “The Man in the Arena”.
Here’s the quote: “It is not the critic that counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
My philosophy and reason for starting my coaching practice is so that I can help companies be less toxic. This will be accomplished by focusing on leaders as whole people, 1:1 coaching, and making a difference one person at a time. My hope then is they go back to their work with renewed energy, passion, and compassion.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become leaders and managers?
For so long we’ve viewed the way women lead as something negative. We’ve said things like, “they’re emotional” or “they aren’t dedicated to their work because they also have a family”. I look at these things and wonder how they can be used as strengths.
More women should become leaders and managers because of their ability to tap into their emotions to see a more holistic viewpoint. Instead of operating in the black and white, women have the natural skill to understand what’s really going on beyond the bottom line or just the numbers. Emotions — when used in a healthy way can give us a bigger picture and increase our problem solving skills.
Women should become leaders and managers because we’ve been doing this leadership thing the same way for too long — by way of the “good ‘ol boys club”, partnerships that are made on the golf course aren’t typically inclusive. There is a missed opportunity to tap into a broader range of skills and talents when we go beyond our circle of friends. Women leaders have the capacity to look around and be more inclusive and fair leaders and bring others with them.
Finally, women should become leaders and managers because it sets the tone for future generations — male and female alike. Young women see strong women that have figured out how to have a career they love and a personal life, not either/or. Boys grow up to see their mothers have careers and begin to learn how to support and respect female leaders as they go along their career.
Women in leadership know how to get through tough times, are more apt to continue developing themselves, and lead with empathy.
Can you please share “5 Things We Need To Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management?”
1 . Paid paternity leave nationwide.
When mothers don’t have to worry about getting back to work because they need the money, you end up with an employee returning to work who is: more calm, more rested, less anxious, re-engaged in their work, and more likely to stay with the organization. One less thing to worry about means more time and energy to focus on the big items at work.
2 . Close the pay gap.
It’s 2024. Why are we still paying women cents on the dollar to men for doing the same work and having the same experience? Identical resumes, job history, education, and certifications should result in identical pay.
3 . Actively work to eliminate discrimination against working mothers.
While it’s obviously illegal to ask any parenting or pregnancy questions in an interview, the fact remains that working moms still have a hard time at work. Being seen as not dedicated to the job, being passed over for promotions because their family obligations might get in the way, not being hired at all because they mentioned family in their interview.
4 . Childcare programs/support.
Stipends for childcare would go a long way to helping the family dynamic for single moms and dual-income households. Take the stress of money away or at least alleviate it a bit and again, the company yields a bigger return with a more dedicated, focused, and less stressed employee.
5 . More flexibility.
The pandemic taught us that work can be done at the same or greater capacity from home as it can in the office. Engagement went up which only benefits organizations. Flexibility can be a variety of things: flexible working hours for appointments and sporting events, working from home, hybrid home and office work, part-time options, summer hours. There’s power in being together in person for particular meetings or events but it’s not all or nothing.
In your opinion, what systemic changes are needed to facilitate more equitable access for women to leadership roles?
Not punishing women for wanting a family AND a career. Instituting a nationwide paid paternal leave program. Eliminating the mentality that “good” workers or “hard” workers are the ones who work 50, 60, 70 hours a week and that they are the only ones that should be considered for promotion. Getting rid of the good ‘ol boys club.
What strategies have you found most effective in mentoring and supporting other women to pursue leadership positions?
One strategy I like to focus on with clients who are struggling with career and home demands is to look at the person’s unique values through a values assessment. When we know our personal values, we can find work and companies that support those values; aligning us to work we’re passionate about and enjoy doing. A second strategy that is very important is being sure to work on increasing confidence by continuing to put ourselves out there, knowing when our inner critic is showing up and how to quiet it.
How would you advise a woman leader about how to navigate the challenges of being a woman in a leadership role within a male-dominated industry?
Bring your unique perspectives to the table, have a solid understanding of who you are and what you have to offer. A closed mouth doesn’t get fed and if you never ask the question, the answer is always ‘no’. Find a mentor, coach, or friend to talk with during stressful times so that you can continue to show up confidently.
How do you balance the demand for authoritative leadership with the stereotypical expectations of female behavior in professional settings?
Authority doesn’t have to equal dictatorship. Just like being a female doesn’t equal being a pushover. The key here is to set really solid boundaries. Setting boundaries teaches people how to interact with you, sets expectations for how work will get done, and shows strong leadership without having to be an authoritarian.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
Being a parent with no family near where I live, it would be really great to get to a place where we had more of a “tribe” mentality to parenting and family. The world is divided, trust of each other is low and not having a solid support system for this parenting life has increased stress, addiction, and loneliness for families.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Readers can find me on LinkedIn; my personal page is Amy Fauth and my business page is OneStep Coaching & Consulting. They can also read more about the work I do through my business at www.onestepcoaching.net. I’m also on Instagram: @onestepcoaching.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
Amy Fauth Of OneStep Coaching & Consulting On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.