Creating a Culture of Courage: Marva Bailer On How Authenticity Benefits People and Profits in the Workplace
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Transparency — To foster authenticity, it’s important for leadership to join the “general population” whenever possible unless there is a legitimate reason not to. Break the routine of the “VIP” tables or “C Suite” floor. Think about not always sharing the perfect result, but sharing the challenges and “behind the scenes,” steps and learnings in a “raw” form. Involve the team in important decisions by providing data, early insights, and opportunities for iteration. This open communication helps create a safe environment where employees feel valued and included.
In today’s social media filled, fast-paced world, authenticity in the workplace and in our personal lives has become more difficult to come by. Business leaders must focus on the bottom line of profits and corporate success, but does that have to be at the expense of the authenticity of their employees? I believe it is quite the opposite. I know from my own experience that a culture of authenticity allows the hiring of a team that will bring their all to the workplace. That fosters innovation, creativity and a level of success that few companies dream of. Yet, fostering an environment where individuals feel secure enough to express their true selves remains a challenge. The importance of authenticity cannot be overstated — it is the foundation of trust, innovation, and strong relationships. However, creating such a culture requires intention, understanding, and actionable strategies. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Marva Bailer.
Marva Bailer is a purpose-driven executive with over 20 years of experience leading billion-dollar teams for global businesses. As a breast cancer survivor, mom, and successful tech executive, Marva leverages her diverse personal and professional experiences to inspire and educate others. She learned early on in her career that culture is the key to long standing personal and professional relationships that transcend time, challenges, and opportunities. She has been featured in prominent media outlets, including Fox News, NBC, and TMZ, where she shares her insights on the transformative power of technology and culture.
Marva is an accomplished board advisor, and keynote speaker, currently serving on several Startup and Non-Profit Boards, and has been involved in over 3,200 talent conversations, demonstrating her deep commitment to effective performance management and leadership development. In her Best- Selling and NIEA Career Book of the year, “Be Unexpected: Resetting Routines to Revolutionize the Future of Work”, she champions curiosity, courage, confidence, and collaboration, fostering a positive environment that enhances trust, engagement, innovation, and relationships.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive into our discussion our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?
My father’s first job outside of graduate school was as a librarian. I grew up at Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD built in 1886 with 32,000 volumes with their mission, to empower, enrich, and enhance the quality of life for all through equitable access to information, services, and opportunity. Now I appreciate my thirst for knowledge and access to information and the equity deserved for everyone. I took this thirst for research to dive deep into every role and industry I have worked in my career. The need to understand the market, customers, and their customers and communities they serve. In addition to looking at dog and animal books and fashion, I discovered the microfiche machine where you can view past information such as newspapers and documents. I became fascinated with the art of debating, not just the questions and answers but the verbal and non-verbal cues. At the time none of this information was available on the internet. This place was the hub of global knowledge. My father traveled the world for his job at the State Department, to this day I am not sure exactly what he did but I have a sense of his true scope. His role was to develop cultures of community around sports and entertainment bringing division three level college coaches, musical artists, and other culture icons to developing countries. He would bring me a doll or small token from his visits. I was more interested to learn about their customs, food, and musical interests asking big questions even at an early age to learn the perspectives and life experiences of others.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?
The only time I was called out for something I thought was a success but got called out as a not in line with the “culture of the company,” was when I was the general manager and vice president for a .com start up Micromuse. (later bought by IBM for $850mil) We were a scrappy fast-growing tech company focused on network operations. The idea of “casual dress” was a new concept. Most of our customers were ex- military and many embraced the opportunity to wear jeans, grow their hair long, ride a motorcycle to work, bring their dog, have beer in the fridge, you get the picture. I even had one customer AOL, if you walked in with a suit, they either thought you were the FBI, SEC, or other government agency, and they would not meet with you. Everyone proudly wore their company tee shirt and jeans to company meetings. We had the opportunity to host the annual global kickoff meeting in our VA/DC office in McLean, Virginia. I vividly remember the ballroom at the Mc Lean Hilton. Everyone showed up in their normal company “uniform,” except my team, I had all the team wear suits. This is what we wore every day as our customer base was top executives in the government and government contractors their culture was the opposite of the internet service providers, they would not let you in if you did not have a tie, jacket, and shined shoes. This was their culture, and they took it as respect. And I have to say we had a sharp-looking team. My thought process was we were the host city and we wanted to show our respect and culture to the rest of the company. I have always strived for balanced performance on metrics and talent. Our team had high performance not for just one person but in all areas and we were building new markets, operational excellence and reference customers and partners that set us ahead of others. We had synergy, respect and a balance of talents. I was “called out” for having “too good” of a group and “showing up” others. The other data point, not sure it was part of the “rub,” I was the only female leader and executive.
I learned a lot about ego and culture from this early experience. It stayed with me for other teams and businesses I have grown.
You are a successful individual. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I love assessments to better understand how we think, interact, make decisions, and communicate. I have taken the top twenty-five assessments starting from my Master’s work at Johns Hopkins University in Organizational Development, to now. Earlier this month I had the opportunity to try out a new assessment called Wired to Perform, it tests your top three-character traits. I am happy to share my results.
Influencer: I can engage and motivate people into action through my powerful verbal talents and overall enthusiasm. I wholeheartedly invest time and effort into developing others and enhancing their performance towards goals, especially in strategies where I see significant potential. In every role I seek to create communities of interest and teach people how to find their voice and influence.
Spontaneous: I thrive in spontaneous and free-flowing environments, where I can apply my high-level approach and instinctive decision-making skills. My ability to adapt quickly and react intuitively allows me to navigate challenges effectively and make the most of opportunities as they arise. I have multiple examples of how I was the second, third, even fifth choice for an assignment, opportunity, or seat at an executive event or meeting and how I jumped right in rallied with little notice and showed up strong representing the team and company.
Take Charge: I take charge with a definite approach, visionary thinking, and a strong focus on outcomes. My leadership style is proactive and decisive, always aiming to achieve clear and impactful results. My decisiveness serves me well for personal decisions. At work it can be challenging because I am often thinking two or three steps ahead of everyone else and I need to check my self to bring everyone else along.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Can you share a pivotal moment in your career or personal life when being authentic made a significant impact on your success or well-being?
I am a cancer survivor and now advocate for stopping the stigma of cancer in the workplace. I made a personal decision not to tell everyone about my diagnosis. My pivotal moment was when I chose to tell my direct reports about three months into my treatment when I was receiving radiation treatments. I had a standing appointment every morning for forty-five business days at 8:00 am, the time most of them called me to ask me advice or approvals for their client work. They learned to be patient and came to appreciate my time and sage advice. They became protective and humbled by my perseverance and focus on the work and the day-to-day complaints of life, traffic, customers, competition, all became in sequential. My level of intellect and intuition sharpened, and I became somewhat “clairvoyant,” passing my insights on to my team. Through this personal challenge we became the top team in the world hitting all metrics and growth goals for every function. And together we kept my challenge a secret until the end of the year when I was considered cancer free.
How do you navigate the challenges that come with encouraging authenticity in a diverse workplace, where different backgrounds and perspectives may sometimes lead to conflict?
From a big picture thinking about life experiences, knowing that people have worked in different environments with different leaders, teams and customers. It is human to attach the past to the present, this is how we learn and evolve. From an “in the moment” perspective, appreciating that people have other elements to their lives, you never know what is going on at home, in their community, or their mind. To navigate these beautiful human differences, I seek to learn their WHY, HOW and WHAT, ask great questions, and listen and observe.
Based on your experience and research, can you please share “5 Ways to Create a Culture Where People Feel Safe to be Authentic?” What strategies have you found most effective in fostering an environment where employees or team members feel safe to express their true selves, including their ideas, concerns, and aspirations?
I am super passionate about this topic and have developed a acrostic using the word TRUST. I use this to ground the conversation and make it memorable and relatable to the audience a perfect example of authenticity. There is a direct connection between culture and trust. Managers and executives must capture every interaction and connect to the company’s values, norms, principles, and culture. They will participate when employees see others make culture part of their ethos. Authenticity and a sense of safety are key components in building this trust.
T: Transparency
R: Recognition
U: Unique Experiences
S: Storytelling
T. Think Beyond Today
1. Transparency — To foster authenticity, it’s important for leadership to join the “general population” whenever possible unless there is a legitimate reason not to. Break the routine of the “VIP” tables or “C Suite” floor. Think about not always sharing the perfect result, but sharing the challenges and “behind the scenes,” steps and learnings in a “raw” form. Involve the team in important decisions by providing data, early insights, and opportunities for iteration. This open communication helps create a safe environment where employees feel valued and included.
2. Recognition– Identify and celebrate the culture amplifiers or culture keepers within the organization. These are employees, customers, and partners who embody and promote the company culture. Celebrate them in highly visible forums such as company all-hands sessions, customer conferences, and social media. I experienced “The Trust,” a group of peer-to-peer selected individuals who contributed the most to the user community. They were rewarded with access to executives, developers, and front-row seats at conferences. Recognizing these individuals authentically reinforces their importance and encourages others to follow suit.
3. Unique Experiences– Create memorable and authentic connections through unique experiences. This could include community service traditions or company outings with employees, families, and customers. Incorporate symbols and mascots to strengthen these bonds. For example, past companies had an owl mascot and swag, even for pets and children. I would trade a crystal vase any day for a stuffed animal or cool swag. My 25 lb. stuffed pony, a mascot from a former employer, is now repurposed for Halloween and remains a big hit in my basement.
4. Storytelling — Build longevity and authenticity through storytelling. Encourage sharing stories that highlight the details and emotions that draw out the cultural aspects of the company. These stories help employees feel connected and safe, knowing that their experiences and contributions are valued and remembered. When leaders are humble and vulnerable internally and externally it opens a window for others to feel safe and heard. This can have the reverse effect if done incorrectly with ego and bullying.
5. Think Beyond Today– Envision the future workplace and company culture. Brene’ Brown is a culture icon in this area, I align with all her quotes on this topic. “Authenticity is a daily practice of letting go on what we thought we are supposed to be and embracing who we are.” This is where the discipline of appreciating perspectives and diversity comes in, not putting people in “boxes,” that are familiar or convenient. Creating an environment where employees feel safe to make mistakes and take risks is crucial for long-term success and innovation.
In your opinion, how does authenticity within an organization influence its relationship with customers, clients, or the broader community?
Back to trust is all about trust. Bad news, bad actors, bad management travel fast. Beyond the world of social media and job sites to talk about companies the simple telling your neighbor, friend, partner can travel just as fast as it is a direct conversation. The global PR company Edelman has a yearly Trust Barometer that offers this insight at scale. I am equally interested in the work of Just Capital with their Most Just Company Rankings; I had the opportunity to learn more of their work earlier this year for their ten-year celebration marked by the ringing of the NASDAQ Closing Bell with the CEO of Hewlett Packard Enterprise and their respective board members.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
A smile whether with your eyes, your heart, or your mouth is the simplest act we can offer. Know every person is valued this act of kindness and interest can be that one “trigger” or “ripple” that changes their day, that changes another day, and so on.
How can our readers further follow you online?
www.marvabailer.com or via LinkedIn Marva Bailer | LinkedIn
Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!
Creating a Culture of Courage: Marva Bailer On How Authenticity Benefits People and Profits in the… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.