Jenny Lytle Of Chamberlain Group On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
Accountability: What gets measured, gets done. Having tangible goals and targets in place are key for leadership development because they are a driving mechanism for evaluation, which is needed for moving up the corporate ladder.
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 Jenny Lytle.
Jenny Lytle is the Vice President and General Manager of Emerging Business at LiftMaster, Chamberlain Group’s leading brand of professionally installed access solutions. With more than 15 years of experience in business strategy, product management and pricing strategy, Jenny heads up LiftMaster’s Access Control portfolio, leading the charge to bring connected, reliable, and smart access control solutions to multi-family communities. Prior to joining LiftMaster, Jenny worked at Performance Health (a PE-backed healthcare firm), the Boston Consulting Group as a private equity investor, and as an investment banking analyst for JPMorgan. Jenny holds an MBA with honors from The University of Chicago-Booth School of Business and holds a B.S. in Finance from The University of Illinois.
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 began my career in finance, first, as an investment banking analyst, then, as a private equity investor. Having an analytical background is critical for success in building and running businesses, but I loved learning about each company more than the transaction. I spent the next part of my career working in strategy at The Boston Consulting Group. Understanding customer and consumer needs is also foundational to innovation and any healthy business strategy, which has led me to a career building products, services and businesses.
In my current position, I serve as Vice President and General Manager of Commercial Emerging Business at Chamberlain Group, building new products and services and bringing them to market in a way that solves problems for property owners and residents. I’ve looked at hundreds of companies in my career — most try to transform and most fail. I was drawn to Chamberlain Group because of its ability to transform from a hardware manufacturer to a technology company.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
This isn’t really a story but an interesting observation; I’ve looked at lots of different businesses in my career and many other industries focus on developing products by designing a great user experience and using data for insight. That isn’t necessarily the case in the access control industry. They focused on security only, and they haven’t grown and innovated. You shouldn’t have to sacrifice security for a great software product.
Our software platform, myQ Community, solves that problem of providing property managers with data on who is accessing their property’s entry points — both physical and video. It has won awards for the great user experience which makes it easy to use, but also requires very little training which is great for an industry like property management with notoriously high turnover. It’s the only platform that integrates from community gate to in-unit lock, enabling control of leading smart lock brands, and creating a seamless self-access experience for residents. Whether it’s access to the front gate, front door of the property, the mailroom, pool, gym, or a resident’s apartment, myQ Community can be used at every entrance of any community type. It’s true innovation and I’m thrilled that we are able to provide that solution.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your path to leadership?
I think your first role as a manager is ‘make or break.’ I worked in finance and consulting, in male dominated industries that could be particularly tough environments. I also saw a lot of bad managers. I wanted to be the opposite. If you treat people with respect, you can still do tremendous work and people want to work for you. I also find that being someone that others want to work for often attracts the best talent and builds the best team. It also really forces you to own your work and present it to senior leadership, clients, etc. It is a game-changing moment for future leaders.
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?
I worked very closely with a female partner in my role at Boston Consulting Group. She mentored me, taught me how to listen, how to build presentations, how to advise, and how to be a great presenter. She also showed me a model for how to work and have a family, which is a transition many women go through. Watching someone else do that was crucial for me. So many women are forced to drop out of the workforce or don’t go for leadership roles when they have kids because they decide it is too much to manage. You shouldn’t have to choose between having children and a fulfilling career if you want both. Having a mentor who was able to model for me how to protect your time, utilize your team, and to manage a role when you cannot be everywhere at once was career defining.
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 like Adam Grant’s books. He talks a lot about rethinking common problems and looking at things in new ways. He tackles unconscious bias and things that people don’t realize they might be doing or thinking that might hold certain groups back.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Many people, especially type A people, wait until things are perfect. This means they speak up less in meetings and share fewer ideas. This is particularly true for junior employees. They want to think their idea through and have it fully fleshed out before sharing. My advice would be to throw it out there. Who cares if you are wrong? You put yourself out there and made yourself heard.
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I try to be a good role model for other women and other people who are just starting out. I also try to use my experiences to teach my kids about how they can grow a business in their future, and to model for them what it looks like to be a mom with a fulfilling career that empowers and energizes me.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this report, only about 31.7% of top executive positions across industries are held by women. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from leadership and management?
I have two opinions on what holds women back from leadership and management roles. The first is that women are less likely to promote themselves than men. I’ve coached, mentored, and ran development in consulting for years. I’ve had hundreds of people work me, and it was rare for a woman to come into my office and want to talk about her work and accomplishments. Based on my observations, this is not the case for men. Women aren’t as naturally inclined to self-promote. If you are a junior level employee in an organization, people might not realize all of your accomplishments and everything you are capable of, because you’ve never told them.
A second thing that can hold women back from leadership, is a lack of support for parents, particularly moms in the corporate world. Having a family is a hard transition period that aligns with the timing of assuming leadership roles in many careers. If you haven’t promoted yourself or been identified as leadership material, it’s going to be harder to assume that type of role.
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?
Diversity of perspectives is good. Every person brings something different. Data shows that more women and diversity in general is good for business because different perspectives bring new ideas and ways of thinking. By cultivating diversity, you also see more examples of people with different backgrounds in leadership roles which is helpful for future workers and leaders to see. You define leadership by what you experience and see, and nurturing diversity in the workplace helps us break the stereotype of what a leader should look like.
Can you please share “5 Things We Need To Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management?”
All of these are best practice for ‘young professionals’ in general, but particularly important for women:
1 . Mentorship: Mentorship or programs that give access to senior women leaders and their stories are important for young professionals who are looking to move into a leadership role. At Boston Consulting Group, we used to do a breakfast series where people would share their path to leadership. It was open to anyone who wanted to attend, but women were the speakers. It showed a more personal side of someone in a senior position and allowed younger employees to connect in a way that they might not have otherwise done so. Mentorship programs are great for similar reasons. People can realize the ‘art of the possible.’ Mentorship is also great for anyone, not just other women. It invites the opportunity to have discussions about career progression and what a future path might look like if you want to be a leader. It looks different for every person and it’s important to be able to have those conversations with someone you trust.
2 . Flexible Work Arrangements: Time off for parental leave is great, but ongoing arrangements are better. This exists more in client service than it does corporate. Things such as a ‘late start,’ to drop kids off at school or a four-day work week that provide structures for people to have options to raise young families and do interesting work. 80% pay should be a possible alternative for people in the workforce and leadership. Not having flexible arrangements is another roadblock that drives people out of the workforce and out of leadership positions.
3 . Leadership development: Programs that identify junior leaders are a forcing mechanism to identify young talent across the board. It lets them shine in a peer level group versus a larger audience where it can be intimidating to speak in front of executive leadership. It opens up communication at a peer level and encourages management to look at the younger talent, evaluate them and decide who they think has potential.
4 . Addressing bias: Unconscious bias is pretty common. I had a consulting case early on in my career where I provided the creative answer to a difficult problem, but all of the credit went to the senior partner. It wasn’t because they didn’t like me or think I was a good worker, but they just looked at the male senior partner and assumed he was the one who came up with the solution. People don’t intend for this, but you have to recognize it. You treat certain people certain ways because that’s just what you see in the world and what you have experienced. This can come to life in company trainings, during the annual review process or during events like a person coming back from parental leave. Whatever it is, the bias tends to not give women the credit they deserve.
5 . Accountability: What gets measured, gets done. Having tangible goals and targets in place are key for leadership development because they are a driving mechanism for evaluation, which is needed for moving up the corporate ladder.
In your opinion, what systemic changes are needed to facilitate more equitable access for women to leadership roles?
I think implementing the five practices above will help. By offering mentorship opportunities to junior level employees, flexible work arrangements, providing leadership development, addressing biases, and providing measurable targets for evaluation, women and people in general, can have better access to leadership roles.
What strategies have you found most effective in mentoring and supporting other women to pursue leadership positions?
I think that one on one mentorship or networking opportunities are great. It doesn’t have to be ongoing, but getting the chance to open up to people that have more experience than you can be really helpful. Just a breakfast or coffee break that allows executive leaders to tell their stories can make it less daunting to start conversations down the road. Also, don’t be afraid to reach out to someone you admire about mentorship. Even if someone is busy, I’ve never heard of someone reacting negatively to being asked to act as a mentor. It’s very flattering, and most people will be willing to chat.
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?
I have years of experience working in male-dominated industries. I can’t help but remember one year, when I received a men’s tie for Christmas. The gift was intended for the company’s typical employee, a man, and because I worked in investing there, I guess they just made the assumption, and got me one too. Regardless of what kind of environment you work in, the one thing you can do to excel in your role and be considered for leadership opportunities is to be great at your job.
In my first job in banking, someone told me if you want to get promoted, make your boss’s life easier. If you are indispensable, that is the first step, for anyone. Then, prepare and have a perspective. Junior employees, especially women, have a problem speaking up, even when they are the experts. This is how you really establish who you are. Find the people more senior than you to help you navigate. Socialize who you are and your work. It doesn’t have to feel like bragging. It’s important to celebrate the incredible work you do, and to make sure your company knows what you are capable of.
How do you balance the demand for authoritative leadership with the stereotypical expectations of female behavior in professional settings?
Since I left client service, I have built and run high growth, start-up like businesses. You need to try things constantly and they don’t always work. I like to set a culture of clear asks and change requests. I say what I like, and I don’t like, but I set a culture of accountability, not blame. I’ve seen a lot of yelling and screaming. I don’t have any interest in that.
At Chamberlain Group, my business is structured like a startup, which means we work together in a smaller, cross-functional group and we try new things and move fast. My focus is cultivating a culture that is driven by accountability, problem solving and growth, versus a culture of fear. When people feel comfortable, and they are excited about overcoming obstacles, they are going to produce their best and most creative work. I’ve seen that positive mindset and problem solving on the myQ Community team, and it’s truly exciting to see and be a part of that work and the solutions it produces.
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.
I’m sure a lot of others would give the same answer, but if I was able to, I would love to inspire a movement that would lead to cures for cancer and degenerative diseases. There are so many heartbreaking stories out there — every family has one. I’d love to get people thinking about how we can help fund important medical research while making treatment accessible and affordable to those who need it.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can follow me on LinkedIn. For more information and news on Chamberlain Group, please visit chamberlaingroup.com.
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.
Jenny Lytle Of Chamberlain Group On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.