How Owning Your Career Path Can Empower Others to Follow

Impossible is Nothing is a mantra that has always inspired me in both my life and my career. I believed, I faced my fears, and I succeeded. It seems a little bit pretentious and maybe it is, but I know how many times I’ve dreamed, worked, strived, waited, and focused on what I wanted. And here I am.

I’ve been part of the adidas family for almost 20 years and I am extremely proud and grateful for that. Since my first day at the company, I’ve always thought: “Am I really here?” and to this day, I still feel the fluttering of butterflies in my stomach.

My career path at adidas started with developing the apparel business in Brazil in a sustainable and profitable way. Three years later, apparel represented more than 50% of the business in Brazil and adidas became the market leader for more than eight years thereafter. I was charged. I was showing that women can make a difference.

My success and determination were rewarded. The next step on my career path was to become the Head of eCommerce, a role in which I was tasked with turning things around in the Brazilian market. In two years, the eCommerce share increased by more than 60% and its contribution quadrupled. We worked hard on promoting the digital transformation in Latin America and proved once again that women can play a part in senior leadership – which in Brazil in particular is fiercely male-dominated. I felt I was making my point.

One story touched my heart and reflects my attitude towards teamwork and pulling together to make the impossible, possible. And you’ve possibly heard of it before: A TV crew visited NASA where they saw a man sweeping the floor. The reporter asked what the man’s job was and he replied: “to fly man to the moon.” Empowering people is the most powerful and satisfying role of a leader. It’s also an opportunity to role model your values and principles to make the world a better place. Having a clear purpose and being led by strong values is the way I role model. Authenticity, optimism, empathy, passion, and happiness reflect my way of behavior.

While I hope to be a role model for others, I’m also inspired by some of my own.
So, who inspires me to be the best I can be? I look up and see Flávia Bittencourt, General Manager for adidas Latin America as an authentic and visionary leader. A great example of optimism and charisma. In fact, Flávia is one of the most enthusiastic and optimistic leaders I’ve ever worked with. During the pandemic, with all the uncertainty that came with it, she was able to bring confidence and empathy to keep the team united and strong. That’s the kind of person I want to be.

I believe that leadership is not about you. It is about how effective you are in unleashing the power of others. And while there are of course some incredible male leaders, we’ve been missing a trick when it comes to women in leadership positions. How so?

They strive to create the right environment and conditions for their teams to be more effective, as well as helping others to fully realize their own capacity and power.

Hopefully, it is becoming less unusual to see women in leadership positions, but there are still certain industries, functional areas, and countries that need to catch up. That said, I am totally convinced that we are the change that we want to see in the world, and it is in our hands to make this happen. From supporting other women in their career development to influencing the next generation, we are accountable for a better gender balance in our society.