C.E.O. Lori Dickerson Fouché on Recognizing Leadership
Lori Dickerson Fouché is the C.E.O. of Prudential Group Insurance and held the position after Hurricane Sandy hit New York City. Having taken leadership roles as a young black woman in America, Fouché has been successful in management positions since the age of 24 and continues as C.E.O. of a major insurance company at 47. Here are her highlights from the interview with Adam Bryant:
- On lessons she learned early in her career: “One was learning how to prioritize. You simply can’t do everything.”
- Assess your leaders by their results: “I expect my leaders to listen. I expect them to ask questions. I expect them to understand what’s going on.”
- On Hiring:
- Know that prospective hires have done their due diligence on the company
- Ask what kind of cultures they like to work in, where do they excel, and how do they conduct themselves in the face of challenges
- Look for resilience and perseverance
- Ask how they would lead people
As graduation season comes to an end and young graduates enter the workforce, it is important that they find jobs that they really want to do and learn what they can from that experience. Lori Dickerson Fouché suggests that graduates find a company that is a good fit for what important to them and their personal values.