Philosophy

We asked Diane to summarize her core business philosophy. This is what she told us:

I have several guiding principles - each is related, but they also stand alone:

Never compromise your ethics or put yourself in a position where your integrity can be questioned or challenged.

Not only is this my sound core value, I have found that it is also an asset in business. By being authentic and transparent - to my direct reports, senior executives, customers, and others outside the company - I establish 100% credibility that helps whenever the inevitable challenges arise. I have already earned their trust, and I can focus immediately on finding a solution. And I never have to worry about past actions coming back to haunt me or my organization.

Build the right team and you can achieve the impossible.

One of my strengths as a leader is identifying and nurturing talent. By surrounding myself with talented people, encouraging them to stretch and grow to their capacity, and sharing a vision of where we’ll go together, I find that we accomplish much more than seems possible – and certainly more than any one person could accomplish alone. I build a collaborative work environment where hard work is respected, both individual and team accomplishments are recognized, and it’s OK to have fun!

Take calculated risks.

It can be risky to change a business strategy, a leadership style, a recruitment method, or a customer approach, but without change we will stagnate. The risk must be balanced by thoughtful planning and careful preparation – I look before I leap! But at heart I am excited by change, eager to lead into uncharted territory, and highly adaptable to new needs and environments.

Think beyond the moment.

A win today does not always translate to multiple wins tomorrow, next week, and next year. It's necessary to think strategically and align today's action plans with those strategic goals. This can be difficult in today’s fast-moving, high-stakes business culture and especially in the sales and marketing arenas, with the constant pressure of quotas and deadlines. But I never want one step up to result in two steps back! By nature I'm a quick thinker, quick talker, quick decision maker. I just make sure that my decisions are well thought out before I press "go."