Karina Henderson
Founder, Jasper Strategy
📍Milwaukee, WI, USA
What qualities do you think leaders need to have in today’s world?
Leaders today need to focus on creating trust and confidence in an atmosphere of transparency and clarity. I teach Public Relations Principles at Marquette University, and the first two principles are “tell the truth” and “prove it with action.” It sounds so simple, but we discuss case study after case study of leaders who lose sight of these two fundamental things.
As a leader, it’s imperative to understand that capturing trends or changing your vision isn’t necessarily what inspires people. When people know they are trusted, valued, and listened to, they’re more likely to bring their best every day.
If you had to describe your leadership style in one word, what would it be and why?
Human. I think people should be the top priority and the bottom line. Many leaders feel pressured to pass along their own experiences without being truly open to and moved by the experiences of others. It’s hard work – it’s much easier to narrow what you believe to be your sphere of influence and accountability than it is to center human impact.
How does your company’s Pledge 1% program help shape the kind of workplace culture you believe in?
When I decided to lean into working independently full-time, I wanted to build in ways to keep myself accountable to prioritizing a broader impact. I joined Pledge 1% before even launching my company as a full-time consultancy, making that commitment as a part of building my business model. I believe in a workplace culture that recognizes the power of businesses to shape the world, not just create profits. Building this into my workplace culture shows contrast between my organization and cultures that value burnout, lose focus, and constantly move the goalposts. This recognizes that I’m building something that lasts – and looking to sustain each person and the world we live in.
This year marks the 7th year of Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead campaign. How can companies champion and support female leadership?
I think companies need to enact guiding principles that help check their biases and build shared accountability. We all carry around archetypes of what we think leaders should be, but few companies spend time building a sense of how they want leaders to show up. This particularly helps women who don’t match outdated archetypes or feel excluded from the still-very-much-existing “old boys’ club.” These shared principles can help take the gamesmanship and the guesswork out of leadership – making leaders better and demystifying the path to leadership. When everyone – from the top leaders to the newest intern – understands what leadership looks like in their company, we can both hold each other accountable and reinforce those traits every day.
If you could write a note to your younger self on her first day of work, what would it say?
Trust what matters. You don’t have to be anyone other than you, but you will grow if you let yourself be shaped by understanding others. Ask more questions than you think you need to – it’s a sign of confidence, not weakness, and it will get you unexpectedly valuable insights.
