Can women can be great leaders? You better believe it.
Ever wonder how some business leaders can take a company forward, build its bottom line, and engage its employees and customers in such a way that everyone does better? Meet Jamie Candee. I interviewed Jamie for this podcast back in 2018 and it was such a terrific conversation that I’m reposting it for Women’s History Month. Jamie is one of the amazing women whose stories I share in my new book, “Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business,” which you can buy here. Listen in as she describes how she smashed myths and broke through glass ceilings to lead several companies to success after success as a woman CEO. You can as well!
Jamie joined Edmentum in 2005, beginning her career there in Human Resources. Over time, she worked her way through nearly every department within the organization—serving as Director, Sales and Service Effectiveness; Vice President, Product Development; Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing; and Chief Revenue Officer, during her original tenure. All of these varied positions enabled Jamie to see the company from many dimensions, which is crucial if leaders want to understand their organization and see opportunities with fresh eyes.
Jamie rejoined Edmentum in 2017, leading the organization’s strategic vision and long-term growth plan as President, CEO and Board Director, bringing her successful record of accomplishment as an executive with extensive experience in education technology, private equity and policy.
Jamie’s breadth of experience has certainly paid off. In 2015, she was selected by Minnesota Business magazine as one of that year’s (Real) Power 50, in 2017 by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as a Titans of Technology honoree, and also in 2017, as an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist. Jamie sits on the board of directors for Project Success, a Minnesota-based education non-profit, and serves as an advisory board member for Bethel University’s Department of Business and Economics.
In this episode Jamie and I discuss
- How Jamie used her passion for education to rethink the way children learn
- The importance of getting a good look at the inside of your company from the outside
- How observing women corporate leaders introduced Jamie to leadership
- Generating results at the intersection of people and culture
- Staying mission-driven by focusing on customers before data and algorithms
- How women lead differently from men
Additional resources for you
- My best selling new book: “Rethink: Smashing The Myths of Women in Business“
- My award-winning first book: “On the Brink: A Fresh Lens to Take Your Business to New Heights”
- Simon Associates Management Consultants website
