However after greater than 30 years main regulation departments in Fortune 500 tech firms, she realized that a lot of her success got here from promoting herself. And if there was one little bit of knowledge she might impart on her youthful self, it will be that “it is all about relationships.”
Huber stated ladies have the tendency to simply be heads-down and centered on getting their work finished, maybe much more so than males. “There will certainly be instances once you do want to try this, however keep in mind that most likely 80% of your alternatives, or perhaps extra, are your relationships with folks, and the way folks see you and the way you are serving to others.”
Huber shared this recommendation in an onstage interview Wednesday with Company Counsel Editor-in-Chief Heather Nevitt at ALM World’s Girls, Affect & Energy in Legislation convention in Chicago.
“I want I had thought of this earlier in my profession, however folks do not care a lot about your credentials—like the place you went to highschool, or what certifications you have got. Sure, that could be necessary to get within the door. However you might be actually promoting your self on a regular basis. You are promoting your self, you are promoting your work, your group, you are persuading.”
Girls must also get out of their very own means when making that sale, Huber stated.
“I do know you are most likely pondering, ‘Oh, I do not wish to brag.’ However in a means that’s pure, genuine to the state of affairs in your self. Let different folks know what you are doing and the way it will assist them or the way it will assist the success of the org,” she stated.
“You most likely see males doing this on a regular basis, and it is simply pure. Whereas generally perhaps we’d suppose, ‘Oh, I do not wish to toot my very own horn.’ You may nonetheless be a humble particular person and assist others, but additionally discover your option to meet them.”
Huber retired in March after 9 years as chief authorized officer at eBay. All through her profession she’s demonstrated a knack for locating alternative amid upheaval. As one instance, she Hewlett-Packard spinoff Agilent Applied sciences in 2009 after a couple of decade at HP.
“It was a tough resolution to make,” Huber stated. “However I made a decision to go to Agilent as a result of it gave me larger alternatives to assist type a worldwide management group, to be part of an IPO and a by-product, and to simply have an even bigger affect than I might need been in a position to do had I stayed at HP.”
She acquired the possibility to do it yet again in 2015 when she joined eBay. It was a time of large disruption, Huber stated. The corporate had simply weathered a proxy battle with activist investor Carl Icahn, had determined to spin off PayPal, and turned over their whole management group.
“What’s laborious is with change like that, you would possibly must completely reestablish your relationships,” Huber stated. “You most likely have a distinct boss, you have got completely different colleagues, perhaps completely different material work. However though legal professionals are identified for not essentially liking change, I might encourage you, if there’s a possibility, to essentially seize that—particularly relying upon the place you might be in your profession—you may actually present a possibility for development.”
She urged the viewers to not stress an excessive amount of about each single profession transfer and whether or not it is the proper one. “Take into consideration your profession as extra of a lattice or an online, and about the way you would possibly transfer diagonally and even horizontally to have the ability to get extra expertise and develop your expertise. That may typically result in development and improvement. However attempt to get out of the mindset of pondering, ‘Oh, I’ve to go to that subsequent title up.'”
Scoring that promotion will be tough, Huber cautioned, particularly as you progress up the ladder and begin looking for out the overall counsel position.
“It may be a problem as you get greater. Generally folks know you, which is nice. However it will probably additionally not be nice,” she stated, as a result of individuals who have labored with you for years would possibly see you in a sure means, and type the impression that you do not have qualities that they want.
“Actually take into consideration, ‘How do I want to indicate up otherwise in order that my colleagues with whom I’ve labored perhaps for years, who see me on this position, can see me rather more broadly,” Huber stated.
As somebody who has spent a long time cultivating skilled relationships, Huber stated it is easy to get slowed down within the work you have got in your plate now, forgetting about crucial relationships you ought to be constructing.
“Attempt to put your self in that particular person’s footwear and acknowledge that even the essentially the most senior one who you suppose is the boss of everyone truly has for his personal worries. And what’s it which you can be doing to assist that particular person?”
It is also necessary to not assume you realize what they want. “Ensure you’re asking questions,” Huber stated. “I am positive that we have all been in conditions the place you suppose you realize what you ought to be doing, however you ask some questions, you are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I am actually glad I requested that, as a result of it’s very completely different.'”
One other secret to success is figuring out what to let go of. Huber recalled being at her first in-house job when she had her two children. She was petrified over how her colleagues would possibly react. I’m blissful to say that I do not suppose it affected my profession,” she stated. “And my household at all times got here first. I nonetheless inform those that one in every of my children calls, even when I am in a gathering, I decide up the cellphone as a result of I by no means know what’s you realize what could be occurring.”
However she additionally acknowledged that she could not be in all places directly and needed to make selections.
“I do not actually cook dinner. My husband likes to cook dinner, and he does all of the grocery buying and the cooking. And I gave that up, though I can cook dinner. And I by no means went volunteering at my children’ faculties, and realized to not, to not even attempt to compete with these mothers who made like attractive, lovely platters of dwelling baked or do-it-yourself no matter.”
Huber stated these selections have been about defending her psychological wellbeing and sanity, but additionally about focusing her power on issues she desires to do, and the place she will convey the best affect and worth.
“And I am going to inform you that little children don’t care in case you spend two days making cupcakes otherwise you purchased them from Kroger,” Nevitt added. “They similar to cupcakes. So purchase your cupcakes from Kroger.”
