Hong Kong
Notes from... Jane Lauder
Company Feature, Mar 6, 2017
In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, we are debuting a series of first-person essays featuring female leaders from The Estée Lauder Companies who will share their perspectives on a range of topics primarily relating to women and the workplace.
March 6, 2017 – Growing up in the Lauder family I internalized many values that have served me well in my personal and professional life, including: generosity of spirit, fearless persistence, and the courage to challenge and change. As we mark International Women’s Day with a focus on “Be Bold for Change,” I want to share a few thoughts that have helped anchor me in a complex world that seems to be moving faster every day.
My grandmother, Mrs. Estée Lauder, was an incredible woman. She always told me "if you believe in it you can sell it." This has stuck with me whenever I am advocating for something new. To be bold and to create change you need to be convinced in your head and heart that your idea is game changing and will really benefit our consumers and our company.
As the leader of Clinique, I encourage my team to take risks, to push the boundaries of possibility. Embracing opportunities is what drives our business forward. Yet as gratifying as success can be, from my own experience, I know that failures are often more instructive. Which is why my advice to young people in particular is never be afraid to fail.
That said, it's important for women to understand that they are not a failure if they can't do it all. So many women today believe that they need to be a super woman. That they should be able to perfectly balance work, family, social life, etc. The truth is that some of the most successful women in business have a solid infrastructure of support. No one can do it all alone. We need to help lift each other up.
While my grandmother was always striving for perfection, she also knew that women needed to be there for one another, and she helped many achieve success along the way. She used to say: “In many ways women share a common language. No matter what our culture, no matter what our background, we understand each other.”
Times have changed dramatically since my grandmother blazed trails in the beauty industry. But the wisdom of her words rings just as true today, as the need for all women to share a common language has possibly never been greater.
Read more about Jane and her nearly two decades in the beauty industry.
