Unleashing Your Potential: Navigating Corporate America with Confidence

Celina Shands recently had the opportunity to sit down with international leadership coach and CEO/founder of the No Woman Left Behind podcast, Rosie Zilinskas, which strives to empower women in corporate America by breaking down limiting beliefs and helping them unleash their full potential. Celina shared her insights and experiences on various aspects of navigating the corporate world, including the misconceptions around formal education, skill development, and overcoming career challenges. 

The challenges faced by skilled workers in corporate America, such as the glass ceiling, gender pay gap, and sexual harassment, were discussed. In the ninth annual Women in the Workplace 2023 report | McKinsey in conjunction with LeanIn.org, strides were made amongst women in the C-Suite and senior management positions, however women of color remain woefully behind. 

FCM CEO Celina Shands shared her personal experiences and provided strategies for overcoming these obstacles to senior leadership. Owning one’s confidence, setting clear aspirations, and seeking feedback from senior leaders were highlighted as essential steps in achieving success.

Mapping back to her career in workforce development and educational marketing consulting, Celina emphasized the misconception that a traditional four-year degree is the only path to success in the corporate world. Statistics in a new Wall Street Journal–NORC poll (subscription required), conducted by the national newspaper and the nonpartisan research group NORC at the University of Chicago, finds that 56 percent of Americans agree with the statement “A four-year college education is not worth the cost because people often graduate without specific job skills and with a large amount of debt to pay off.” (Majority of Americans lack confidence in value of four-year degree)

Employers are now focusing more on skill sets rather than formal education qualifications. Employers on LinkedIn are already making this shift, with roughly one in four job postings (24%) in the U.S. no longer requiring degrees, up from 15% in 2020. HR teams are also increasingly relying on skills as the key filter through which to evaluate a candidate’s ability and potential on LinkedIn, with over 40% now explicitly using skills data to fill their roles. (The next era of work will be about skills–not pedigree. Here’s how employers are changing the way they judge potential, according to LinkedIn and Jobs for the Future | Fortune)

Shands highlighted the importance of continuous learning and adapting to new technologies, especially in remote work settings. Tools like Asana and Slack are crucial for effective remote communication and project management. Soft skills, such as communication and collaboration, play a vital role in corporate success. Celina also stressed the significance of setting expectations, allowing team participation, and having hard conversations in the corporate world.

Celina and Rosie also discussed various resources available for skill development, including adult education programs, online courses, and webinars. These alternatives provide valuable opportunities for individuals to build the right skill sets without necessarily pursuing a four-year university degree. The importance of continuously improving and adapting to the ever-evolving corporate landscape was a recurring theme.

Celina’s personal journey from adversity to entrepreneurship was both inspiring and enlightening. Her story underscored the importance of perseverance, having open conversations with colleagues and managers, and using setbacks as opportunities for growth and learning. Celina’s insights serve as a powerful reminder that with determination and the right mindset, anything is possible.

Listen to this episode of the No Woman Left Behind Podcast and learn valuable lessons from Celina and Rosie on navigating the corporate world with confidence.