In our 2023 Top Women in Retail report, we asked several of our “On the Rise” women what skills they developed that led them to be so successful in the world of retail. Here are a few skills they say are crucial to have if you want to become an effective leader.

LaTisha Brandon, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Culture, and Corporate Giving, The Container Store

“I would say [a trait of an effective leader is] extending grace and being able to meet people where they are and understand that everybody’s not going to say the right thing all the time. People have lived their experiences for their entire lives. And for some people, some conversations are very new and it may be confusing. You have to be able to meet people where they are, give them the opportunity to learn and grow, and the grace so that they can recover after making the mistake, but not compromising in terms of what the end goal may be.”

Anjali Khosla, Director, Brand Management, Build-A-Bear Workshop

“I try to flip the thought and see a challenge as an opportunity. How can I approach a situation to make it a win for everyone? Leading with that mindset, asking questions and seeking to understand and learn has helped me in any challenge I faced. I’ve also been lucky enough to have some great mentors who have overcome their own challenges and whose examples I can look to and advice I can seek. It goes back to being open to learning from many different sources. That’s helped me in any industry I’ve been in, from technology to CPG to now in retail.”

Kristin McClement, Head of Brand Connections, maurices

“My confidence, my negotiating skills, my communication skills and my relationship-building skills [have helped me succeed]. I’m in the business of relationships and, in particular, not only those that I work with internally at organizations, but also external stakeholders.”

Jessica Raymond, Director of Media Strategy and Planning, Foot Locker

“I always think of myself as being on a seesaw between patience and persistence. Those two skills are what I’m constantly pushing and pulling with. I have my moments of pulsing with the persistence of, “We cannot rely on old ways.” This is not telling us what we need to make smart decisions. But then I realize I have to sit back, be patient and realize these things cost more money sometimes, or they need to go up the ladder and back down again. You can never be too persistent or else you run into a wall, or if you’re too patient, nothing happens.”