We will be featuring Women in Retail Leadership Circle members, advisory board members and ladies who lead in Inner Circle Q&As over the next several months. The interviews will highlight what makes our community so special, from their leadership styles to their favorite vacation spots and everything in between. This week’s Q&A is with Alice McClellan, vice president of technology and facilities at Genesco.

Melissa Campanelli: To whom do you turn for inspiration in your career?
Alice McClellan: I’ve found inspiration in many places throughout my career. Sparks of inspiration came from countless TED talks, professional speakers, coaches and nonfiction books that ignited an action and motivated my inner desire to conquer the next career obstacle.

My mother-in-law was an executive with a local government organization and a real estate attorney. I was fortunate to live in the same city, and we had numerous inspiring conversations. Although she has passed, I have numerous notes and letters written to her family. She was intentional in wanting to share her thoughts or give guidance to live by once she learned of her cancer diagnosis. She demonstrated tremendous grace in life while calling for her children to the best they can be. She had a servant’s heart yet was a powerful role model in the workplace. She accomplished executive status in her career while raising three children. Her company created an annual employee award for the individual that most represented her characteristics of hard work and values. She reminded me to be engaged and be present. Be bold. Be courageous. She was mentor to many, including local female politicians and up-and-coming young professional women. Her legacy is timeless, and she was an authentic source of experiences that I return to for inspiration and motivation.

MC: Describe your leadership style.
AM: I have mixed and matched various styles over my career to align with teams and intended organizational goals. The style that suits me best is servant leader. According to Wikipedia, servant leaders achieve results by giving priority attention to the needs of colleagues and those whom they serve. To be a servant leader, you have to practice active listening, empathy, awareness, persuasion, stewardship and community building. My current and former co-workers say this is my natural style. I strive every day to listen to people, gather facts, and apply appropriate awareness to a situation with the intent being to provide guidance and support, not solutions or dictates.

I was very fortunate to work with a company early in my career that taught servant leader skills (active listening, for example) as a curriculum. As an emerging leader at that time, my direct manager provided a regular feedback loop through an annual development program. Since I had the advantage of such a program, I build development plans for my team and direct reports, clearly defining what I expect and want, giving them the room to own and arrive at how to satisfy and meet my strategic plans. It’s very satisfying to deliver results, projects and technology, but the greatest satisfaction comes from having a part in the growth and development of the individuals I have the privilege to lead.

MC: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? Why was it so important?
AM: Be true to your values and strive to dignify everyone you work with. This was advice that came from one of my former corporate leaders who drove his organization based on company values. In today’s work environment, email is accumulating, meetings are nonstop and personal to-dos are endless. It’s easy to lose sight of who we are in our efforts to perform as a leader, as a parent, etc.

It’s very important to be our authentic self and recalibrate from time to time. This is especially true in social media, where it’s easy to share or present a version of yourself. We’ve all seen people we know that are conforming to social pressure online, and sometimes without realizing the impact. There are just moments in life when things sneak up on you and you have to time out, reset and go again with refreshed purpose.

MC: Can you share a productivity tip you swear by?
AM: I’m always looking for tools or apps that streamline communications. A team messaging mobile app has become a staple in our group for efficient and timely messaging to each other. We have channels set up for emergencies in my facilities team (e.g., weather response, safety incidents) as well as technical project team channels. When you’re in the channel, you’re always up-to-date and it eliminates the boundaries of distance between locations. It allows us to hone in on the work at hand and quickly get to information needed. I’m my most productive when I can hand off a thought or request immediately to one of my co-workers online.

MC: What retail trends are you tracking for 2018?
AM: As a technology and retail executive, I’m enthusiastic about the rapidly changing landscape of technology. A couple of technologies I follow are machine learning and the Internet of Things (IoT). Machine learning can enable and quickly provide insights from vast amounts of data in areas such as security and IT operations. I have seen hours saved by leveraging machine learning to isolate, identify and resolve technical issues that could impact our operations. You can see trends and make predictions before an incident happens or be proactive to address system resources before you max them out. Whether used to predict how likely someone is to purchase a product or to determine the health of a store network, the use cases appear limitless.

The IoT revolution has been an amazing journey. Billions of devices, ranging from our homes, stores, toys, medical equipment, sports equipment and cars, are connected and accessed via smartphones. IoT is here to stay and will play a crucial role in how we shop, communicate, and manage our day-to-day lives. I will be watching for more mobile apps that improve safety, efficiency and improved customer experiences.