The CX world is constantly changing, from adopting new technology to shifting customer needs. Without a proper action plan, businesses are at greater risk of losing trust, experiencing high churn, and missing out on opportunities to stay competitive.
With career journeys often marked by resilience, women in CX are all too familiar with facing and overcoming unexpected barriers. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we aim to spotlight those who’ve reshaped leadership and led their teams to hard-earned victory amid uncertainty. Their diverse stories demonstrate a continuous commitment to human connection and how empathy, curiosity, and confidence are key to organizational success.
To usher in a month of honorable recognition, Dialpad, an AI-powered communications intelligence platform, held an empowering webinar on March 6th. Moderated by Dialpad CMO Jen Grant, the session featured four esteemed guests:
- Elizabeth Dominicci-Greer, Chief Operating Officer, EPHY
- Tina Harris, VP of Clinical Affairs, TenderHeart Health Outcomes
- Margaret Lawrence Rosas, Head of Customer Success, MotherDuck
- Faith Waire, Head of Corporate Reception, Wound Pros Management Group, Inc.
Here, we revisit several takeaways for embracing growth and equipping the CX leaders of tomorrow.
Lead with purpose and mission.
What defines effective leadership? It certainly doesn't mean leaving people by the wayside, expecting them to conjure solutions from thin air. Where there’s a lack of direction and sustainability, true leaders dive into the center of the mess and cultivate counteractive spaces for inspiration. They redirect work culture through purpose, encouraging teams to reflect on why they do what they do at a human level.
Redefine meaningful work.
As a seasoned expert at juggling numerous responsibilities—writing an ETL database, launching a website for a customer conference, running events—Lawrence Rosas sought a role that would redirect her to her main purpose. Then, she noticed a customer success team that, despite providing stellar services, was suffering at the cost of themselves.
“I said, ‘I’ll take them. Let me have them. This team will be my project.’ They became the Department of Customer Love,” she explained. “Someone said I saved them, but as they learned about my personal journey, they said, ‘Oh, we saved you.’ They taught me what it means to be a servant leader.”
Like Lawrence Rosas, Dominicci-Greer recruited her Special Work Action Team (SWAT) to drive further business growth. Gathering and training subject matter experts from each business area, she deemed them responsible for the contact center's most complex issues—ones that their colleagues couldn't solve.
Her recipe for success? Empathy. She noted, "You must know what the customer goes through." The fruits of her labor were worthwhile: a boosted NPS score, lowered costs, and a culture shift where people went from avoiding multilayered customer problems to wanting to join the SWAT team.
Bridge business with social impact.
From the start of her career at the Wound Pros Management Group, Waire allowed her personal experiences to drive her work. She’d lost her grandmother to improper wound care and had also witnessed her father becoming a double amputee for similar reasons.
“When I came on board with this company, [my experiences] were my connection. I didn’t have to put myself in customers’ shoes because I’d already been there,” said Waire. Determined to deliver support for those undergoing similar fears, she strove to make empathetic care her utmost priority.
When work came to a halt during the COVID-19 quarantine, Harris’ patients couldn’t access food, medical supplies, and other life necessities. Her company was quick to adapt and worked to deliver supplies to people in need, not just to maintain customer relations but to ensure that a vulnerable population would be safe during a time of chaos and crisis.
“The great thing about having a team is that you don’t have to struggle alone. There are multiple departments and levels of leadership,” explained Harris. “You’re only as good as the individuals around you. Being mission-oriented is key.”
Diversify your mentorship approach.
Mentorship is designed to be mutually beneficial. While the mentee receives years’ of industry insights, their mentors get new perspectives that can revitalize existing processes and guide them to greater innovation.
Lawrence Rosas learned to “manage up, down, and out” as she navigated different professional relationships. Her “20-40-60 mindset” came from a vital period in her career as a 40-year-old founder with a 20-year-old assistant and a 60-year-old coach. From her assistant, she gained newer knowledge she hadn't considered as a seasoned professional. From her coach, she absorbed years more of strategic wisdom and resilience.
She elaborated:
“The 20-40-60 view helps me figure out what I need. Sometimes, I need fresh eyes, and our children or younger individuals teach us with a different lens. Other times, I need someone with more experience. I look for that blend.”
Harris credited her mentorship journey to her nursing educators during her medical career. She explained, "Mentorship starts with the people who taught us first." Not only did they teach her to go beyond her role as a graduate nurse, but they also pinpointed her leadership potential and committed to seeing her grow. "A part of my journey was having strong preceptors who said, 'I think you'd be a great leader. You have many great qualities. Let me give you an opportunity.'"
Dominicci-Greer emphasized the need for both a mentor and a sponsor. While a mentor guides their mentee through active professional development, a sponsor advocates for them in rooms full of decision-makers. Whether a promotion or a moment of recognition, they fight for their sponsee’s visibility. She explained further:
“I mentor women in tech who are transitioning from college into the workplace, and I always say, ‘You need a mentor, whether me or someone else.’ You also need a sponsor within your company, and it might be someone in a different department or your direct boss, but they must talk about you when you’re not there.”
For Waire, becoming the manager she always wanted to be was vital. She explained that she didn't step into leadership but organically evolved into the role as she overcame her areas of improvement. Navigating a remote environment during COVID was far from easy. However, she had to be creative in managing online teams and simultaneously fostering a sense of purpose from their home offices.
She reflected:
“It’s difficult for people to see women as human when we misstep. This is where mentorship is important, because my mentors said, “No. Faith just needs to work on this. She’s going to be great. Now, as a manager myself, I’m big on personal and professional development, because as much as we try to separate the two, our personal lives affect every other area. My employees’ well-being, mental health, and families are just as important as submitting reports and making sure we answer calls within 60 seconds.”
Sharpening leadership skills and equipping the next generation of CX visionaries is a collective effort. Women will continue to learn from their predecessors, become industry titans and changemakers, and pass on their knowledge to those walking similar paths—but we can only maximize our impact together, and as a community that embodies empowerment in all spheres of influence.
Looking to join another Dialpad online event? Don't miss out on more insight-powered CX learning.
