Show-Me State Times

MICDS students, dressed in costumes, participated in the Emerson Leadership Institute's third annual Be Heard! Women in Leadership conference on May 3. The half-day event included discussions on creating a sense of belonging and equity in the workplace and concluded with a panel discussion featuring local Asian women leaders.

The panelists were Elaine Cha from St. Louis Public Radio, Grace Lee from Mary Institute Country Day School, Nalini Mahadevan from MLO Law and the Immigrant Professional Women’s Network, and Shu Schiller from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Luchen Li of Saint Louis University moderated the session.

Barnali Gupta, Ph.D., Dean at Saint Louis University's Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, emphasized that leadership should focus on those being led rather than the leader themselves. “If you make leadership about you, you’ve already failed,” she said.

Gupta urged attendees to identify their motivations: “Our students are my why,” she stated. “They are why I do what I do. Find your why.”

Panelists discussed challenges like tokenism and finding solidarity among women colleagues. Lee shared how early connections with other women of color aided her career progression in education administration. Cha highlighted generational biases and stressed that professional relationships don't require friendship: “We should be professional and be supportive of one another, but you don’t have to be best friends with everyone.”

Mahadevan spoke about setting examples for future generations: “We set the example and teach the people behind us,” she remarked.

Schiller emphasized developing employees into leaders: “Team success is grown by individual success,” she said.

The paths to leadership varied among panelists; Schiller intentionally pursued academic leadership at UMSL while Cha described her journey as less directed but driven by curiosity: “I am where I am because I am assertive without being loud.”

Cha encouraged attendees to discover their own path forward: “Don’t be afraid to do things,” she advised.

Founded in 1910, Saint Louis University's Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business has been recognized for its commitment to innovation and inclusion with several nationally ranked programs.