Elizabeth (Liz) Harper has always been a woman in a male-dominated industry, but that fact has not had a negative impact on her success. In fact, if anything, on the many occasions when she has been the “only woman in the room,” Liz has learned how to deal with an environment that was built on a lack of diversity. She has done well because she has learned to rise above potential adversity and, as a result, is well-respected by her peers and clients.
A key observation
Over the years, Liz has become very intuitive about people, able to ‘read’ situations and act, or react, with maturity and thoughtfulness. As a seasoned professional, she knows how to mitigate a challenge and handle scenarios that can be difficult, using compromise when appropriate to avoid conflict.
She has shown she can defuse a problem while firmly standing her ground, without backing down, but also without being offensive – even in uncomfortable circumstances.
Words of advice
Throughout her career, Liz’s experiences have reinforced the idea that gender, nationality, and culture no longer play as influential a role as in previous generations. Instead, Liz points out that today’s successful professionals – men and women – are those who have a strong work ethic, accept challenges, develop strong camaraderie with their team, and embrace flexibility to seamlessly integrate their work and homelife commitments.
