Michele L Ross Of M Ross & Associates On How We Can Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management
An Interview With Vanessa Ogle
…Honesty and candor are wonderful tools to mentor and support other women. Sharing the good, the bad and the ugly, while demonstrating that it can be done, is encouraging to other women. I think younger women coming up in any profession appreciate knowing the road ahead, even if it presents challenges and difficulties. Because knowledge gives us power, women can learn to navigate leadership roles with a more comprehensive reality of what they will need to succeed. This success isn’t just within the organization; it’s often the pieces of life outside of work that really need support and encouragement…
Despite strides towards equality, women remain underrepresented in leadership and management roles across various sectors. In this series, we would like to discuss the barriers to female advancement in these areas and explore actionable strategies for change. We are talking with accomplished women leaders, executives, and pioneers who have navigated these challenges successfully, to hear their experiences, tactics, and advice to inspire and guide the next generation of women toward achieving their full potential in leadership and management roles.
Michele L. Ross is an experienced business attorney, commercial litigator, and the founder of M. Ross & Associates, LLC. Her firm is based in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey in Bergen County and serves all of Northern New Jersey. Michele has represented a wide range of commercial clients in the transactional arena, as well as in a litigious setting. She has a track record of success in and out of the courtroom, earning her the honor of being named “Super Lawyers Rising Star” 5 years in a row. Michele is also passionate about using her experience as a business leader and accomplished attorney to mentor the next generation of women who need help evolving in legal industry.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?
There have been so many! I don’t know that I could pinpoint one particular story because so many of my cases have been incredibly interesting and shaped and impacted me as a leader and attorney. However, in one particular case I was confronted with a very difficult situation in court. I was advocating for my client, a plaintiff in a very contentious shareholder oppression case. The defendant was not complying with its discovery obligations and as a result, I did not want to release certain previously requested information to the other side’s attorney. This was the subject of an oral argument and in that argument, the judge told me that I would be held in contempt and taken out of the courtroom by the bailiff. The judge overlooked the wrongdoing of the defendants and put the onus on me to essentially do the right thing. The judge gave me a very short period of time to decide what to do. I phoned several older attorneys to guide me on what to do. After careful consideration, I turned over the documents on behalf of my client. The judge’s harsh handling of this taught me early on that you must always err on what’s right (even if it’s not ideal for your case) because deference to a judge is imperative.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that significantly influenced your path to leadership?
When I was a young associate, my work was being critiqued by a senior partner who told me that I need to think more like him. This really offended me at the time because I couldn’t understand how I was supposed to think like him. I wasn’t him; I was me. I had a different background, training, etc., How ludicrous. At the time, I took this very literally and far too critically. I think given the culture of big law firms in the 2000s, I was particularly sensitive about my abilities, especially as a female. I spent countless hours thinking about what he had said. It took a bit of time, but eventually I was able to move past the personalization of it and actually see the long, wider view of what he meant. Of course!! It finally clicked. Yes, I should think like him. He was leading, strategizing, thinking outside the box, challenging the adversary and doing the things to make us better. His criticism wasn’t a personal attack. He was trying, albeit harshly, to get me to see things differently, to think differently. Once that gelled for me, I never ever forgot what he said and I started to apply it in all aspects of my litigation practice. I took risks, thought outside the box, and challenged adversaries in ways that I might not have. That sentence continues to inspire me as a leader today.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Actually no. I’ve had the experience of really navigating things on my own. In fact, in the 2000s in NYC, the large law firm culture that I encountered was not supportive, it was actually toxic. Other women did not want to mentor or lead or help. They saw you as competition and did nothing to teach, inspire or encourage. It was a very difficult time in my career because I desperately craved this mentorship, and got none. This is why I’m committed to mentoring and giving back to young women. I wonder where and how my path would have changed if there had been a woman who helped along the way.
Is there a particular book that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
One of my favorite business books is Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight. While this is not a traditional “how-to” on business (and I’ve ready many of those), it gives perspective. Even the greatest, most successful businesses have adversities and failures. How you handle them, approach them, pivot from them, is what ultimately leads to success. Nike had plenty of ups and downs to get where they are…you just don’t see that from the consumer side. This book provides valuable insight and foresight on leadership, management, strategy, creating a culture and philosophy and what it means to take chances.
Do you have a favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Do you have a story about how that was relevant in your life or your work?
It sounds cliché, but “Rome wasn’t built in a day” is a quote that I tell myself often. To build anything worthwhile, it takes time, lots of time. Don’t put pressure on yourself to be at your destination. Don’t compare yourself to others. It takes years (and years) and sometimes you have to weather out the storm. Perseverance pays off. It worked for the Romans!
How have you used your success to make the world a better place?
I try to encourage, mentor, lead and inspire other women to be all that they can be. I use my position as a female business owner, wife, mother, daughter and friend to demonstrate that you can do it all, even if it’s hard — and it is hard! Women have limitless potential and they need to embrace the ability to show that to others. I remind women that it is a journey, not a destination and that overcoming stumbling blocks and hurdles, ultimately make you better.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. According to this report, only about 31.7% of top executive positions across industries are held by women. This reflects great historical progress, but it also shows that more work still has to be done to empower women. In your opinion and experience what is currently holding back women from leadership and management?
This is something I think about often in my own practice. It’s a challenge to find female talent with the same level experience. I attribute this to the fact that the work life balance for women in the legal field wasn’t there when we started and many women who stepped out, find it incredibly challenging to step back in. During these same years, more men (and fewer women) continue to work their way towards partnership, which creates and even greater gap in the workforce. We need to do better for women of today and tomorrow. Companies need to create a better path of balance for women to have the ability to focus on their careers and their personal life, simultaneously. There needs to be a strong emphasis on this. Otherwise, the cycle will undoubtedly continue.
This might be intuitive to you but I think it will be helpful to spell this out. Can you share a few reasons why more women should become leaders and managers?
Women are capable, bright, innovative, intuitive, great at time management and passionate. These are tremendous qualities for any leader to possess and would be a significant attribute to any management team. Female leadership would also encourage and inspire more women to seek out these roles. Adding more women to the workforce in leadership would even the playing field and create balance that will only benefit society.
Can you please share “5 Things We Need To Increase Women’s Engagement in Leadership and Management?”
If you can, please share an example or story for each.
1 . Flexibility and work-life balance to do it all.
2 . Equal Opportunity for leadership and growth within an organization.
3 . Education and leadership programs geared towards women.
4 . More women in leadership and management so that women can see other similarly situated women.
5 . Equal compensation and executive perks
In your opinion, what systemic changes are needed to facilitate more equitable access for women to leadership roles?
I think work life balance is significant to facilitate equitable access for women to lead. Women of today are wearing so many hats: wife, partner, mother, entrepreneur, professional, daughter, friend, etc. Accommodating balance would encourage more women to stay in their professions and/or take less time off when they start their families. Women need to feel empowered to do it all, because with the right support, they can and will! Women need to be admired for what they bring to the role and not compared to their male counterparts. This leads to women feeling undervalued and working even hard to gain professional recognition.
What strategies have you found most effective in mentoring and supporting other women to pursue leadership positions?
Honesty and candor are wonderful tools to mentor and support other women. Sharing the good, the bad and the ugly, while demonstrating that it can be done, is encouraging to other women. I think younger women coming up in any profession appreciate knowing the road ahead, even if it presents challenges and difficulties. Because knowledge gives us power, women can learn to navigate leadership roles with a more comprehensive reality of what they will need to succeed. This success isn’t just within the organization; it’s often the pieces of life outside of work that really need support and encouragement.
How would you advise a woman leader about how to navigate the challenges of being a woman in a leadership role within a male-dominated industry?
I think knowledge is power in most any situation and I encourage female leaders to learn from other women who have paved the way successfully. There is no perfect road map or how-to session that will teach us to avoid mistakes or show us the way to navigate each and every scenario. However, mistakes and missteps are what make us grow and ultimately help us to become our very best selves. First and foremost, women need to be confident, secure and resilient, especially in the face of adversity. Don’t compare your actions to your male counterparts. Women and men think, lead, manage and operate differently and that is okay! This is a sentiment that should be embraced and praised, not criticized or stereotyped. Second, I encourage women to learn from other successful women and be resourceful. Find a mentor, join a women’s business organization, read books from other inspiring leaders. Lastly, don’t compare yourself to males within your industry. Comparisons are the kiss of death. Focus on what your goals and objectives are, prioritize how to get there and implement them. No one is handing any of us the key to the kingdom and we need to tune out the noise. Cultivate a style of leadership that is in keeping with your core values and build your team around that.
How do you balance the demand for authoritative leadership with the stereotypical expectations of female behavior in professional settings?
This is a challenge I continue to face, particularly in the legal field which is still male dominated. It’s near impossible to break the stereotypes of behavior, or people’s perception and I don’t focus on whether my actions or inactions are attributable to my gender. Instead, I try to focus on leading and managing with authenticity and integrity and tune out the stereotypes. The core principles and values that I subscribe to within my organization are not based on me being a woman: I treat people with respect, lead with purpose and vision and most importantly, try to provide value in our services and strategy.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
This is quite a question. I think if I had the ability, I’d love to mobilize the top female minds in all different sectors, from all over the world, to create an organization dedicated to finding, developing and implementing a universal cure for cancer.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
- https://www.instagram.com/litigationlane/
- https://www.facebook.com/mrossllc/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-l-ross-esq-b698527
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
About The Interviewer: Vanessa Ogle is a mom, entrepreneur, inventor, writer, and singer/songwriter. Vanessa’s talent in building world-class leadership teams focused on diversity, a culture of service, and innovation through inclusion allowed her to be one of the most acclaimed Latina CEO’s in the last 30 years. She collaborated with the world’s leading technology and content companies such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, and Broadcom to bring innovative solutions to travelers and hotels around the world. Vanessa is the lead inventor on 120+ U.S. Patents. Accolades include: FAST 100, Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies, Inc. 500 and then another six times on the Inc. 5000. Vanessa was personally honored with Inc. 100 Female Founder’s Award, Ernst and Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and Enterprising Women of the Year among others. Vanessa now spends her time sharing stories to inspire and give hope through articles, speaking engagements and music. In her spare time she writes and plays music in the Amazon best selling new band HigherHill, teaches surfing clinics, trains dogs, and cheers on her children.
Please connect with Vanessa here on linkedin and subscribe to her newsletter Unplugged as well as follow her on Substack, Instagram, Facebook, and X and of course on her website VanessaOgle.
