Focus On Talents: Mentoring and Empowering the Next Generation of Women in Tech with Limor Bergman Gross

Building Confidence and Breaking Barriers: Insights from Limor Bergman Gross on Pathways with Amber Stitt

In a recent enlightening episode of Pathways with Amber Stitt, guest Limor Bergman Gross, a seasoned engineering leader and mentor, shared her valuable insights on empowering women in the tech industry, the intricacies of leadership, and the importance of continuous learning and personal branding.

**Empowering Women in Tech**

Limor's journey in the tech industry is not just a tale of personal growth but also a mission to lift others. Recognizing the disparity in gender representation in higher engineering roles, Limor emphasized the critical need to build confidence among women engineers. She shared her personal experiences with microaggressions and biases and highlighted how these challenges propelled her to mentor women, aiming to amplify their voices and presence in the tech world.

**The Importance of Confidence**

According to Limor, confidence is not just about personal belief but is crucial in overcoming the pervasive 'imposter syndrome' many women face, regardless of their success level. She pointed out that feeling undeserving of their positions or accolades is a common issue even among female CEOs, which shows the depth of this problem. Limor's thoughts resonate with Amber's observations from the corporate world, where female competitiveness sometimes overshadows communal support.

**Leadership and Adaptability in Remote Environments**

Discussing modern work environments, both Limor and Amber explored the effectiveness of leadership in remote settings. Limor advocated for building trust and relationships intentionally in remote teams, using strategies such as virtual happy hours and more frequent check-ins. She stressed the importance of adapting leadership styles to accommodate the dynamic needs of remote and in-office teams, suggesting that flexibility and a conscious effort to connect are key to fostering a supportive work atmosphere.

**Expanding Influence Through Personal Branding**

Limor's approach to personal branding extends beyond self-promotion. It involves sharing knowledge and contributing positively to the community, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, where she is highly active. Limor encourages tech professionals to share their expertise in ways that feel natural to them, whether through articles, posts, or videos, to establish a strong network and open up new opportunities for collaboration and growth.

**Continuous Learning and Feedback**

A throughline in Limor’s career and her advice to others is the commitment to continuous learning and adaptability. She compares leadership to engineering in that both require an ongoing process of education, problem-solving, and openness to new ideas. Limor also criticizes the traditional annual performance review, advocating instead for real-time feedback and regular communication to address and adjust performance issues more effectively and personalize leadership approaches.

**Diverse Teams and Inclusive Leadership**

Limor stressed the value of diverse teams where not everyone is expected to be a visionary; balance is essential for practical execution. The diversity in thought and operation helps in creating a more robust system where different skills and approaches synergize to solve problems innovatively.

**Final Reflections**

Closing the podcast, Limor’s reflections provided a roadmap for those looking to empower themselves and others in their professional paths. Her method—centered on mentorship, continuous improvement, and inclusive leadership—promises not only personal success but also a more balanced and equitable professional environment.

This episode of Pathways not only highlighted the challenges women face in tech but also offered practical strategies for overcoming these barriers, fostering confidence, and the importance of personal branding. Limor Bergman Gross’ insights serve as a beacon for current and aspiring tech leaders, encapsulating the essence of progressive leadership and the impact of mentoring. It’s a compelling call to action for all professionals to engage deeply, learn continuously, and support one another boldly.

For those looking to dive deeper into themes of leadership, empowerment, and career growth, connecting with thought leaders like Limor through platforms such as LinkedIn or tuning into podcasts like Pathways with Amber Stitt can provide both inspiration and practical advice tailored for the challenges of today’s fast-evolving professional landscapes.