She Leads – With Jeannine Watanabe

Name:

Jeannine Watanabe

Which Cox division do you work in?

CCI

Job Title

Director Network Operations

What would you tell your younger self?

Never give up on your passion.  It is cool for girls to be good at math and science.  There are a lot of STEM careers out there where women can succeed.

What was your major in college and how did you get to the position you are in today?

I got my undergrad in Journalism and after a couple of years editing a small newspaper, I went back to University of Kansas and got my MBA in IT and Finance

How do you balance your work and personal life? Often times one has more importance, and we’re curious to know how you’ve handled the balance.

You have one life.  Work and personal are both key pieces.  There are times based on need where one will take precedence over the other.  But it will all balance out in the end.  You have to listen to your body and know when you need to take a break or reset yourself so that you can continue to succeed.

What’s your favorite part of your job and why?

My favorite job is developing people for their next career step.  Helping people achieve their goals is very rewarding.

What is your favorite hobby?

Reading, reading and more reading with a bit of yoga thrown in.

What does leadership mean to you?

Leadership means not being afraid to ask questions and sincerely listening to the answers to impact change to continue to drive the organization forward.  People are the pulse of the organization.  Treat everyone well and empower them to be successful and if they can’t help themselves move barriers out of the way so the team can succeed.

What’s your advice on mentoring?

Mentoring is key to your success.  Whether you are a mentor or a mentee you will learn from each interaction.  It’s a win/win for everyone.  Don’t be afraid to ask people to mentor you, they almost always say yes.