17 Nov VF Corporation: What leadership attributes do you value most in others and yourself?

Jo Ann Hirsimaki
VP, Total Rewards & HR Operations
“The attributes I value most are integrity, humility, and courage. Integrity breeds trust and confidence, humility encourages openness to ideas and inclusion, and one must have the courage to stand by their values and inspire others to do the same.”

Roseann Larson
Chief Information Security Officer
“There are many qualities I value in leaders, including integrity, authenticity, intelligence, commitment, vision, creativity, and compassion. The leaders that have had the most impact on my career had a combination of these qualities and I try to emulate these characteristics as I lead my team today.”

Anita Graham
VP and Chief Human Resources Officer
“I most admire collaborative, inclusive, and empathetic leadership. Great leaders build and execute shared objectives, and enable others to achieve their goals and grow personally and professionally. The key underpinnings for these attributes are integrity, humility, and building trust.”

Kellye Gordon
Senior Director, Ethics and Compliance
“Leadership means looking inward by being totally authentic, looking outward by recognizing the value each person holds, and connecting the two through empowerment. The best mentor I ever had was a woman who once told me: “Nothing you do or achieve in life will matter unless it results in someone else feeling empowered to be her best self.”

Karyn Peterson
VP, Global Consumer and 
Shopper Insights
“Great leaders have the ability to get the best out of others, instill trust, and ask questions that unlock new ideas and opportunities.”

Sandra Harris
VP, Chief Financial Officer for Supply Chain, VF Services and Direct-to-Consumer
“Influential leadership embraces diversity of thought, culture, and experiences and incorporates these differences into new strategies and ideas. Success is driven by teams, and therefore a leader’s ability to encourage collaboration and empowerment is critical. A leader should have courageous authenticity and humility and continually encourage, teach, and develop others.”

Sheila Carmichael
Senior Director, Diversity & Inclusion
“My top leadership values are authenticity, humility, and integrity. These are traits that guide me in creating learning opportunities for myself and others – both professionally and personally. Leaders are responsible for influencing sustainable change. To do so, we must be the change we expect others to follow.”