2009 Athena Awards - Family Matters

Lisa Rose has a gift. As the fifth of eight children, she quickly learned to be a keen observer and listener.

“Our house was very busy and chaotic when I was growing up,” she recalls. “Between our large family and constant visitors, we had a lot of people coming and going. As a result, I got to know a lot of different types of people from various walks of life and have been able to put myself in others’ shoes.”

It’s a quality that serves her well as senior managing director at Dix & Eaton, where she leads the firm’s employee communications practice and has helped clients through major challenges such as corporate restructuring, management transitions and proxy fights.

But it all might have been different if not for her grandmother and a high school guidance counselor.

“My grandmother was one of the strongest people I’ve ever known,” she says. “She survived the Great Depression and had a tough life raising six children practically on her own. I learned from her how to be independent and take care of myself, and that no matter how bad things became, I could
survive.”

So when Rose’s high school guidance counselor told her she didn’t have what it takes to succeed in college, she took it as a challenge. Rose graduated from Cleveland State University with a degree in accounting while continuing to work full time at night. She was hired at Reliance Electric Co., where she worked as an internal auditor and financial analyst before moving to Associated Realty Corp. as manager of investor relations. When she came to D&E in 1996, it was meant to be just a pit stop to gain agency experience.

Instead, Rose found her place there — so much so that she was recognized by colleagues in a company survey as the person whom staff members would turn to for personal and professional guidance. She has accepted that role by assisting other females within the company, recognizing that women in business are faced with many obstacles.

“It’s so important to be able to express what it is you need or want in your career,” Rose says.

So Rose has helped develop successful programs — some formal and others less so — to nurture the careers of her female co-workers.

To expose Dix & Eaton employees to different leadership styles, Rose initiated a women’s leadership speaker series that covered topics such as work-life balance, growing into a senior leadership role and dealing with obstacles professional women encounter.

Rose also recognized the need to assist stressed new mothers returning to work after maternity leave. She helped organize a support group to discuss common challenges, including managing work and family schedules, and travel. It has expanded to include “veteran” mothers with children of all ages who share their experiences with new moms.

“There are unique challenges with working in an agency,” says Amy McGahan, vice president of media relations at Dix & Eaton and a mother of two young boys. “Having a group of women who truly understand this, as well as the concept of balancing life outside of work, is very
helpful.”

An enthusiastic volunteer, Rose also extends her reach to many community organizations, including Towards Employment, which helps low-income Clevelanders overcome barriers to finding and keeping jobs; the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center; and the Presidents’ Council, which supports entrepreneurial and economic development within the African-American community.

“I’ve gone through tough times myself and have always had people there to help me,” she recalls. “This makes it so easy to give back, because I want to be that person now who helped an individual.”

Being a leader is more than having a title. People have to want to follow you in order to be a leader.

The most important thing about balance is that it provides a healthy perspective. When I started to force balance into my life and take more time for myself, it made me a better professional.

It’s important to carry yourself the way you want to be perceived.