The Importance of Appreciating the Growth Process
Earlier this year, I had the incredible honor of photographing fellow Chief Donna Hughes. I asked her what piece of advice she’d give her younger self.
Donna shared, “I’m still working on this one: be more patient with yourself and your growth. Appreciate the growth process.”
“I started my career as an attorney before going into human resources. Looking back now, I know I gave a lot of grace to the people I led and supported to allow them to grow. I made sure they knew they could be innovative, make changes, and fail and it was OK. We make mistakes, we fail fast and move on.”
“But I didn’t always give myself that same grace. I required a level of perfection for myself that wasn’t really achievable and actually got in my way. I had to also recognize that I needed to role model the culture I wanted to create on my team and give myself the same type of advice I gave to others.”
“I’m in a better place today, knowing when to take the Superwoman ‘S’ off my chest. I’ve given myself the grace and space to not have all the answers, do all the things, or be in every place at all times. I’m able to be happy in the process and enjoy the journey and embrace imperfections.”
Now as a coach, Donna works with people who sometimes need to give themselves some space and grace—something she’d like to tell her younger self today. Like many during the pandemic, Donna took the time to really examine her passion and purpose.
“I wanted to make sure I wasn’t just looking at my career, but really focusing on my purpose. I realized my purpose is supporting leaders to show up in a greater, more impactful way – certainly in their organizations, but also in their communities and other meaningful aspects of their lives.”
So Donna founded Hughes Solutions, an executive coaching and HR consulting firm. As a former Chief People Officer, Donna is particularly passionate about coaching women and people of color to be successful in or help them get into seats she’s been in – senior level positions and C-Suite roles.
“I coach people who are driven about the work they do and the outcomes they achieve, but may be stuck in some way. I help them see the situation in a broader context, shift perspectives, and think in terms of opportunities instead of limitations so they can run through the walls we often put up ourselves without realizing.”
Thank you, Donna, for sharing your wisdom with us!
Click here to learn more about Hughes Solutions and connect with Donna on LinkedIn.