A combination of inspiring panelist advice and engaged audience participation created a thought-provoking discussion on fearless leadership. We heard from medtech leaders Karen Parkhill, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Medtronic, Inc; Jenny O’Brien, Chief Compliance Officer, UnitedHealthcare; Silvia Perez, Vice President and General Manager, 3M Drug Delivery Systems Division; and Alyssa Lawson, Attorney, Robins Kaplan LLP, on how they live and lead fearlessly.

Top 10 Ways to be a Fearless Leader:

“Act like you’ve been there. Say it with conviction.” -Jenny O’Brien

“Being fearless is never being defined by the box.” -Silvia Perez

“Give yourself a break. Know that you are going to make mistakes. Learn from the path of continuous improvement.” -Karen Parkhill

“Keep your fears to yourself but share your courage with others.” – Alyssa Lawson

“Fearless doesn’t mean you walk in without fear. It simply means you use the fear to motivate vs. inhibit you.” -Jenny O’Brien

“Be relevant in every situation. Sometimes that means you don’t say anything and sometimes that means you must have the courage to speak up.” -Jenny O’Brien

“I like to have champions in all different corners. Going into a tough situation, I do a lot of pre-work, so I have champions supporting me and I don’t have to shoulder it alone.” – Jenny O’Brien

“Sometimes you need to back up but that doesn’t mean you ever give up—Rethink but don’t ever quit.” -Karen Parkhill

“In challenging situations, understand the reason for your fear and decide on a way to be accountable for overcoming it.” -Jenny O’Brien

“Leadership stems from being your authentic self—Knowing yourself is important.” – Silvia Perez

 

Event Photos