During her corporate career, Helene G. Lollis encountered a leader who inadvertently taught her a lot about the mindset of many senior leaders. When Lollis inquired about a promotion to a new position, her supervisor responded by saying “I can’t let you go; you are too valuable doing what you are doing.”
“In some ways, this was a huge compliment; however, in reality, this was a huge problem,” said Lollis. “Being too valuable to move was a less than ideal career progression.” Not willing to take no as the definitive answer, Lollis put a plan in motion to train her replacement and embarked on a new opportunity.
“This leadership lesson was most significant to me and is the one that inspired me to do the work I do today in moving women forward in leadership,” said Lollis, who is the CEO and President at Pathbuilders, a consulting and leadership development firm.
For 25 years, Pathbuilders has been transforming top talent into high-impact leaders who move businesses forward. Through customized programming, Pathbuilders leverages a model that effectively combines mentoring, educational workshops and interactive peer exchange to accelerate the career growth of individuals and directly contribute to the bottom-line success of client organizations.
Under Lollis’ leadership, Pathbuilders has worked with nearly 4,000 professionals from more than 500 client organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, colleges and universities and government agencies. “Our mantra is to know your company and know how to move,” said Lollis. “This is the essence of what we believe. This is what we instill in women to help them achieve success.”
The programs at Pathbuilders fit the lives of women at every step of their careers. The firm works with graduates who are adjusting to the workplace for the first time, emerging stars who are beginning to take on bigger responsibilities, successful achievers who are ready to tackle more and accomplished leaders who must now learn to inspire others.
According to Lollis, the success of all of the programs that Pathbuilders offers is based on years of research, successes and best practices within the industry.
“Our work with women across all career levels and geographies gives us tremendous insight into what women are experiencing in the workplace and what’s holding them back from achieving their full potential,” Lollis said.
For her commitment to empowering, mentoring and inspiring women in leadership, Lollis has been named a Titan.
