Fabrice Houdart on Overcoming Self-Doubt to Influence the Boardroom

Chief Influencer

This week's episode features Fabrice Houdart, the Executive Director of the Association of LGBTQ+ Corporate Directors. He explores his career dedicated to economic empowerment and advocacy for LGBTQ+ equality. Fabrice reflects on his transition from roles at organizations like the World Bank and the United Nations to founding initiatives aimed at increasing LGBTQ+ representation on corporate boards.

He discusses the challenges and successes of organizing underrepresented groups and offers insights into leadership and influence in corporate governance. The conversation also touches on his personal experiences with self-doubt and how he leverages platforms like Substack and LinkedIn to engage and inspire the community.

Takeaways:

• Embrace Diversity for Better Outcomes: Ensure your leadership includes diverse voices (LGBTQ+, racial, ethnic, socioeconomic) as this can lead to better decision-making and outcomes. Representation is not just for the sake of it; diverse perspectives can provide unique solutions and innovations.
• Be Authentic in Your Leadership Style: Leaders should find and embrace their own genuine style of influence rather than emulating a traditionally confrontational or aggressive approach. Authentic leadership fosters trust and loyalty.
• Build a Supportive Board Culture: When creating or leading a board, involve people who bring different strengths and perspectives. Encourage a culture where voices are heard and valued, and work actively to remove barriers that have historically excluded underrepresented groups.
• Leverage Influence Through Strategic Partnerships: Partner with other groups and allies who are focused on similar objectives. Interpersonal relationships between groups can enhance advocacy and impact. Cooperation over competition ensures progress for all underrepresented groups.
• Consistent Communication Is Key: Regular and consistent communication through platforms like LinkedIn or Substack helps to build and maintain influence. Don’t underestimate the importance of staying connected and communicating your mission and values.
• Seek and Value Diverse Opinions: In decision-making processes, involve a variety of voices to ensure broader perspectives and better-informed outcomes. Regularly seek advice and feedback from different stakeholders to improve your strategies and initiatives.
• Acknowledge and Address Self-Doubt: Recognize that self-doubt is common and can be influenced by past experiences. Addressing it openly can be empowering and can help you move forward more confidently. Build a community or support network to help mitigate these feelings and reinforce your achievements.

Quote of the Show:

• Starting to realize that people in leadership positions are actually people like us, and in many ways, they are not superhumans, really helped decrease my own self-doubt. Interacting with people in positions of leadership is what ultimately gave me more confidence in my own ability to lead."

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabricehoudart/
• Website: https://lgbtqdirectors.org/

Shout Outs:

• World Bank: https://www.worldbank.org/ext/en/home
• United Nations: https://www.un.org/en/
• Koppa - The LGBTI+ Economic Power Lab: https://koppalab.org/
• L’Oréal Global Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Board: https://www.loreal.com/en/news/commitments/global-diversity-and-inclusion-advisory-board/
• The Women’s Forum Editorial Board