The five things the next generation of female executives need to know

“What is it like being the first female CEO of a major automaker?”

I am asked this a lot.

A close second is, “Do you ever grow tired of this question?”

In the automotive industry, we’re making progress to close the gender gap – at General Motors alone, we have women leading core areas such as: global manufacturing, electrification, car-sharing, tax and audit, marketing and communications. I’m also working with our most senior GM women to further build our bench-strength. And, I look forward to the day when women CEOs are the norm, not the exception. That will be real progress.

On this International Women’s Day, the theme is #BeBoldForChange. For me, that’s a reminder to mentor other women in their careers, support gender pay equality, and encourage our future generations to study STEM and follow their passion when working toward their career goals.

Today, some of my GM team members and I want to share our best career advice with you:

• “My mom grew up during the Great Depression. She taught my brother and me two lessons: There is no substitute for hard work. And work before you play.” – Mary Barra, chairman & CEO
• “Face your fears; you will grow tremendously and amazing things happen when you do.” – Alicia Boler Davis, executive vice president, global manufacturing
• “Get outside what feels comfortable. Sure it will be hard at first, but once you scale some feats that before seemed impossible, the self respect and confidence you will gain will propel you to take on greater challenges and do better things.”– Joanne Krell, executive director, corporate communications
• “Show up. Resist the temptation to dial-in to meetings or to communicate by email when you can attend in person. You’ll always get more out of the discussion, learn more, and build relationships that will be valuable in the future.” – Victoria McInnis, vice president, tax and audit
• “Don’t shy away from the difficult, tough or impossible. These are the moments which enable you to test your resolve and grow.” - Julia Steyn, vice president, urban mobility and Maven

Advice like this helped me get to where I am today, and I hope it will inspire you and those around you to pursue your dreams. I’d love to hear how you’re acting on some of the best advice you’ve ever received, and how you’ll #BeBoldForChange this year.