More than half of the LEFF leadership team are women. This has never seemed to me particularly remarkable—as indeed it shouldn’t be—but recent work from McKinsey shows that our company is still very much in the minority.
To mark International Women’s Day, I therefore thought it would be fitting to talk to Alia Samhat, a partner at LEFF. We discuss why LEFF has been able to attract and retain smart women, and what more we can be doing—at all levels—to support women. The notoriously humble Alia doesn’t generally like to talk about herself, so I also took advantage of this opportunity to elicit some more personal information, such as what five-year-old Alia wanted to be when she grew up, what brought her to LEFF, and how her family influences her approach to work.
Katie Parry: Children are often asked what they want to be when they grow up. What was your first answer, and why?
Alia Samhat: I always wanted to be a writer of some sort, or an English teacher. It started when I fell in love with the book Anne of Green Gables.
Katie: Most little girls of our generation wanted to be something in the broad “princess” or “ballerina” family. What was it about books?
Alia: The ability to create a whole world and people—imagining them into existence. How amazing is that? And to be honest, I also had no athletic skill whatsoever, so perhaps I just realized early on that physical pursuits weren’t for me.
Katie: Did those aspirations survive your education? What were your first steps into the labor market?
Alia: Yes, actually. Almost every role I’ve had or job I’ve had throughout my career has been related to writing or content of sorts. My first job out of college was with the Peace Corps in Ukraine. I did a handful of different things, including teaching English, HIV/AIDS education, and grant writing … as well as figuring out how to manage life alone in rural Ukraine as a 20-something! It was a learning experience in every possible way.
When I came back to the US, I worked in publishing, at marketing agencies, and at an analytics software start-up before coming to LEFF nine years ago.
Katie: Lucky us! What is it that keeps you here?
Alia: Many things. Building something new, for one—a place where people want to work and find inspiration. Perhaps it’s unrealistic for any job to feel inspiring all the time, but we work hard to create an environment in which people are excited to invest their time, energy, and talents.
The industry we’re in gives us unique access to some incredibly smart people and influential organizations. I really enjoy the process and activity of making their ideas more accessible and interesting to people. Seeing your work go out into the world and have an impact is a great feeling.
And I’m energized by the opportunity to experiment and innovate, figuring out the best way to solve our clients’ challenges through our work.
Katie: For me, one of the great things about LEFF is how many smart women we have here, particularly in senior positions. Why do you think we are able to attract and retain those women?
Alia: I think and hope it’s because we naturally create the type of environment in which any woman—and indeed any person—feels respected. I am very conscious of both the large-scale, structured initiatives, like mentorship and networking programs, and things that occur in the day-to-day experience of being a working woman. When someone speaks over you or directs their comments to your male colleague in the room, for example. The more we actually address that stuff, the more we define who we are as a company and as colleagues. So reminding people it was actually Clair’s idea to do XYZ, or the like. And then I think that you attract and retain smart women by hiring and promoting other smart women. It sounds simple, right? But like any hiring and talent development effort, you must be intentional about it.
Katie: This is not the experience of all women, but you have two beautiful little toddlers. How has that changed the way that you think about work?
Alia: Like many other people in my place, I struggle with time scarcity. I’d love to spend all my time with my kids and do exceptional work in my career. Short of having a clone machine, I’m just not sure I’ll ever figure it out. But learning how other working moms manage the mental, physical, and emotional elements—that support and guidance is helpful. An open dialogue helps keep talented, driven women in the workforce.
In having a family, for me, it feels like work isn’t just for me (or the company or our clients) anymore; it’s also to make my young kids proud.
Katie: I think a lot of people—and women in particular—will recognize themselves in what you just said. What needs to change to make “the juggle” easier?
Alia: There are a lot of things, but let me focus on a couple. I know these sorts of concerns—time, the emotional pull—aren’t relevant just for parents. These are live issues for anyone with care responsibilities. Part of being a good leader and a good colleague is understanding and supporting people, drawing out their strengths especially when they feel tapped.
We can change the way we talk about and provide flexibility at work, which is often associated with women and working moms. Because, as we know, women tend to handle more caregiving, home responsibilities, and so on. But if we talk about workplace flexibility giving everyone the chance to balance their nonwork responsibilities, maybe we start to shift expectations.
And then, more broadly, we need to stay the course in a really challenging time. We might feel defeated right now, but we can still band together to make our workplace an equitable one, where everyone has the opportunity to succeed and the tools and support to do so.
Katie: Thanks, Alia. And our last question: What are the problems that keep you up at night?
Alia: I’m sure they’re not that different from those of a lot of other people: climate change, wealth inequality, access to healthcare. We need to reestablish our societal belief in the collective good. And take care of one another.
Sometimes it can be hard to find the positive threads—the ones that help us to be hopeful. But they’re there. Workwise, I’m proud of what we’ve published on climate, gender equality, and Black economic mobility, and our work with Equity and Transformation Chicago, including helping them publish their Chicago Future Fund report. Getting research out there is a step in the right direction.
Behind the scenes
This interview is part of LEFF’s Into the Weeds interview series, which amplifies individuals and organizations whose work contributes to building a more sustainable future at every level. We’ll bring you insights from renowned experts, the leaders of global organizations, and innovative local businesses. Alia Samhat (she/her) is a partner at LEFF, for which Katie Parry (she/her) is the vice president of sustainability.
To get in touch with the LEFF Sustainability Group, please reach out to Katie Parry.
