Kelly Gray is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources at FedEx Ground, where she oversees all aspects of human resource initiatives and support for the company. With more than 30 years of experience, Gray has held leadership roles and contributed to corporate growth through a variety of critical HR initiatives. Her current responsibilities include setting the strategic direction for workforce planning and development for the more than 65,000 employees that make up FedEx Ground.
Gray will present at the i4cp 2015 Conference, March 16 - 19, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
What, in your opinion, is the biggest challenge faced by business leaders today?
There are many, to be sure, but I see one of the biggest challenges as being able to balance the competing pressures of achieving immediate results and long-term excellence. There is a lot of competition for investments, and that applies to both capital and human investments. There is pressure for growth and aversion to risk. With these sometimes competing and constantly changing priorities, it's so critical to make the right decisions consistently.
In what ways have you seen the strategies of leaders change during the course of your career?
In today's world of immediacy, the pace has certainly increased. Cycles are shorter and the pressure is greater, so I think the strategies of business leaders have naturally responded to that with an increased focus on short-term strategies. Some leaders don't quite seem to be patient enough to wait for results and evaluate them fully. Much of this is probably because customers certainly aren't patient in this regard. The street isn't. The public isn't either. Everyone is eager to move on to the next idea or the next solution, rather than taking time to fully understand what's happening--and, perhaps more importantly, why it's happening. This impatience is a change I've noticed since I began my career.
What is the one characteristic that you believe every leader must possess?
Every good leader must know how to really listen. That's all forms of listening and absorbing--taking in every bit of information that's provided to you. In my experience, with the benefit of hindsight, there's almost always some signal or hint that would have been extremely valuable if it hadn't been dismissed or overlooked entirely.
What is the one behavior you've seen consistently derail the careers of leaders?
This relates to the answer I just gave about listening--sometimes when a leader achieves a certain level of success, a degree of expertise, or years of experience, they fall into a place where they stop listening. They only hear what they want to hear. They think they've already seen and heard so much that there's really nothing to be gained by listening to any new perspectives. I've seen that mentality really derail otherwise successful leaders.
Some studies assert that women have higher EQs [emotional intelligence] and are more effective leaders in some ways because of this. Do you agree?
I really dislike generalizing about the differences between men and women--I know there are plenty of examples that don't fit with these generalizations.
For example, many women I've known in my career were willing to walk away from a job, or take a job where there was great risk involved. I've also known other women who wouldn't take the risk, even if--from my outside perspective--they probably needed to for the sake of growth, change or their own happiness. I just don't feel that we can always generalize around gender.
Have you read Lean In? Thoughts?
I have, and I'm really glad that it jump-started and enhanced the conversation about women's leadership, but I'm not sure I think her [author Sheryl Sandburg] perspective is representative of most women. There is a really important part of the book that gets downplayed: it is the part about understanding what you really want. Making decisions in your job and in your life with that understanding is absolutely critical. Not everyone aspires to get to the C-suite and that's okay. You need to know what makes you tick. What is it that makes you happy? What are you going to do every day in your job and how are you going to be able to enjoy that every day when you go to work? These are the questions that need to be addressed.
What do you consider to be your greatest strength as a leader?
For me it's resiliency. I've faced a lot of change and found a way to embrace it, manage it, lead it, and ultimately leverage it. I think that's been very helpful to me in being successful.
Do you think that resiliency is something you've honed over time or is it inherently part of your make up?
I think it's both. It is definitely part of my character, but I've had plenty of practice in strengthening it over time.
Who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Why and how did this person impact your career?
There was an individual early-on in my career who had a lot of confidence in me. He gave me a nudge for a promotion into a job that I didn't think I was quite ready for, but he knew I was ready for it, and he was so supportive. His push was invaluable for me to gain the confidence that I needed to jump-start the rest of my career. He just turned 80 this past year and I am so thankful that we are still in touch.
Aside from this individual, throughout my career I have had a very large network of supportive people, most of whom were women. I've had a number of mentors who were male, but there is something special about that network of women who are peers, friends, career counselors and confidants. We are always able to call on each other when we're in need.
What professional experience contributed most significantly to the development of your business acumen?
I changed industries mid-career--I moved from the hospitality industry into an entirely new industry when I came to FedEx. But throughout my career in both industries, I made a number of lateral moves where I gained experience across a number of different functions within human resources. This led to an accumulation of broad and deep expertise and knowledge. I think that's really been key to getting me to where I am today. When I talk with some of my peers, there are often those who have been very specialized, where they have stayed in one certain area, but I moved around across a lot of different functions within HR and I think that's made the difference for me.
When you were age 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an astronaut. The Apollo missions were going to the moon and I so wanted to be a part of that excitement! Of course there were no women astronauts at that time, and no one in my family or anyone I knew ever talked about wanting to be an astronaut, but that didn't stop me. Clearly my career aspirations evolved over time.
What advice would you give to a woman going into a leadership position for the first time?
I would say to her that she needs to be responsible for navigating her career. It's the experience and the knowledge that is gained from each step--not the direction of the step--that matters in advancing your own career. I would tell her to focus on acquiring excellent business and financial acumen and learn the business inside and out from every vantage point. I would tell her to listen, listen, listen. I would tell her to be a servant leader. I would make sure she understands that she decides the next step and the right step for her career. I would remind her to develop herself continuously and to surround herself with supporters and champions.
What can or should organizations do to ensure the professional growth and development of women leaders?
All organizations need to challenge women to be intentional in their own development, to be responsible for their own career path moves, but they also need to be deliberate in involving them in projects that will aid in their development. I think companies can focus on very purposeful talent management and position women leaders for the right mission-critical roles. Organizations should have a formal talent review process that includes the development of diverse talent, and most importantly, they need to have a process for holding the leaders of the company accountable for this focus on talent development. You want to make sure you have successors who are diverse--in gender and experience. All of it needs to be looked at through the lens of diversity and diverse development.
In my company, we talk about women's development and women in leadership all the time. We all understand that our diverse workforce, supplier base and supporting culture enable us to better serve our customers and compete effectively in the global marketplace. We really strive to create an environment where people can contribute and grow and where the values of diversity are woven throughout the organization. While the paths and career goals may be different, we all share the common view that women are not just part of the discussion at FedEx, but we're at the table to help lead that discussion. Gender diversity is a priority and an advantage that's hard to replicate. Research shows that diverse leadership generates stronger business results and that's why FedEx has and continues to make diversity a top priority.
About Kelly Gray
Kelly Gray is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for FedEx Ground, a leading provider of ground small-package delivery services, delivering over four million packages a day throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Gray assumed her current position in 2011 after serving as Staff Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for FedEx Corporation. In this role, she was responsible for the diversity programs as well as all aspects of health care and human resource initiatives for the portfolio of FedEx operating companies. Prior to this role she was the Vice President of Human Resources for FedEx Express.
With more than 30 years' experience, Gray's scope of HR includes compensation, benefits and administrative systems development. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles and contributed to corporate growth through critical HR initiatives including the successful integration of merging company benefit programs, the conversion of multiple systems to a common platform and the effective development of a compensation program to retain talent following corporate mergers.
Gray earned her bachelor's degree in Health Care Management from the University of Alabama. A founding member of the Memphis Business Group on Health, she served as a board member and chairperson of the Quality Measurement Committee. Gray currently serves on the board of directors for the National Business Group on Health and is Chair of the Institute for Workforce Innovation and Well Being. She is also a council member of the Conference Board HR Executive Leaders. She is an active member of the community and was recently named Chair for the United for Women initiative that focuses on serving women in Pittsburgh through the United Way of Allegheny County. Gray has also been named to the board of the Magee-Women's Research Institute and Foundation, affiliated with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In 2012, she was recognized with the HR Leadership Award by the Pittsburgh Business Times and was named among Diversity Journal's "Women Worth Watching" for 2015.
Gray will present at the i4cp 2015 Conference, March 16 - 19, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
What, in your opinion, is the biggest challenge faced by business leaders today?
There are many, to be sure, but I see one of the biggest challenges as being able to balance the competing pressures of achieving immediate results and long-term excellence. There is a lot of competition for investments, and that applies to both capital and human investments. There is pressure for growth and aversion to risk. With these sometimes competing and constantly changing priorities, it's so critical to make the right decisions consistently.
In what ways have you seen the strategies of leaders change during the course of your career?
In today's world of immediacy, the pace has certainly increased. Cycles are shorter and the pressure is greater, so I think the strategies of business leaders have naturally responded to that with an increased focus on short-term strategies. Some leaders don't quite seem to be patient enough to wait for results and evaluate them fully. Much of this is probably because customers certainly aren't patient in this regard. The street isn't. The public isn't either. Everyone is eager to move on to the next idea or the next solution, rather than taking time to fully understand what's happening--and, perhaps more importantly, why it's happening. This impatience is a change I've noticed since I began my career.
What is the one characteristic that you believe every leader must possess?
Every good leader must know how to really listen. That's all forms of listening and absorbing--taking in every bit of information that's provided to you. In my experience, with the benefit of hindsight, there's almost always some signal or hint that would have been extremely valuable if it hadn't been dismissed or overlooked entirely.
What is the one behavior you've seen consistently derail the careers of leaders?
This relates to the answer I just gave about listening--sometimes when a leader achieves a certain level of success, a degree of expertise, or years of experience, they fall into a place where they stop listening. They only hear what they want to hear. They think they've already seen and heard so much that there's really nothing to be gained by listening to any new perspectives. I've seen that mentality really derail otherwise successful leaders.
Some studies assert that women have higher EQs [emotional intelligence] and are more effective leaders in some ways because of this. Do you agree?
I really dislike generalizing about the differences between men and women--I know there are plenty of examples that don't fit with these generalizations.
For example, many women I've known in my career were willing to walk away from a job, or take a job where there was great risk involved. I've also known other women who wouldn't take the risk, even if--from my outside perspective--they probably needed to for the sake of growth, change or their own happiness. I just don't feel that we can always generalize around gender.
Have you read Lean In? Thoughts?
I have, and I'm really glad that it jump-started and enhanced the conversation about women's leadership, but I'm not sure I think her [author Sheryl Sandburg] perspective is representative of most women. There is a really important part of the book that gets downplayed: it is the part about understanding what you really want. Making decisions in your job and in your life with that understanding is absolutely critical. Not everyone aspires to get to the C-suite and that's okay. You need to know what makes you tick. What is it that makes you happy? What are you going to do every day in your job and how are you going to be able to enjoy that every day when you go to work? These are the questions that need to be addressed.
What do you consider to be your greatest strength as a leader?
For me it's resiliency. I've faced a lot of change and found a way to embrace it, manage it, lead it, and ultimately leverage it. I think that's been very helpful to me in being successful.
Do you think that resiliency is something you've honed over time or is it inherently part of your make up?
I think it's both. It is definitely part of my character, but I've had plenty of practice in strengthening it over time.
Who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Why and how did this person impact your career?
There was an individual early-on in my career who had a lot of confidence in me. He gave me a nudge for a promotion into a job that I didn't think I was quite ready for, but he knew I was ready for it, and he was so supportive. His push was invaluable for me to gain the confidence that I needed to jump-start the rest of my career. He just turned 80 this past year and I am so thankful that we are still in touch.
Aside from this individual, throughout my career I have had a very large network of supportive people, most of whom were women. I've had a number of mentors who were male, but there is something special about that network of women who are peers, friends, career counselors and confidants. We are always able to call on each other when we're in need.
What professional experience contributed most significantly to the development of your business acumen?
I changed industries mid-career--I moved from the hospitality industry into an entirely new industry when I came to FedEx. But throughout my career in both industries, I made a number of lateral moves where I gained experience across a number of different functions within human resources. This led to an accumulation of broad and deep expertise and knowledge. I think that's really been key to getting me to where I am today. When I talk with some of my peers, there are often those who have been very specialized, where they have stayed in one certain area, but I moved around across a lot of different functions within HR and I think that's made the difference for me.
When you were age 10, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an astronaut. The Apollo missions were going to the moon and I so wanted to be a part of that excitement! Of course there were no women astronauts at that time, and no one in my family or anyone I knew ever talked about wanting to be an astronaut, but that didn't stop me. Clearly my career aspirations evolved over time.
What advice would you give to a woman going into a leadership position for the first time?
I would say to her that she needs to be responsible for navigating her career. It's the experience and the knowledge that is gained from each step--not the direction of the step--that matters in advancing your own career. I would tell her to focus on acquiring excellent business and financial acumen and learn the business inside and out from every vantage point. I would tell her to listen, listen, listen. I would tell her to be a servant leader. I would make sure she understands that she decides the next step and the right step for her career. I would remind her to develop herself continuously and to surround herself with supporters and champions.
What can or should organizations do to ensure the professional growth and development of women leaders?
All organizations need to challenge women to be intentional in their own development, to be responsible for their own career path moves, but they also need to be deliberate in involving them in projects that will aid in their development. I think companies can focus on very purposeful talent management and position women leaders for the right mission-critical roles. Organizations should have a formal talent review process that includes the development of diverse talent, and most importantly, they need to have a process for holding the leaders of the company accountable for this focus on talent development. You want to make sure you have successors who are diverse--in gender and experience. All of it needs to be looked at through the lens of diversity and diverse development.
In my company, we talk about women's development and women in leadership all the time. We all understand that our diverse workforce, supplier base and supporting culture enable us to better serve our customers and compete effectively in the global marketplace. We really strive to create an environment where people can contribute and grow and where the values of diversity are woven throughout the organization. While the paths and career goals may be different, we all share the common view that women are not just part of the discussion at FedEx, but we're at the table to help lead that discussion. Gender diversity is a priority and an advantage that's hard to replicate. Research shows that diverse leadership generates stronger business results and that's why FedEx has and continues to make diversity a top priority.
About Kelly Gray
Kelly Gray is Senior Vice President of Human Resources for FedEx Ground, a leading provider of ground small-package delivery services, delivering over four million packages a day throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Gray assumed her current position in 2011 after serving as Staff Vice President of Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer for FedEx Corporation. In this role, she was responsible for the diversity programs as well as all aspects of health care and human resource initiatives for the portfolio of FedEx operating companies. Prior to this role she was the Vice President of Human Resources for FedEx Express.
With more than 30 years' experience, Gray's scope of HR includes compensation, benefits and administrative systems development. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles and contributed to corporate growth through critical HR initiatives including the successful integration of merging company benefit programs, the conversion of multiple systems to a common platform and the effective development of a compensation program to retain talent following corporate mergers.
Gray earned her bachelor's degree in Health Care Management from the University of Alabama. A founding member of the Memphis Business Group on Health, she served as a board member and chairperson of the Quality Measurement Committee. Gray currently serves on the board of directors for the National Business Group on Health and is Chair of the Institute for Workforce Innovation and Well Being. She is also a council member of the Conference Board HR Executive Leaders. She is an active member of the community and was recently named Chair for the United for Women initiative that focuses on serving women in Pittsburgh through the United Way of Allegheny County. Gray has also been named to the board of the Magee-Women's Research Institute and Foundation, affiliated with University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In 2012, she was recognized with the HR Leadership Award by the Pittsburgh Business Times and was named among Diversity Journal's "Women Worth Watching" for 2015.