Passionate about acrobatic gymnastics as well as communication since she was young, Diana-Paola Levy is a talented entrepreneur. After graduating from ISC Paris business school and from U. C. Berkeley, she started her career internationally in commercial functions, then became director of communication in the field of pharmaceutical laboratories and luxury goods. In 2008, she set up the subsidiary of one of her former suppliers who had become a client until its deployment and then its listing on the stock exchange. Following this experience, she founded DORinternational, a customized communications consultancy (events, media PR, image, strategy, digital web) for companies and managers. The consultancy’s slogan is: "DOR: a spotlight to put you
in the spotlight!"

 

Q: What is the added value for a company or organisation to be owned or run by a woman?

A: Sensitivity: since women are more sensitive than men, they develop a more human relationship with the world of work based on people, their qualities and their potential.

But beyond this argument, several facts and figures tend to prove that the presence of women, especially in management positions, often means better economic health.

Intuition: Intuition remains instinctive and guides women leaders in their managerial style throughout their careers, thus developing an intuitive intelligence nourished by life experience.

In my opinion, intuition is a lever of influence. It also means learning to listen to oneself and to one's inner voice, and to trust oneself. Also, since women are more inclined to take a subject as a whole and consider all its facets, they often tend to anticipate problems with the desire to do well and finalise before presenting or proposing a project. Could it be the ‘good student’ syndrome? "

The sorority: it's up to us to ‘play’, we have all the cards in hand.

For some time now, a real groundswell has been brewing. As proven by a Harvard study, women are banding together and gathering in circles to bring out their power and happiness.

Thus re-energized, nourished by sisterhood, audacity and expertise, they are able to move mountains in
every-day situations.

One of the difficulties of managing a company as a woman is finding the right balance between consensuality and authoritarianism, which risks appearing castrating to male employees. It's up to us to decode these management styles and make management evolve "with No Gender Matter" by combining an iron hand in a velvet glove, to move forward together.

 

Q: At some point in their careers, every entrepreneur or CEO hits a wall. Do you think there are general differences between how men and women tackle these obstacles?

A: To be successful, women need to have faith in themselves and their projects. If they have doubts or little confidence in themselves, no one else will have it!

Any failure can undermine this confidence, even to the point of affecting one’s self-esteem. To avoid this trap, many women develop a long-term vision of their project. They evaluate the costs and measure the risks.

Failures, therefore, act as powerful lessons and motors in the face of new adversity, and thus allow women to develop their own resilience.

For women, failure often signifies personal inadequacy, and they use it as a lesson, whereas men will find parameters for failure, often external to themselves, and they will even tend to feel less guilty. However, the words of Nelson Mandela remain my inspiration: ‘either you win or you learn.’

Compared to men, women are 38% more likely to be emotionally sensitive at work. Whether they are calm and aloof or passionate, depending on the situation, women access their emotions more easily, allowing them to be considered more emotionally intelligent and empathetic. Women are often passionate!

Where men have a stronger preference for competition, women are more interested in stable situations. They declare that they prefer professional stability to professional evolution (+17%). This attitude reflects greater loyalty and fidelity to their company. They are more likely to make the most of their professional situations.

In terms of team spirit, women prefer to adopt altruistic behavior in the workplace (+14%).

They are also better mediators in conflict situations. Indeed, they are more likely to find common ground and are 13% more flexible than men at work. This greater ease in resolving conflicts is undoubtedly facilitated by their extraversion, which is 8% higher than that of men.

 

Q: Who were/are the female mentors who inspired you?

A: Simone Veil: An example of resilience

This woman has been a daily inspiration to me since I was thirteen years old. She was iconoclastic and non-conformist-- even revolutionary in some respects, and today we note that she was able to offer emancipation to contemporary women. A dignified, committed, militant woman, she knew how to create adhesion after having assumed and confronted her detractors.  A visionary, she remains for me a symbol of the independence of women
alongside men.

Today, it is impossible to think of women's rights without thinking of Simone Veil. She has become an intergenerational symbol of women’s leadership and empowerment.

Christine Lagarde:

I admire Christine Lagarde for her ability to face her daily life by ‘always smiling with clenched teeth,’ whatever the situation. Her sports references have given me the desire to win and to always keep a sporting spirit with values of effort and performance. I also admire her ability to manage people.

 

Q: How do you think the opportunities for women in business have changed throughout your career?

A: The place of women in the workplace is a key issue, as it is through work that women gain financial independence, one of the pillars of equality. Real progress was made in the 1970s and 1980s; laws were passed, but professional inequalities between women and men persist.

Today, opportunities for women are identical to those for men, with key positions on boards of directors, department directors or non-sedentary positions previously reserved for men (sales director, regional manager, etc.). However, there is still no parity in the representation of women on boards of directors or in the salary gaps that still exist.

 

Q: What advice would you give to a woman starting out on her career path?

A: Remove the unconscious barriers that limit you! Women are less ambitious than men to start their own businesses. The main reason is the fear of failure (21% of women versus 15% of men).

Don't underestimate yourself. It is important that mentalities change and that women gain confidence in themselves.

Multiply it by Two. When you think about a goal, you will have a more accurate idea of what you are really worth!

Shield yourself by working on your self-confidence, develop your audacity and dare. 

Knowing how to surround yourself with people gives you a benevolent view, but also a precious expertise.

Be assertive by being yourself because ‘the others are already taken.’ You are your first ambassador.

It is through your strength of conviction that you will silence opponents and impose respect. And it is far from being innate, so work on it! You must know how to leave important room in your schedule for networking, for friendship, for pro bono commitment, for life, which often, I know, already overflows!