Lasting lessons from ladies in leadership

Five of The Coeur d'Alene Resort's departments are led by women, and one is run entirely by women.

These leading ladies oversee sales, marketing, human resources, finances and The Coeur d'Alene Resort Spa.

"With women in leadership, I think the thing that excites me is that we bring a different perspective," said sales and marketing director Jamie Cornell, who has worked at The Resort for 14 years.

"A lot of us are moms; we’re running a lot of stuff at our houses, so we’re used to multi-tasking," she said. "I think some of our styles and perspectives bring a whole new element to the leadership team. We need all, both men and women, to come together, and it creates this great balance. That’s one of the big things that we bring to the table."

The combined experience of Cornell, spa director Berni Campbell, controller Ninette Goucher, human resources director Brianna Robson and director of marketing Danielle Beaudine is more than 50 years.

Campbell makes a huge contribution to that number — she started at Dockside as a hostess in 1988 and worked her way through management at Dockside, Tito's and Beverly's. In her fifth year as a general manager at Dockside, she found an opportunity at the spa and seized it.

Her advice for women seeking success in the workforce?

"Don’t let yourself get stagnant," she said. "I was able to grow throughout the hotel because I was always looking for that next position that I wanted to learn. Now, with the spa, I definitely am happy where I'm at.

"You do have to put in the work and lead by example, and you do have to put the time in with your staff," she said. "Your staff is your No. 1 priority. You’re not going to give the service if you don’t have the staff."

Robson has been in her role for about two years, but has been with The Resort just more than eight years total. She said the key to success is to always aspire for something better, and always continue education.

"Constantly be educating yourself," she said. "Reading books, reading articles, really finding what you’re passionate about, because that’s where you’re going to fail, is if you go into a job that you’re not passionate about, so continually educating yourself. You want to be in HR? Then continually stay up on the laws and procedures. That’s where you’re going to be successful because you’ll know the answers while you’re moving up the ranks."

Goucher said it's nice to see more women in leadership roles in the whole community, but it's not just about women — it's about equal opportunities.

"I think that it should be equal between men and women and it should be the most qualified candidate and the best leader doing what they do" she said. "But also, it’s just encouraging our youth in general, both the young girls and young boys, to be a good leader and giving them good examples."

All of the female directors give credit to Resort President Bill Reagan for his continued support and leadership.

"I am proud of the team of leaders we have here at The Resort — both men and women," he told The Press. "Not only do our female leaders possess innovative and dynamic qualities, but they also succeed in enhancing the enthusiasm, confidence and job performance of our employees by leading their teams with a shared vision. More specifically, a vision that is guided through inspiration and encouragement. They truly emphasize teamwork and encourage personal development in the workplace."