Getting a seat at the leadership table is an achievement. Knowing how to use that seat—and making sure others are heard—is another kind of responsibility. In this episode of the Executive Alliance Podcast, host Rebecca Snyder speaks with Tamla Olivier, president and CEO of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), about self-advocacy, the pressure to prove oneself, and the choices leaders make to create more inclusive organizations. Her experiences offer a candid look at what it takes not simply to advance, but to influence the room once there. Listen to the Executive Alliance Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033CPjpWSpbNiaBIlljxh1?si=56fdebfb23444ca2 Hard Work Is Necessary—but Not Sufficient Early in her career at T. Rowe Price, Olivier expected that strong performance would speak for itself. When a leadership position opened, she waited to be approached. Instead, the opportunity was offered first to a peer. Although Olivier ultimately received the role after that person declined it, the experience changed her understanding of career development. She had been taught to work hard, build relationships, and deliver results. Those habits mattered, but they did not communicate her aspirations. Olivier now emphasizes telling decision-makers what role one wants, explaining why one is ready, and asking what additional experience would strengthen a future candidacy. Self-advocacy, in her telling, is not a substitute for performance; it is how capable people help others see where they want to go. Finding a Leadership Style That Fits Olivier spent more than 25 years in human resources before moving into broader business leadership. She describes HR as both strategic and deeply human: employees bring different experiences, pressures, and strengths to work, and leaders cannot expect everyone to respond to the same approach. That perspective also shaped her own development. Earlier in her career, she often modeled herself on the predominantly male leaders around her. Over time, she learned to bring her own approach while remaining open to feedback. One colleague pointed out that her facial expressions could discourage participation during meetings. Rather than abandon her directness, she asked a peer to help her recognize the behavior and practiced listening and asking more questions. Importantly, Olivier distinguishes useful feedback from unequal expectations. She also recalls being told to calm down for expressing views with a passion that was accepted from male colleagues. Effective leadership, she suggests, requires both personal reflection and a willingness to recognize double standards. The Burden of Having to Prove You Belong Olivier speaks frankly about the added pressure she experiences as a Black woman in executive leadership. Even after earning the CEO role, she feels responsible for demonstrating every day to employees, customers, regulators, and other stakeholders that she deserves the position. She recalls a colleague suggesting that an earlier move from HR into business operations was viewed by some as a diversity rotation. Her response was to ask what he had said when others made that claim. The silence was revealing. The experience reinforced a difficult lesson: even people regarded as allies may fail to challenge assumptions about who has earned an opportunity. Making the Table Work for Everyone For Olivier, inclusion is more than an invitation to attend. She remembers meetings where junior men confidently occupied seats at the main table while accomplished women sat along the edges. She encouraged one talented colleague to move into the discussion, then challenged her assumption that she needed permission to belong there. Olivier also pays attention to whose contributions are overlooked. When someone struggles to enter a conversation, she invites that person to speak; when a useful idea is dismissed, she names its value. One employee later told her it was the first time in 17 years that anyone had affirmed her contribution in a meeting. The moment underscored how much influence leaders exercise through seemingly small choices. Her experience on corporate boards reinforces the same theme. Olivier describes evaluating whether Century Aluminum was genuinely interested in evolving its leadership and governance, rather than judging the opportunity solely by its existing composition. She values boards whose members contribute different perspectives and actively support the organization. The message is both individual and institutional: women need to articulate their ambitions and claim their place, while leaders must examine who is heard, sponsored, and considered for opportunity. A seat matters most when it comes with a voice—and when its occupant helps open the conversation to others. About the Guest Tamla Olivier is president and chief executive officer of Baltimore Gas and Electric, a role she assumed in 2025. Her career includes more than 25 years in human resources and senior leadership positions at BGE, Constellation, BGE Home, and Pepco. She also serves on corporate boards, including Century Aluminum. Her leadership experience spans talent development, business operations, organizational strategy, and governance. This blog post was written with the assistance of AI.

Achievement can open doors for women leaders. But when the drive to excel becomes an expectation to do everything, the very strength that advances a career can begin to undermine well-being. In this episode of the Executive Alliance Podcast, host Rebecca Snyder speaks with Linda Roszak Burton, a former Executive Alliance president, executive coach and board-certified health and well-being coach, about why leadership development must consider the whole person, not only professional performance. Listen to the Executive Alliance Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033CPjpWSpbNiaBIlljxh1?si=56fdebfb23444ca2 A blind spot in leadership development Burton began rethinking her coaching after the pandemic, when executive clients described the strain of supporting struggling teams while navigating their own difficulties. Traditional leadership programs teach strategy, delegation, decision-making and executive presence, she observed, but often pay less attention to the capacity leaders need to sustain those skills under pressure. She calls this a blind spot rather than a failure of leadership development. Exhaustion can erode decision quality, strain relationships and affect organizational results. For women, Burton sees an additional challenge: the emotional and practical responsibilities they often carry at work and at home. Supporting their continued leadership, she argues, means addressing physical, mental and emotional well-being alongside executive skills. When strengths work against us A central idea in the conversation is that strengths can become liabilities when overused. Drive and ambition help women reach senior positions, yet an unrelenting need to achieve may crowd out relationships, reflection and health. Burton distinguishes between a productive passion for work and an obsessive attachment that leaves little room for anything else. Her coaching starts with values, strengths, mindset and goals, including a candid look at obstacles. She also asks leaders to examine the stories they tell themselves. A woman may enter a meeting fully prepared while privately questioning whether she belongs there. That inner dialogue can shape how she presents her accomplishments. Burton encourages clients to decide how they want to feel after a meeting, then consider what mindset will help them show up that way. Small practices, sustained change The solutions Burton describes are deliberately practical. She schedules walks on her calendar and makes a backup plan for days when the original time no longer works. She also relies on coaches and peers for accountability. When a routine slips, the response is not harsh self-criticism but self-compassion and a decision about the next manageable step. One client placed a small red dot near the ignition of a car as a reminder to sit quietly for two minutes before driving. That pause could be used for breathing, gratitude or simply settling the mind. Burton asks a related question about an unexpected fifteen minutes in the day: what could a leader do with that time that would help her show up better? The emphasis is on practices that can be repeated, adapted and sustained. Gratitude beyond the thank-you note Burton’s interest in gratitude is both professional and personal. After losing her younger sister to breast cancer, she began journaling through grief. Later, studying gratitude helped her recognize the people, strengths and sources of support that had carried her through a painful period. She does not suggest that gratitude eliminates grief; rather, it helped her see her experience in a different light. In organizations, she urges leaders to move beyond generic praise. Meaningful appreciation identifies a specific action, explains why it mattered and recognizes the effort or sacrifice behind it. It also considers how each person prefers to be acknowledged. This attention can strengthen relationships and help teams recognize what worked, even during a difficult quarter, without pretending the difficulties did not exist. Leadership is not a solo endeavor Burton closes with a challenge especially relevant to Executive Alliance: women need sponsors who recognize their abilities and advocate for them when they are not in the room. They also need to sponsor one another, intentionally naming strengths and opening doors. As she puts it, the pressure is too great to carry alone. The broader lesson is not to abandon ambition. It is to make achievement sustainable through self-knowledge, realistic habits, supportive relationships and workplaces that value the whole leader. The question is not only what women can accomplish, but what will help them continue to thrive while accomplishing it. About Linda Roszak Burton Linda Roszak Burton is a former president and longtime member of Executive Alliance, an executive coach and a board-certified health and well-being coach. Her work draws on positive psychology, strengths, gratitude, resilience and stress management. She has written a gratitude journal and workbook, and she incorporates research and practical well-being strategies into her coaching of leaders and organizations. This blog post was written with the assistance of AI.