Women in Transportation: Successful leadership requires consistency
Key takeaways
- Emily Williams emphasizes the importance of consistency, showing up, and mentorship in building a successful career in transportation.
- She advocates for women in the industry through her leadership roles at Geotab and ATA's Women in Motion, promoting opportunities and representation.
- Williams believes men and women in leadership should actively mentor and support women entering the male-dominated transportation sector.
- Williams encourages women to participate in industry events, volunteer, and join organizations like WIM to build network and influence change.
Being consistent is important to Emily Williams. It’s a word she keeps on her vision board. While her consistency wasn’t the only trait that helped her become the leader of Women in Motion (WIM), it set her apart.
Williams consistently showed up to every meeting, every Call on Washington, and every event where WIM had a presence. Though it was her consistency that propelled her into her role as WIM board chair, Williams has carried that consistency with her through most of her career because it’s part of her DNA.
Williams grew up with a supportive family and a mom who taught her well; but she became independent at a young age. She learned that consistency and showing up led to success through her own personal school of hard knocks. “When you’re in survival mode, you’ve just gotta do it,” she said.
After landing a sales job in the transportation industry, she hit the ground running.
“I just showed up and learned,” Williams told FleetOwner. “I constantly went to all the events, went to all the sessions, asked a lot of questions. I went to state associations and asked ‘How do I get plugged in?’”
Thirteen years later, Williams is Geotab’s head of transportation business development. She continues to spread her wings throughout the industry. Last fall, she became the board chair of the American Trucking Associations Women in Motion, an organization that advocates for women’s interests within the industry.
As the organization's leader, Williams wants to ensure the industry hears women’s voices. "That's one of the reasons that we founded [WIM], because so many women remain silent, and that's not OK,” Williams told FleetOwner. “Somebody has to fight for them. Men and women have to fight for them. We're giving women the opportunity to have a seat at the table. We're giving them an opportunity to lean in, and we're giving them a voice.”
She even uses her role at Geotab to help drive that change and provide a voice to those who might not have the time to be their own advocate.
“My customers don't always have the time,” Williams said. “They're running businesses 24/7. I am in their offices. I'm listening to their needs. I'm hearing what they're dealing with. If I can go and represent on behalf of them, we're enacting change.”
Mentorship and involvement go a long way
Williams recalls advocates and adversaries throughout her career in transportation. She remembers hearing she shouldn’t be in the industry because she didn’t know much about it. Nevertheless, she persevered. That perseverance could be attributed to those who believed in her. She remembers the mentors who helped her learn and grow into the leadership roles she holds today.
“I had a dear friend and mentor who really took me under her wing and said, ‘I see something in you. I want to help develop that, and let's make sure we fill the gaps of everything that you're missing,’” Williams recalled about an executive at the company she worked for at the time. This executive, another woman in the industry, set aside an hour each week to teach Williams everything she knew and introduce her to all the right people.
Williams believes men can help mentor women, too. It was a man, Joel Norris from YMX Logistics, who helped Williams get started in the transportation industry. He hired her and has been an important mentor to this day. Williams said it’s important for women and men in leadership to help and to advocate for all team members, but especially women who are entering this male-dominated industry.
At Geotab, Williams appreciates how her former boss, Stephen White, account executive of global strategic accounts, has pushed her into opportunities that she says she wouldn’t have considered otherwise. That includes her position as the chair of WIM.
“From the first time I sat down with Emily, I knew she was going to be a force in this industry,” White told FleetOwner. “It has been such a joy to watch her transition from someone asking, 'How can I help?' to the leader who is now answering that question for thousands of women across the country.”
Williams is a mother of three with a full-time job at a leading industry technology supplier, yet White encouraged her to take on the challenge because not only is it great for Williams’ professional growth, but it shines a light on Geotab’s support for women in the industry, as well.
Emily's advice to other women in transportation:
- Show up: Attend industry events, trade shows, and conferences.
- Get involved: Join an industry organization, such as Women in Motion, to build community, learn from others, and grow your network.
- Speak up: Raise your voice to enact change and ensure opportunities don't pass you by.
- Find a mentor: Mentors can help you get where you want to be and can keep you from feeling isolated.
She takes what she’s learned from their mentorship and implements it into her own leadership style, all to help bring up other women behind her.
“I want to be the leader that mentors and helps and promotes without an ego,” Williams said. “That's why it's important to me. We have to empower the next generation of women.”
White said not only is she inspiring the next generation of women in the industry, she’s helping lead them to success. Williams’ “work with Women In Motion is the perfect reflection of who she is—a builder, a listener, and a relentless advocate who leads by 'showing up' and then holding the door open for everyone coming behind her.”
While consistency helped Williams become a leader, it isn't the only word on Williams’ vision board. Empathy and transparency are right beside it.
“I want to be a consistent, transparent, and empathetic leader,” Williams said. “I feel like if I'm doing those three things and moving towards that, my team's going to feel supported.”
Williams’ leadership style is something that White now sees as an inspiration on its own.
“What makes Emily stand out is her rare ability to pair high-level strategic thinking with genuine, boots-on-the-ground empathy,” White said. “She leads with a mix of grit and grace that is honestly infectious. … I may have been someone who encouraged her, but seeing the way she’s transformed her passion into progress has ended up being an inspiration to me as well.”
As chair of WIM, Williams wants to grow the membership (this is where her sales skills come in handy) and provide a return on investment for the members. Currently, the organization offers training, networking, and mentorship opportunities for any woman in the industry, whether she’s behind the wheel or behind the desk. This summer, WIM will host a conference that incorporates workshops and collaborative sessions. It will also host a Call on Washington, where members are invited to the nation’s capital as WIM facilitates discussions with lawmakers about the industry’s most pressing issues and their effects on women (think: truck parking and lot lighting).
It’s these events that Williams never missed as a WIM member, and what she encourages other women in the industry to take part in. Even if women don’t attend WIM events, she encourages them to attend other industry shows and conferences to simply get plugged in.
“Go to different things. Volunteer. Show up at the state trucking associations and work the registration booth,” she said. “I do all of that stuff, and I love it. It's fun, and I made good friends that way.”
Emily Williams will lead Women in Motion for two years before passing the torch. Those interested in Women in Motion can visit wim.trucking.org.
Williams recalls advocates and adversaries throughout her career in transportation. She remembers hearing she shouldn’t be in the industry because she didn’t know much about it. Nevertheless, she persevered. That perseverance could be attributed to those who believed in her. She remembers the mentors who helped her learn and grow into the leadership roles she holds today.
“I had a dear friend and mentor who really took me under her wing and said, ‘I see something in you. I want to help develop that, and let's make sure we fill the gaps of everything that you're missing,’” Williams recalled about an executive at the company she worked for at the time. This executive, another woman in the industry, set aside an hour each week to teach Williams everything she knew and introduce her to all the right people.
Williams believes men can help mentor women, too. It was a man, Joel Norris from YMX Logistics, who helped Williams get started in the transportation industry. He hired her and has been an important mentor to this day. Williams said it’s important for women and men in leadership to help and to advocate for all team members, but especially women who are entering this male-dominated industry.
At Geotab, Williams appreciates how her former boss, Stephen White, account executive of global strategic accounts, has pushed her into opportunities that she says she wouldn’t have considered otherwise. That includes her position as the chair of WIM.
“From the first time I sat down with Emily, I knew she was going to be a force in this industry,” White told FleetOwner. “It has been such a joy to watch her transition from someone asking, 'How can I help?' to the leader who is now answering that question for thousands of women across the country.”
Williams is a mother of three with a full-time job at a leading industry technology supplier, yet White encouraged her to take on the challenge because not only is it great for Williams’ professional growth, but it shines a light on Geotab’s support for women in the industry, as well.
Williams recalls advocates and adversaries throughout her career in transportation. She remembers hearing she shouldn’t be in the industry because she didn’t know much about it. Nevertheless, she persevered. That perseverance could be attributed to those who believed in her. She remembers the mentors who helped her learn and grow into the leadership roles she holds today.
“I had a dear friend and mentor who really took me under her wing and said, ‘I see something in you. I want to help develop that, and let's make sure we fill the gaps of everything that you're missing,’” Williams recalled about an executive at the company she worked for at the time. This executive, another woman in the industry, set aside an hour each week to teach Williams everything she knew and introduce her to all the right people.
Williams believes men can help mentor women, too. It was a man, Joel Norris from YMX Logistics, who helped Williams get started in the transportation industry. He hired her and has been an important mentor to this day. Williams said it’s important for women and men in leadership to help and to advocate for all team members, but especially women who are entering this male-dominated industry.
At Geotab, Williams appreciates how her former boss, Stephen White, account executive of global strategic accounts, has pushed her into opportunities that she says she wouldn’t have considered otherwise. That includes her position as the chair of WIM.
“From the first time I sat down with Emily, I knew she was going to be a force in this industry,” White told FleetOwner. “It has been such a joy to watch her transition from someone asking, 'How can I help?' to the leader who is now answering that question for thousands of women across the country.”
Williams is a mother of three with a full-time job at a leading industry technology supplier, yet White encouraged her to take on the challenge because not only is it great for Williams’ professional growth, but it shines a light on Geotab’s support for women in the industry, as well.
Williams recalls advocates and adversaries throughout her career in transportation. She remembers hearing she shouldn’t be in the industry because she didn’t know much about it. Nevertheless, she persevered. That perseverance could be attributed to those who believed in her. She remembers the mentors who helped her learn and grow into the leadership roles she holds today.
“I had a dear friend and mentor who really took me under her wing and said, ‘I see something in you. I want to help develop that, and let's make sure we fill the gaps of everything that you're missing,’” Williams recalled about an executive at the company she worked for at the time. This executive, another woman in the industry, set aside an hour each week to teach Williams everything she knew and introduce her to all the right people.
Williams believes men can help mentor women, too. It was a man, Joel Norris from YMX Logistics, who helped Williams get started in the transportation industry. He hired her and has been an important mentor to this day. Williams said it’s important for women and men in leadership to help and to advocate for all team members, but especially women who are entering this male-dominated industry.
At Geotab, Williams appreciates how her former boss, Stephen White, account executive of global strategic accounts, has pushed her into opportunities that she says she wouldn’t have considered otherwise. That includes her position as the chair of WIM.
“From the first time I sat down with Emily, I knew she was going to be a force in this industry,” White told FleetOwner. “It has been such a joy to watch her transition from someone asking, 'How can I help?' to the leader who is now answering that question for thousands of women across the country.”
Williams is a mother of three with a full-time job at a leading industry technology supplier, yet White encouraged her to take on the challenge because not only is it great for Williams’ professional growth, but it shines a light on Geotab’s support for women in the industry, as well.
About the Author
Jade Brasher
Executive Editor Jade Brasher has covered vocational trucking and fleets since 2018. A graduate of The University of Alabama with a degree in journalism, Jade enjoys telling stories about the people behind the wheel and the intricate processes of the ever-evolving trucking industry.