Athena Impact Stories: Liat Ben-Zur on leadership authenticity

Liat shares how her grandmother emboldened her to come out and consequently, how the authenticity she brought to her leadership role became a catalyst for change within the corporate culture.

November 10, 2023
cross-functional networks

Picture a little girl, eyes wide and heart pounding, as her grandmother recounts tales of survival from Auschwitz. Her chilling stories about the deafening silence of bystanders during the Holocaust landed hard. She made it abundantly clear: inaction in the face of injustice makes you complicit.

Those stories weren’t just tales; they were a moral blueprint, a heavy inheritance that shaped my life’s mission. My grandmother’s words, etched into my soul, taught me that silence isn’t golden; it’s lethal. It’s a lesson I’ve carried into every boardroom, every project, and every team I’ve ever led. I made a vow to never stay silent and to be a voice for those pushed aside.

But it wasn’t always easy.

In the early years of my tech career, I found myself in South Korea, leading a team of engineers. The customers we were visiting wouldn’t make eye contact with me. They spoke only to the men on my team—men who reported to me. “Would you mind getting the coffee?” they would ask. Regardless of title, I felt invisible. Every meeting became a battle for legitimacy, for a seat at the table that was never offered but had to be earned.

But my grandmother’s voice echoed in my mind.  So, I persisted. I spoke up and asserted my authority, no matter how exhausting or humiliating. I often felt like an outsider, yet I worked doggedly to prove my merit and earn respect. With perseverance and grit, I slowly cemented my place at the table, even in the most male-dominated rooms.

Yet, for all my outspokenness, I harbored a secret—I was gay. The fear of jeopardizing my hard-earned career kept me in the closet for over a decade. It wasn’t until I faced the prospect of parenthood that I grasped the sheer hypocrisy of my situation. How could I teach my children to be authentic and live freely if I wasn’t? With a shaky hand and a pounding heart, I came out. And just like that, the walls I’d built around myself crumbled, paving the way for a more authentic, more successful, and more fulfilling life.

And the strangest thing happened: my career didn’t collapse; it soared. My relationships deepened, my leadership matured, and the authenticity I brought to my role became a catalyst for change within the corporate culture.

Today, I use my platform to tear down the barriers that once stood in my way. From Qualcomm to Philips to Microsoft, I’ve hustled my way through the tech labyrinth, battling systemic biases, shattering glass ceilings, and jumping over glass cliffs.  Now, I’m using my influence to break through the same systemic barriers that have long obstructed women and minorities in tech.

I strive to foster safe spaces for people to bring their full selves to work. I’m on a mission to break down barriers so the next generation of diverse leaders can ascend unimpeded. Because if my story can embolden even one person to bring their whole self to their role, to speak up, and to lead authentically, then I’ve done my job.  And, in doing so, I hope I’m making my grandmother proud.

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