Dr Jessica Lautz – Leadership lessons from a woman in a man’s world

INTRODUCTION• Dr. Jessica Lautz is a prominent American economist and researcher in the field of housing.• She is Deputy Chief Economist and Vice President of Research at the National Association of Realtors – and has an office in Washington DC.• The NAR represents more than 1.5 million estate agents and real estate professionals across the USA, and is America’s largest trade association• Dr Lautz’s work focusses on analysing trends in the American housing market.• She regularly features as an expert analyst on American television and other major news and industry platforms.• In 2024 she testified before the US Congress on housing policy – and why young people are increasingly struggling to buy their first home.• In 2021 Dr Lautz was named as one of Housing Wire’s Women of Influence. In 2022 she was one of RIS Media’s Newsmakers• She earned her Doctorate in Real Estate at Nottingham Trent University. She also holds an MA in Public Policy from American University, Washington DC and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Law and Justice from Central Washington University.LEADERSHIP TAKEAWAYS from episode 69 of the NBS Business Leaders’ podcast, with Dr Jessica LautzAlways lead with integrity“Telling people the truth when you're in front of a room is so incredibly important. Sugarcoating things and telling them, ‘Oh, it's all great’ – that's not going to help anyone.”Trust in your team’s expertise“Trust that you’ve hired the best person for a job… because you’re not actually an expert in what they do.”Learn from all the bad (male) bosses you’ve had“Tell yourself, I’m not going to do that!”Adapt your leadership to a changing workforce“Maybe it's COVID... but I do think this is a real shift in what staff want. Younger people take a more holistic view. They want to know the value of what they are doing – and the mission behind it.”Tailor your communication to your audience“Policymakers... realtors... media… they are all completely different. You have to know who you are talking to.”Face up to misogyny with poise and confidence“Two months ago I sat on a panel that was all men. [At one point] they actually told me to be quiet! Later I answered all the audience questions. I do think there is a karma. You can just let it roll…”Build an open-door, supportive culture among your staff“Meet with them on a regular basis… actually understand what they are working on.”Advice for leaders of the future…“Be nerdy! Being the most educated person on any single topic is not going to hurt you. Other people will want to know about it. Embrace your inner nerd!”RELATED LINKS• Dr Jessica Lautz is Deputy Chief Economist of America’s National Association of Realtors• She regularly posts on her LinkedIn pages• Dr Lautz’s PhD thesis was titled Is the dream still alive? Tracking home ownership amid changing economic and demographic conditions…If you enjoyed this episode NBS Business Leaders’ Podcast with Dr Jessica Lautz, listen to previous episodes with…• The former CEO of ASOS Nick Beighton• The CEO of Capital One UK Lucy Hagues MBE• The former CEO of the Financial Ombudsman Service Caroline Wayman