How to Succeed as a Leader, According to a Senior Director Who Did

If Katie M., Senior Director of Assortment Planning at Lowe's, had to give one piece of advice to emerging women leaders, it'd be: “Trust your instincts, but validate with the facts.”

In fact, delaying action instead of trusting her instinct—which she says creates space for unnecessary issues—has been her biggest lesson throughout her career. Instead, she recommends going with your gut and communicating expectations to create clear direction, which every team needs to “deliver the right outcomes.”

Katie knows this firsthand. She leads teams at Lowe's Store Support Centers in Mooresville and Bengaluru, supporting all Product Line Reviews (PLRs) and Business Reviews (BRs) across the Merchandising organization. She has spent the bulk of her career in Merchandising, having previously come from a role as a Senior Merchant in Appliances and Paint.

As a leader, Katie describes herself as transparent, direct, and collaborative—as well as fun. Ultimately, her goal is to make sure her direct reports feel that they have clear direction and the right priorities to lead their own teams effectively.

“I aim to build a culture of trust by communicating transparently and setting clear direction and priorities, enabling employees to manage their schedules while remaining accountable for outcomes,” she explains.

Here, we caught up with Katie to learn more about her most effective leadership strategies and how she stays on top of her own workload as a leader.

What's one strategy you've used when managing an individual or team that you think has been particularly effective?

When stepping into a new role, prioritizing relationship-building with your team has been one of the most effective strategies I've used. Learn about their career paths and what they're comfortable sharing personally. Discuss the work openly, identify recurring themes, and categorize them into strengths and opportunities with transparency.

I focus on helping people develop their own perspective. By discussing behaviors and examples, I guide them to reflect on what worked, what didn't, what practices they should continue, and what they would adjust moving forward.

What is the most rewarding part of helping direct reports develop their own perspective?

When people arrive at their own conclusions, the lesson tends to stick. I've worked with several associates to help them develop their own perspective on their careers, especially in situations where they had a predetermined path in mind that didn't fully align with their strengths, interests, or preferences. Once they're able to articulate what they like and don't like and what they're good at and not good at, they guide their own path, and it is far more fulfilling.

How do you practically bring your "fun" energy into a high-pressure environment like Assortment Planning?

I try to make the business fun by highlighting key categories during their season and encouraging the team to share fun facts in our Monday huddles. We also do a weekly store walk where one merchandising division presents their business, getting us out from behind spreadsheets, learning from each other, and better understanding what matters to customers and associates.

Last week featured Appliances, water pumps, and mulch and soil, so it's always something new, diverse, and exciting.

Can you share a specific moment in your career where your gut feeling led to a win that wasn't immediately obvious in the data?

I managed a seasonal category with two small segments I believed could double sales if we improved in-stock levels—boosting both traffic, attachment, and total business margin. Despite advice to focus elsewhere, I prioritized them. We fixed in-stocks and ultimately drove 2.5 times more sales and 100bps of attachment.

What do you believe is the No. 1 thing managers must do when onboarding new employees?

Support new team members by providing the tools and resources needed to get up to speed, including pairing them with a peer mentor and helping them build connections with key partners.

How do you prioritize and deal with your to-do list each day?

I use a structured planning approach that aligns long-term goals with day-to-day execution. I start by defining three- to five-year priorities and review progress annually to refine goals and focus areas. Quarterly check-ins help assess progress and adjust priorities as needed. I also set aside time each Friday to review my calendar and prepare for the upcoming week, with a monthly review to ensure my time is aligned with the team's strategic priorities.

How do you handle "fire drill" days when everything goes off-plan, and how do you help your team stay grounded when priorities suddenly shift?

In retail, most days are fast-paced and require quick thinking and adaptability. To stay ahead of that, I schedule “working blocks” on my calendar to prepare—two hours on Friday afternoons and two to three one-hour blocks on other days during the week. When fire drills do come up, I quickly huddle with the team for about 15 minutes to align on what needs to be delivered, clarify priorities, and communicate what may need to shift or be deprioritized.

If you could go back to your time as a Senior Merchant, what is one thing you know now about leadership that you wish you could tell your younger self?

The two I emphasize most are: Assume good intent and say everything you must, not everything you can. Together, they help keep conversations clear, productive, and solution-oriented, while avoiding unnecessary swirl or wasted time.