After 37 years at Kroger , Linda can say that she chose to commit to the company . “ I remember telling my dad Kroger felt like home ,” Linda says . “ He encouraged me to take the position , explaining that working with people you want to spend your days with is worth more than a company in a glamorous big city or having a higher-paid salary . To this day , I ’ m still a big believer in this .”
When accepting the position , Linda was given two options : to choose between mainframe programming or store systems . Looking back on her internship , Linda understands why she was presented with these choices . “ The way I showed up during my internship was a direct influence of several things my dad taught me along the way : if it ' s worth doing , it ' s worth doing right ,” Linda recalls . “ I am wired to give my all to the task at hand , regardless of how mundane or complex .”
Lessons learnt at Kroger Throughout Linda ’ s career , she has explored various paths that Kroger offered – from store solutions to health and wellness . And , of course , as with any successful career , Linda has faced numerous defining moments that shaped her into the individual she is today . “ Early on in my career , I had a tough decision ,” Linda states . “ When I questioned whether I should try to appease all the divisions , my director , Larry , responded that he was not paying me to be popular . I knew exactly what I needed to do , and it was a reminder to always do what is right for the company
Working her way up the career ladder , Linda was often the only female in the room , which can come with challenges . “ One time , the CIO lost a button on his jacket ,” Linda shares .
“ A partner he was meeting with happened to have a sewing kit in his briefcase – yes , I lived through the Mad Men era . Although it pains me to say it now , I didn ’ t stand up for myself when I was asked to sew the button back in place . But it reinforced the lesson that only I was responsible for standing on my own two feet .”
Likewise , when Linda received the confirmation of the promotion to her current position as Vice President , she was only allowed to share the news with a handful of people – not even her parents . “ I had to face down immense self-doubt every time the phone rang as I was convinced it would be the CIO calling to tell me that they made a mistake and I was not being promoted . I had to explore where this was coming from . The data points and accomplishments
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