Mita Mallick

I am a passionate storyteller.  As a kid, I loved watching commercials instead of actual tv shows (still do!) I loved going to the store with my mom, studying all the new packaging and products on shelf, testing and trying new things.

But as a kid, I didn’t see many stories being told that included people who looked like me. I was the funny looking dark skinned girl, with a long funny looking braid, whose parents spoke funny English. Until it wasn't funny anymore. I was bullied by my peers for years. And I just desperately wanted to fit in. I wanted to belong.
 
Throughout my career, I have fought hard to ensure people like me are included.  Ensuring Black and Brown people were represented in campaigns.  Ensuring products we created were for all skin tones. Ensuring we were not reinforcing stereotypes. 
 
I believe diversity of thought doesn’t happen without diversity of representation.  When you have all those points of views, life experiences, and cultural backgrounds coming together around a table. Colliding, clashing, and collaborating- that’s when magic happens.  That’s when we come up with that one break through innovative idea, campaign, innovation- to authentically and purposefully serve customers and communities.

Because inclusion is a driver of the business.

Head of Inclusion, Equity and Impact

My intense need to be liked clouded my judgement. I made decisions based on what I thought would make others happy. I put others’ comfort ahead of my own. 

I apologized when it wasn’t my fault.

I sat in the back and took up less space.

I let them take my ideas and keep them.

I made sure not to shine too brightly, just a sparkle here or there.

I stayed quiet, helping keep the status quo.

I didn’t talk about my goals and I didn’t ask for help.

I wanted to be liked.

I thought that was more important than what I wanted in my career.

And then I started to realize that I had to embrace the dislike. 

It was a skill I had to develop if I really wanted to chase my dreams.

Developing the ability to be disliked helped free me from the prison of other people's opinions.

Sometimes being liked is overrated
If you are chipping away at your dreams 
in order to stay likable.

Are you focused on being likable or are you going after your career dreams?

Image credit: @thealphawomenclub

#leadership #culture #MitaMallick

Order The Devil Emails at Midnight 😈💻🕛 On a mission to fix what’s broken at work | Wall Street Journal & USA TODAY & LA Times Best Selling Author | Thinkers 50 Radar List | Workplace Strategist | LinkedIn Top Voice

We are not intimidating. We are confident. We aren’t mean. We are direct, we get to the point quickly. We don’t have time to waste.

We speak the truth without shrinking. 

Because we aren’t afraid of the truth.

We have nothing to hide.

We voice our concerns for ourselves and for others.

We offer differing points of view to try and make the outcome stronger.

Others can mistake our clarity for attitude when they aren't used to this level of authenticity.

They call us entitled, arrogant, overconfident, too much, and a whole host of other labels which are absolutely laughable.

Our presence isn't the problem; their comfort is the problem.

When we move with confidence in our workplaces, 

Their insecurities quickly become exposed.

And we don’t apologize for our expertise and our experience and our genius.

We keep moving forward.

They can sit in their discomfort.

Because it’s not our job to make them comfortable.

#leadership #culture #MitaMallick 

Image credit: found on Instagram

Here’s what I have discovered the real test of character to be: How you treat people after they can no longer help you. 

Because they can no longer write you a check.

Because they had to move on to their next opportunity.

Because they lost their job and had no choice but to move on.

And more.

Most people's kindness has an expiration date tied to usefulness.

Character is being good to people who can't be good back. 

That's integrity without incentive.

So today sprinkle that kindness everywhere.

Shower that kindess far and wide.

With no expectation of anything in return back. No strings attached.

Because there should be no expiration date on kindness.

Image credit: @scottdclary on Instagram 

#leadership #culture #MitaMallick

Our social media feeds will be filled today with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. quotes. Some of these quotes will be watered down, to make us feel warm & fuzzy.

Some of these quotes will be posted by toxic bosses causing hurt and harm in their workplaces.

Some of these quotes will be posted by individuals who don’t understand the context of his words.

Some of these quotes will be posted by individuals who don’t actually believe his words and are looking for some likes.

Some of these quotes will be posted by individuals who don’t live by his words.

So this is the reminder to myself today & every day. 

And to anyone else who needs to hear this:

Don’t just share his quotes.

Be on the journey to live by his words.

#culture #leadership #MitaMallick

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Your circle decides your ceiling. Because you can't fly if everyone around you is scared of heights.

Or if they want to stay on the ground 

Or just not move at all.

The people you talk to every day are shaping what you believe is possible.

Okay, maybe they're good people, but good isn't always growth.

When you're surrounded by comfort, you stop chasing challenge. 

That comfort can keep you trapped to stay exactly where you are.

When you hang out with dreamers, you start dreaming bigger without even realizing it. 

Energy transfers, mindsets rub off. 

So pay attention to who you call when things get hard, who you celebrate with, who claps when you win. 

If they drain you, question you, or keep you small, it's time to distance yourself. 

If they only show up when they need something.

If they only show up when you can write a check.

If they get upset or angry because you say no.

If they only show up when it’s time to give unsolicited feedback or criticize.

If they only show up to control who else is in your circle.

It’s time to distance yourself.

Because sometimes the only reason you haven't leveled up yet... 

is because your circle already decided how high you'll go.

And it’s time to go higher.

#leadership #culture #MitaMallick 

Image credit: KEYFORSUCCESSMIND

When I suspected a former coworker was sabotaging me at work, here’s the biggest mistake I made:

I did nothing.

I took the high road.

I was convinced my hard work, my relationships, and my reputation would 
overshadow her efforts to sabotage me. 

What I didn’t realize is that 
her efforts slowly chipped away 
at my leadership brand.

Here’s advice I would give myself now:

👉🏿 Be careful what information you share 

Watch out for repeated requests for information that doesn’t involve them or they really don’t need to know about. 

Be careful about sharing personal information; they may later use this to spread gossip about you.

👉🏿 Be direct and defend yourself 

You want to ensure the coworker sabotaging you knows that you know exactly what they are doing. 

if you aren’t direct and don’t defend yourself, you are allowing this individual to negatively impact your reputation.

👉🏿 Document what’s happening and alert your boss 

I didn’t go to my boss to share what was happening for a long time. 

When I finally did go to my boss, it was too late, the damage had been done. 

I later discovered my boss had become personal friends with my former coworker.

👉🏿 Know who will protect your name in your absence 

Don’t wait to share with your other coworkers what has been happening and how you are being targeted. 

It’s likely they have noticed this individual’s behaviors towards you in public forums. 

They may have heard lies or rumors about you, so they also can serve as a witness.

The lesson for me has been this:

We have to actively defend 
our reputation 
and all of our hard work 
and contributions in our workplaces.

What would you add?

#leadership #culture #MitaMallick

Even after I left that toxic boss behind, I kept dimming my light. I was in a new workplace where they were eager to have me contribute. 

They hired me for my talent and expertise. They wanted me to shine bright.

And I was operating as if I was still working for that toxic boss:

I didn’t speak up or offer too many ideas because I was afraid of being labeled as a know-it-all.

I minimized and dismissed my achievements because I didn’t want my new boss to be threatened by me.

I over-explained things fearing I would be misunderstood or undermined.

I wasn’t open about mistakes or things I didn’t understand worried it would later be held against me.

And more.

I didn’t realize I was still collecting pieces of myself. 

My confidence was still shaken.

I was still hiding. I was still trying to stay invisible.

I still needed to heal.

When I left that toxic boss, it was a big step and the first step.

I had to work on releasing some of that work trauma.

I had to learn to trust others again.

I had to learn to find myself again and to also trust myself again.

What lessons did you learn after you left a  toxic boss? What was the healing process like for you?

#culture #leadership #MitaMallick

“Why are you in a rush to get promoted? You have two babies at home. It’s time to stop being so ambitious,” he laughed. 

That was a former manager’s response.

When I shared my ambition to become a Vice President a few months after coming back from my second parental leave. This was during a planned “career conversation.”

And that wasn’t the first time that happened in my career.

“The promotion will happen when it’s meant to happen.”

“Be patient and wait, your turn will come.”

“If you take this big job, who’s going to take care of your kids?”

“You don’t need to be so loud about your career goals.”

“Take it slow. No need to rush up that career ladder.”

And more.

So over time, I hid my ambition in fear of the responses I would get. I became quietly ambitious.

And being quietly ambitious became exhausting. Constantly hiding the vision you have for yourself. 

And what I realized is when you don’t share your goals and dreams with others, you won’t attract the support and help you need.

So I am done with it.

Now I state my intentions loudly & boldly. It’s time to get loud about our ambitions. 
📣📣📣

It’s not okay
for them to tell you
to stop being “so ambitious.”

Don’t let them convince you otherwise.

#culture #leadership #MitaMallick

During the course of my career, I have worked for a wide range of bad bosses. The bad boss who fell asleep in meetings. 

The bad boss who took credit for all my work, and I mean all of it. The bad boss who once threw her designer shoe at my colleague. 

The bad boss who told me I was a rat and demanded loyalty. 

The bad boss who told me I was overconfident and needed to stay in my lane. 

The bad boss who gossiped about me to others and told my peers I didn’t really know what I was doing. 

The bad boss who was so nice and so profoundly incompetent and as much as I wanted to, it was really hard to hate him.

And more.

It’s easy for us to call out the bad bosses. It’s harder to look in the mirror and confront the bad boss staring back at you.

Because I have been a bad boss. And chances are so have you.

Bad bosses aren’t born bad. 
Bad bosses are made. 

They are a product of their circumstances. 

We all have the capability, the potential, the possibility of becoming a bad boss.

And this is what I share in the intro to my latest book: 

The Devil Emails at Midnight: 
What Good Leaders Can Learn from Bad Bosses

I’m curious: what leadership lessons did your bad bosses teach you?

#leadership #MitaMallick #TheDevilEmailsatMidnight

Why can’t we do reference checks on companies? If they are still asking us for references, time to flip the script. 

Are you doing your due diligence on companies you are interviewing with?

What are your tips to do reference checks?

#leadership #culture #MitaMallick

I’m napping more in 2026. And I won’t be made to feel ashamed about napping.

Here’s the truth: anyone chasing their dreams, their goals, building their careers? 

They are taking care of themselves. 

They are making sure they are focused on taking care of themselves, mentally, physically and spiritually.

What’s the number one thing you are doing to take better care of yourself this year?

Ps- are you a napper or not?

#leadership #culture #MitaMallick

Why are leaders forcing people back into the office? One word: control

So many leaders are feeling a loss of control right now. What’s happening with taxes, tariffs, and more policies in the US? We have no control over that.

And we do have control over our teams. Use that power wisely, my friends.

Would love to hear your thoughts in comments!

#leadership #culture #MitaMallick

I help executives drive engagement & transformation thru inclusive comms | Advisor | Strategist | Speaker | pocstock Top 50 of the Future of Black America 2024 | MM&M Woman to Watch 2021

Abenaa (Abby) Hayes helps leaders and brands who want to meet 21st century societal and business mandates head on. The founder and CEO of Elysee Consulting, LLC, she is a seasoned communications and brand marketing executive with expertise in healthcare, corporate reputation, inclusion and social impact. For over 20 years, Abenaa has helped US and global companies reach stakeholders, influencers and communities through transformative narratives, dynamic storytelling and meaningful engagement.

She’s currently the Founder and CEO of Elysee Consulting, a communications and marketing consultancy, named after one of her late mother's side hustles. Her current work includes crystallizing strategies geared towards elevating brands; crafting purpose and inclusion-focused narratives to drive brand storytelling; creating bespoke playbooks to guide communications in response to today’s dynamic world and advising on culturally relevant engagement and communications activations.

Abenaa is also a visionary and builder. Prior to launching Elysee Consulting, she founded the Inclusion and Health Equity practice at Real Chemistry (RC), a global health innovation company. 

At RC, she architected impactful storytelling and brand engagement campaigns on behalf of leading pharmaceutical and biotech clients, including Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Horizon Therapeutics, Genentech, Takeda and more.

Abenaa was also a senior executive at Edelman, serving as a senior lead and brand strategist for AstraZeneca and Shire (now part of Takeda). She’s also held leadership roles at Weber Shandwick, MSL and Burson.

Recognized as one of the Top 50 of the Future of Black America by pocstock (2024), as well as a “Woman to Watch” by Medical, Marketing and Media (2021), Abenaa has been a featured speaker and panelist at forums such as the Female Quotient's Power of the Pack (2024); Chief X (2022); SXSW (2021); ADCOLOR (2021); and publications including Axios, Essence, Adweek and Entrepreneur magazine. She’s a board member of the Impact Communications Institute, as well as a member of CHIEF, Mixing Board and ForbesBLK. 

Abenaa holds an MA in broadcast journalism from the Annenberg School at USC and an honors BA in cultural studies from McGill University in Montreal.

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Mita Mallick

Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers)

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The Battle

Mita Mallick

Abenaa (Abby) Hayes (she/her/hers)

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Mita Mallick's LinkedIn Performance

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