By Dr. Julie Ducharme
When Anne Chow became the CEO of AT&T Business in 2019, she made history. She wasn’t just the first woman to lead that division of the telecommunications giant—she was also the first woman of color to ever serve as CEO of any AT&T business unit in the company’s over 140-year history. With $35 billion in annual revenue under her purview and over 35,000 employees reporting to her, Anne’s leadership wasn’t just groundbreaking—it was transformative.
But what makes Anne’s story truly compelling isn’t just the numbers. It’s how she leads—with conviction, authenticity, and a firm belief that inclusion is not a buzzword, but a business imperative. Through her decades-long rise from engineer to executive, she has become a defining voice on inclusive leadership, organizational culture, and what it means to lead bigger.
From Humble Beginnings to a Global Platform
Anne’s leadership story begins long before the boardrooms. She’s the proud daughter of Taiwanese immigrants who came to the United States in the 1960s. Her parents’ journey was rooted in hope, education, and a belief in the American dream. Her father, an electrical engineer, spent 30 years in the telecommunications industry before pivoting to become a high school math teacher—an example of both technical excellence and deep service.
Inspired by that legacy, Anne pursued her own education with determination, earning degrees in electrical engineering and an MBA. But it wasn’t long into her early career that she realized she didn’t want to remain solely in technical roles. Instead, she was drawn to the intersection of people and technology—a space that would become her calling. AT&T offered that unique opportunity, and in 1990, she began what would become a 32-year career filled with dynamic roles, constant learning, and expansive leadership.
Over the decades, Anne held 17 different roles and reported to 26 different bosses. That breadth of experience—across operations, sales, technology, and strategy—shaped her perspective, sharpened her leadership, and gave her a firsthand look at what works and what doesn’t inside large-scale organizations.
Culture Is Not a Side Project—It’s the Strategy
For Anne, the defining element of great leadership isn’t charisma or even strategy—it’s culture. In fact, she calls culture the only sustainable competitive advantage in business. On the She CEO podcast with Dr. Julie Ducharme, she elaborated: culture is not the slogans you print on the wall. It’s not a one-off HR initiative. Culture is what happens behind closed doors. It’s how decisions are made under pressure. It’s the norms, values, behaviors, and practices that shape the day-to-day decisions, actions, and experiences of your people.
Anne emphasized that culture must be owned by leaders—not outsourced to human resources. True culture-building means aligning your actions, systems, and policies with your stated values. If you say you value trust and empowerment, but require multiple approval layers for small decisions or micromanage your team’s every move, the disconnect becomes the culture.
She also highlighted two foundational pillars that uphold high-performing cultures: trust and communication. Without trust, speed and collaboration break down. Without communication, alignment and purpose begin to erode. For Anne, leaders must continuously model the behaviors they want to see, and they must build environments where people feel safe, valued, and heard.
The Power of Purpose at Every Level
One of Anne’s most practical approaches to culture was her decision to establish clear missions and visions—not just for the company overall—but for each division she led. She believes that when people feel connected to the purpose of their team, they’re more engaged, loyal, and fulfilled.
This struck a chord with Dr. Ducharme, who, after reading Anne’s book, implemented team-specific visions for regional directors within her own global organization, She Talks. That decision gave team members clarity, ownership, and renewed energy—all of which drive stronger organizational culture.
Anne’s example shows that leadership isn’t just about what you say on the stage—it’s about what you build inside your teams. People don’t just want to be part of a company. They want to be part of something meaningful.
What Toxic Leaders Taught Her
Anne is the first to admit that her journey wasn’t all sunshine and celebrated milestones. She encountered toxic leaders along the way—people who criticized harshly, withheld support, or created fear-based environments. One story she shares is particularly telling: after executing a successful leadership training session, she was blindsided the next day by harsh criticism from a superior, despite positive feedback from attendees.
It was demoralizing. But instead of walking away, Anne took it as a learning moment.
She encourages leaders to recognize that not everyone you work with will lead with integrity or compassion. And sometimes, the lesson is in what not to do. Toxic leaders, she says, helped shape her resolve to never make others feel the way she was made to feel. When she became a senior executive, she consciously led with empathy, encouragement, and strategic clarity.
Still, Anne acknowledges that sometimes, staying isn’t an option. When a workplace is so toxic that it begins to affect your physical and mental health, stepping away may be necessary. But she also offers a powerful reminder: there are seasons in life where flying under the radar—temporarily—is a strategic decision. If you’re the sole breadwinner or navigating personal challenges, preserving stability while preparing your next move is valid and courageous.
Tackling Unconscious Bias with Clarity
Anne doesn’t shy away from difficult conversations. Her book, LEAD BIGGER: The Transformative Power of Inclusion, includes an entire section on beauty bias and “lookism”—a subtle but real form of unconscious bias that often affects women and people of color. She discusses how, early in her career, she was often referred to as “sweetie” or “kiddo,” undermining her authority and reinforcing stereotypes about age, gender, and appearance.
Bias, she explains, is human—it’s how our brains process information quickly. But bias left unchecked can become exclusionary and harmful. She encourages leaders to do the hard inner work of identifying their blind spots. That might mean reflecting on who you promote, who you listen to, or who gets interrupted in meetings. Inclusion, in Anne’s view, isn’t a diversity campaign—it’s a performance strategy
and enabler of execution. When leaders widen their perspectives, their organizations innovate more, retain talent better, and connect with more markets and customers.
She also encourages women to be conscious of “authentic professional” presence. This doesn’t mean changing who you are. It means recognizing how your industry defines leadership presence—and choosing how to show up with both authenticity and intentionality.
Advice to Her Younger Self—and to Us All
Looking back, Anne says she wishes she had slowed down just enough to savor the joy along the way. Like many high achievers, she was constantly chasing the next milestone, next promotion, next impact. But true fulfillment, she says, is different from success. She urges women to embrace their authenticity, trust in their unique gifts, and enjoy the journey—not just the finish line.
Your greatest superpower, Anne says, is you. And when you lead with authenticity, purpose, and humility, your influence can ripple far beyond your title.
A New Chapter of Impact
Today, Anne has transitioned out of the traditional corporate world into what she calls her “rewirement.” She serves on major public company boards, teaches leadership and influence at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and continues to speak around the world about inclusive leadership. Her mission hasn’t changed—she’s just expanding her platform to help even more leaders grow, evolve, and lead bigger.
Anne Chow’s story is not just about one woman’s rise to the top. It’s about what happens when someone leads with conviction, centers people in every decision, and refuses to compromise on values. In a time where inclusion and impact are no longer optional, Anne is showing us all what true leadership looks like.
And perhaps her most powerful message is this: You don’t have to be perfect to be powerful. You just have to be willing to lead with purpose, integrity, listen with empathy, and stay rooted in who you are.
Because the world doesn’t need more titles. It needs more authentic leaders who choose to lead bigger every day.
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