Mindset is crucial in honing leadership style that's truly authentic, according to one C-suite executive – who says "being a coach and a leader are one and the same."

Courtney Ettus, chief marketing officer at Crexi, sat down with GlobeSt in advance of her appearance at this week's ELITE Women of Influence conference in Lake Tahoe to discuss her own leadership journey and to preview remarks she'll make at the event's dedicated panel on authentic leadership. Ettus's journey to the C-suite began with a ten-year stint as vice president of global marketing at Kenneth Cole in New York City and has included SVP and global account director roles with major marketing agencies. She joined Crexi as CMO in 2018 and has since grown her team from three to 20.

"If I wanted to not just be taken seriously, but to have the credibility and own that seat at the table, I had to believe that I belonged there," Ettus says, adding that she "had to get comfortable quickly with being often the only woman in a room full of men."