The GenHERation^® 5 Questions series features our exclusive interviews with the most powerful people in the world to provide you with actionable advice on how to navigate your career path.

Pamela Wheeler is the Chief Inclusion & Belonging Officer at NFP, an Aon company.

What do you know now that you wish you knew at the beginning of your career? 

I wish I had known how important leadership skills are to developing culture, driving strategy, and enhancing overall business success. I have a strong appreciation for being intentional in developing the skills essential to becoming a successful leader. There has been a lot of trial and error for me, but that’s all part of the journey.

Which high school or college class best prepared you for your professional career?  

My law school contracts course. In contract law, you work backwards. You assess what possible damages might be present and then determine if the claim has merit, what your strategy will be, and the strength/viability of the case. This process helps you take the emotion out of the process and really gets you focused on understanding the facts, issues, and impacts.

What is the go-to question you ask interview candidates? 

What is one accomplishment that you are proud of? It tells me a lot about what a person thinks is important – how do they see their contributions to the success of a team or individual goal, how do they approach collaboration, and what gets them excited about their work.

What is the biggest risk you have taken? 

I majored in history and religion at Dartmouth and knew little to nothing about finance. However, I knew I needed at least a cursory understanding of economics/finance, so I took a leap and accepted a job in one of Chase Manhattan Bank’s Executive Management Programs. Wow, was that scary. But I learned a lot about the business and myself, and those lessons are still helpful to me today.

What is your genius?

I have a keen ability to understand people’s WIFM (what’s in it for me). This helps me understand what motivates them, which helps me discern how to respond to them and their needs. When you have visibility into the real “why” behind an ask, it makes the conversation much more productive.

You can learn from more of the most powerful people in the world here.