Nebraska Women in STEM talked to Nucor’s Rose Brock about the importance of supportive community on her path to leadership in finance.
Rose Brock, a PhD in Business Strategy, wrote her dissertation on the impact of communication and employee empowerment on a company’s bottom line. She admits that she originally thought that the environment she envisioned in her dissertation could not be found in the real world. “I felt like I was never going to be at a company where I could go in and make change. I was so tired of the rat race of corporate America and wanted to work somewhere that valued people over profit.”
After a long, winding path of jobs– working in sectors from banking to plastic recycling– Brock found a place that felt too good to be true. “Out of the blue: Nucor.”
In February 2024, Brock started as the Division Controller at Nucor, a steel manufacturing company in Norfolk, NE. Although she says that Nebraska had never crossed her mind before her interview, Brock– a Southerner born and raised– now feels at home in the small town.
Beyond the refreshing friendliness of Norfolk, Brock was also comforted by the welcome she received from Nucor. “They completely embraced me and didn’t make me feel like an outsider. For them, everything is about the team. The culture was just completely different.”
At Nucor, Brock could practice the people-first leadership style that she had solidified in her dissertation. Because her team collaborates on every project, she says that open communication and strong relationships are vital. “I tell myself every day that if I’ve spent most of my time talking to my team, then that’s a good day. So, I spend a lot of time on water cooler talk and building trust with my team.”
Although she is now making strides in her workplace, Brock says that the road to leadership was difficult.
As one of few women in many of her classes and workplaces, Brock often struggled to be taken seriously. In her early career, this feeling of inadequacy fueled her drive to innovation. She learned to code reports and automate things with Excel so that she could “bring something to the table that they didn’t have.”
Then, when she worked under a female supervisor for the first time, her perspective shifted. “She was phenomenal. She showed me that you can be a powerful woman without trying to prove yourself. I learned that you can go into room full of men and just be yourself.”
Brock now views her gender as an asset to the Nucor community. “I used to hide my personal life, but now I know it’s perfectly fine to be a successful career woman and have a family at home. It’s also perfectly fine to lean into the soft side of femininity and show care for your team.”
She also makes a point to give back to the greater Norfolk community by serving on the board of a local hospital. She recommends that other women leaders follow in suit. “When you’re giving back to the community that you live and work in, then your team will feel like you’re invested in their community as well.”
Brock’s experience of making her dream workplace environment a reality depended on her warm, down-to-earth, and highly collaborative leadership. Her advice for other women wanting to climb the corporate ladder: be your own kind of powerful.