Archive for Success Stories
When you think of leaders who have made a difference who comes to mind?
In our Total Leadership Connections program we spend time discussing this and over the years several themes have emerged. Many are the same for all leadership programs around the world. Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, Mandela, MLK, JFK, FDR are on most lists.
When it gets more personal folks mention a parent, sibling, teacher, business mentor. Last week I was in Manhattan and took the subway to speed my trip. Some noisy kids took me back to a story about my mother I would like to share; it’s leadership in action.
Rebecca, or Reba (she thought that was more modern) stood 5’1″ tall; a wisp of a woman with a feisty no nonsense manner. I was to pick her up from her suburban apartment and drive her to a doctor in center city Philadelphia. At 78 she had been in good health, except….. That was the reason for the appointment.
I had an emergency meeting and my mother decided to take the circuitous bus ride into town. That’s the back story. The leadership story is about to unfold. Click to keep reading...
“Women simply do not have the aspiration to pursue C Suite roles which is why we do not see equal numbers of men and women in leadership positions.”
I have had this conversation more times then I wish to remember when working with organizations on increasing gender diversity in the leadership ranks. The aspirations of women can be a very perplexing yet popular topic of conversation in the leadership ranks of organizations. Click to keep reading...
This is the fourth post in a series about the barriers impacting the lack of advancement of women in business. We have discussed the background regarding women’s lack of advancement and also covered the first two barriers- Lack of Career Advocacy and Lack of Visible Role Models. This final post in the series is about the most talked about barrier regarding women’s lack of advancement- the ever illusive ” work/life balance”.
First and foremost let me share that I do not believe in the term work/life balance. Everything I have learned personally as a working mother and senior executive and have also learned from other women executives, managers and staff tells me that the phrase “work/life balance” may do us more harm then good. Balance implies the image of the old scale that had a point of perfect balance when both sides of the scale had even amounts of weight placed upon them. The work/life balance scale implies work on one side, life on the other and a very special point of perfect balance. Most of us know that the “very special point of perfect balance” very rarely or never comes. In working with women leaders I have found the term work/life integration to be much more realistic. Work is part of our life and as such is one element to be integrated in according to our personal vision of the life we want to build. Creating a personal customized vision of how we want to integrate the various elements of our lives, the roles we play, including work- is a success strategy of many women leaders I have coached. So why is work/life integration the most talked about barrier? Work/life conflict is traditionally understood and easy to see. Click to keep reading...
Whether you’re a hockey fan that was rooting on the Flyers or the Blackhawks this past week – what the Chicago Blackhawks have done to turn around their franchise in 18 short months is nothing short of staggering. Just think if your business had faltering success… since 1961. Your clients no longer show up, having lost all enthusiasm for you and your brand. It sounds like the perfect opportunity to throw in the towel, call it a day, and cut your losses.
But what if you decided that instead of giving up, it was time to reignite the passion that your clients and supporters once had for your business, and reclaim the success you once had? Could you take the lessons taken from the Chicago Blackhawks franchise and rally a revolution around your business?
The owner of the Blackhawks is Rocky Wirtz. Rocky took over the team after his father, Bill Wirtz passed away after battling cancer. Bill Wirtz, known for being a frugal owner (Dollar Bill was the nickname many Chicago sports fans called him) didn’t spend industry-standard money on players or the franchise. Click to keep reading...
Are you thinking about going into business, but don’t know if you’re ready?
You may have the skills to become an excellent entrepreneur. Click to keep reading...
- Do you believe in your business and are you willing to make it work for you? Your passion determines your ability to commit to the work.
- Do you have a head for numbers? You’ll need to make projections and identify price points, at least until you can get some excellent hired help.
- Do you understand cash flow? Money comes in (income) and money goes out (expenses), but the bills don’t come in at the same time as the e-payments and checks come in.
- Do you have clients or customers ready to pay you? (add two points)
- Do you understand who you will be selling to?
- Have you made some sales already (this is a good indicator!)
- Do you know what your own strengths and weaknesses are? You can always find someone to help “round out” what you don’t have.
- What is your work ethic? Would you enjoy working at your business? The hours are probably longer than what you have at a “regular” job.
- Are you somewhat competitive?
Networking can seem like a daunting task for those with introverted and shy personalities, but it is a must to be successful.
Since I’ve decided to give up a large portion of my client service business because I will be attending business school in the fall, I’ve decided to focus a lot more of my attention on going to events here in New York City and networking with people across all industries. Since I’ve been networking with people across all industries, I wanted to share a list of the most important things that I have learned to boost in person credibility.
Follow these tips to build a strong network: Click to keep reading...
Some revolutions are bloody, and some are flash-in-the-pan moments.
The women’s movement began quietly with a book “The Feminine Mystique”, moved to bra burning, and gained traction with consciousness raising groups.
All of that seems like it was centuries ago.
We now head large organizations, are in key positions in government, and have a say in just about everything. Yet some of the pleaser and martyr behavior patterns that were handed from generation to generation are still dying a slow death.
Just watch “Mad Men” and remember how it was. You worked if you typed and delivered. No not ideas – merely the coffee to the men. While much has changed, there is more work to be done.
This is a year of both celebrating change and dialoguing about what still needs to change. CELEBRATION: in the next few months women will cross the threshold and become the majority workers in America. CELEBRATION: women professionals are in the majority in this country. CELEBRATION: women have become economically powerful in their own right.
What is the next phase of the revolution toward equality, and even beyond that, toward partnership? Click to keep reading...
I
was very conscious of role changes yesterday. First, my husband and I needed to get some basics for our new home in Sonoma County California. We were running late and made a last stop at the closest Costco. The Super Bowl had started about ten minutes before and as Saints fans, we wanted to get home to cheer this special team to success.
I stopped at the bank of televisions and became engrossed with the game and stood there with a few guys who had pulled up chairs and obviously planned to make an afternoon of it.
My husband, a macho kind of male, said he would get the items we needed including an ironing board and dish drainer for the kitchen. He suggested I pull up a chair. I did. And the men, without blinking an eye, included me in their conversation about strategy.
I must admit, I am a superficial fan of the game and it only peaks my attention when there is a story like the New Orleans team that has captured the imagination of the whole country. I was in the French Quarter several weeks ago when the Saints won the right to be in the Super Bowl and it was, so I heard, even better than Mardi Gras. Click to keep reading...
The next six weeks of winter are the challenging ones with the flu, colds, and general challenges for all of us until those first green shoots of spring brighten the day.
A vital question for all of us, and especially women in business who tend to be caretakers and pleasers is “What do you do to renew your spirit?” I’d love to hear responses that can give all of us some new ideas or even underline what we already know. Some I’ve asked say a long soak in a tub at night helps, others are runners and bikers, still others put on hot music, close the door and dance till they fall in a heap on the floor.
The New England Journal of Medicine found that those who engaged in social dancing at least several times a week had a 76 percent lower risk of dementia than those who did not. So, find a partner and get to it!
For me a cup of tea is a powerful stress reliever. A recent study in Britain had groups either drink water or tea and then were measured on stress related tests. Those who had a warm cup of tea were less prone to give in to anxiety than those who merely drank a glass of water. Click to keep reading...
In our Total Leadership Connections program we spend time discussing this and over the years several themes have emerged. Many are the same for all leadership programs around the world. Jesus, Buddha, Moses, Mohammed, Gandhi, Mandela, MLK, JFK, FDR are on most lists.
