Sometimes I look back on the earlier days of my business career and wonder how I managed to raise two children as a single parent and still maintain and advance my career; most of all, I wonder now how I maintained my sanity and how I managed to focus any attention at all on work. I think my children, now grown and successful in their own right, turned out pretty good, and … [Read more...]
Archives for April 2010
Complexity of Women Leaders
Women in power in this century are, for the most part, dismissing the old notions of the vast dichotomy between their skills and those of their male counterparts. This has been an on-going debate for decades and essentially, leads nowhere. We are all complex, multi-layered human beings and we need to embrace that concept, female and male. A graduate of the Total Leadership … [Read more...]
Tell Me My Baby’s Ugly
Reposted from March 15, 2009. I don't have kids so it's easy for me to say. I know it sounds harsh, but if I did have kids I'd really rather know. So often in business we are forced to work with people who won't go to that place of, "tell it like it is," and it's frustrating for the rest of us who want to know the ugly truth. I'm not suggesting you lose all regard and … [Read more...]
Brainstorming
Every so often, when my business experiences a bump in the road, or I sense there are opportunities “out there” that I am not approaching in the best way possible, I like to convene a “business brainstorm”. My company will celebrate its 30th anniversary this year, so you can imagine there have been more than a few of these sessions along the way. This I how it works for … [Read more...]
My Advice, in Twenty Instructions
1) Educate yourself. Learning is a pleasure. Learning something new every day is a true pleasure and a gift. Free your mind from "little thinking" and give yourself an opportunity to contemplate the magnificence of being alive. 2) Follow your passions. You are the only one of you in the world. Your unique spirit is special. Use your life to fulfill your stated purpose. … [Read more...]
WPO 2010 Annual Conference: Thriving in the New Economy
The 13th annual Women Presidents’ Organization conference will host more than 500 successful women entrepreneurs for keynote speakers, workshops and an awards presentation to honor the winners of the 3rd annual search for the 50 Fastest-Growing Woman-Owned/Led Companies sponsored by American Express OPEN. The conference, entitled Thriving in the New Economy, will be … [Read more...]
Messaging is Critical – How’s Yours?
When someone asks, “What do you do?” how valuable is your answer? A run of the mill, “I am a financial advisor” or “I run a consulting firm” response has the person who asked knowing almost less about you than before they asked. You gave them a phone book response. You were about as personable and memorable as a business directory. AND you’ve forced them to jump to a … [Read more...]
Messaging is Critical – How’s Yours?
When someone asks, “What do you do?” how valuable is your answer? A run of the mill, “I am a financial advisor” or “I run a consulting firm” response has the person who asked knowing almost less about you than before they asked. You gave them a phone book response. You were about as personable and memorable as a business directory. AND you’ve forced them to jump to a … [Read more...]
The New Generation Leader
A recent report, Tearing Up the Rule Book: A New Generation of Leaders for 2010, from Aspire and Customer Interpreter measures Leadership Intelligence. This measurement assesses what is important today for leadership success. The results of the research are impressive. What has been traditionally classified as more "feminine" traits emerged as the preferable leadership … [Read more...]
Attacking and Beating Sales Reluctance With the Right Mindset
“I don’t like selling. But I’m the best salesperson we’ve got . . .” Have you heard someone saying this recently? Or, worse, have you caught yourself making this comment or something similar? Many professionals suffer from sales embarrassment – the notion that selling their services is somehow unseemly or demeaning. They know they need sales to generate … [Read more...]