Looking back at my own corporate career, I can see clearly some of my mistakes, and mis-steps, as well as successes. Hindsight is always 20/20, right? But one thing is really clear to me and that is I would have benefited greatly from reading Her Place at the Table by Deborah Kolb, Judith Williams, and Carol Frohlinger before I accepted some of the promotions offered to me … [Read more...]
Dressing for Success
When I am asked whether or not a women’s appearance is important for business and leadership success, I always hesitate before responding. My gut reaction is that women should be in touch with their authenticity and wear what they feel is appropriate and professional. My recent radio interview with Marie Wilson, president and founder of The White House Project and long time … [Read more...]
If You’re Happy and You Know It…
Clap your hands! Stomp your feet! Well, apparently not too many women are clapping and stomping these days. Recently, there have been many articles and reports on how women’s happiness has declined in the last few decades. Quite honestly, it’s depressing just to read these articles. Many theories have been tossed around; some related to the failure of feminism. These … [Read more...]
The Double Bind Challenge
The common belief that leaders should be competent and assertive (typically traits associated with the male gender) often presents a challenge for women in leadership positions. The double bind challenge is that when in leadership roles, women must not only be competent and assertive, but they must also demonstrate that they are nurturing and selfless. Why? Because they are … [Read more...]
What’s Your Story?
We all have unique stories to tell about our careers and our businesses. I did a presentation last week on self-promotion in Boston to the Downtown Women’s Club and heard many great stories from the attendees and I was reminded again how truly wonderful all our stories are. Each story reveals something personal about us. What is the story behind starting our business? Where … [Read more...]
Taking on the Work of Others
Let’s face it. Women are often busy doing the grunt work while men spend more time building their careers. We have a problem with taking on too much responsibility and it limits us from doing what needs to be done to advance our own careers and take care of ourselves. No only do we do our own work, but we also take on the work of others. We have difficulty saying “no”. As a … [Read more...]
The Benefits of Assertive Communication
Assertive communication is speaking up appropriately for oneself while considering the needs, wants, and rights of others. The verbal characteristics of assertive communication are clear, direct, and honest statements of feelings and the use of “I” statements. We feel good about ourselves when we communicate assertively, but also, we must feel self-confident and good about … [Read more...]
The “Yes, But” Mentality
As women, we have a lifetime of mixed messages around becoming strong leaders and connecting with our innate talent and personal power. This often results in what I call the “yes, but” mentality. You instinctively know what to do BUT you don’t do it. For example, you know you should do more to get out and promote your business, but you spend more of your time in the office … [Read more...]
What Does Your Body Language Say About You?
Did you know that it takes only four minutes to make a first impression and that body language accounts for 55% of that impression; 38% from tone of voice; the remaining 7% from our actual words? In other words, competence is only one factor in career mobility. Those women who are competent AND look and sound like a professional are the ones most likely to be … [Read more...]
Re-Discover Your Inner Child
Whenever I hear people talk about re-discovering their inner child, I have noticed more often than not that it's about connecting with the innocence and joy of childhood. Usually the quest to re-discover our inner child is focused on incorporating more playfulness and happiness in our lives. It's a call to "lighten up". And boy, do we most of us need this! I'm a business … [Read more...]