With 332 million existing users and two more people joining every second, LinkedIn is the top-of-mind network for professionals looking to advance their careers. LinkedIn offers five significant opportunities to expand your network that save time and escalate your visibility: Marketing Branding Networking Communicating Researching people Here are three areas … [Read more...]
5 Secrets to Improve Your LinkedIn Profile to Gain a Corporate Board Seat
Did you know your LinkedIn profile can help you get a corporate board seat? It can also ruin your chances of getting a corporate board seat! Follow the five secrets below so your LinkedIn profile helps rather than hurts you: 1. Tie Your Strengths to Accomplishments First prioritize your strengths in relationship to a board seat. Then, show progress over your career of how … [Read more...]
Building Momentum to Become a Public Company Board Member
Moving forward on your goal of becoming a public company board member requires a purposeful focus with dedicated time and effort. You can help shape your future with these four actions: 1. Separate Your Leadership Skills from the Crowd Think about what is hard to forget about you or your leadership experiences. Share this with others. 2. Develop Your Storyline Your … [Read more...]
3 Tips to Jump Start Your Social Media Strategy and Gain a Board of Directors Seat
How do I jump-start my social media strategy to gain a board of directors seat this year? I get this question a lot, and recently, many people have been asking me for ideas that would help them get a better focus for a social media plan. Here are a few tips to help you get started: 1. Start your social media self-promotion plan in phases. Align your marketing to these four … [Read more...]
The Woman-side of Leadership
In business, women often bring a different set of leadership traits to the table than their male counterparts. These are considered more feminine traits such as collaboration, empathy, patience, and humility. Not all women leaders possess these traits and some women actually possess more masculine traits such as aggressiveness and competitiveness. But in a current work … [Read more...]
2 Pivotal Steps Women Must Take to Get Ahead in the Business World
While conducting a seminar for a major defense contractor in the 1980s (in a conference room connected to the executive dining room), I asked one of the executives, “Where is the ladies’ restroom?” “Uhh…there isn’t one,” he replied. Fast forward 30 years, and while I’m sure that company’s restroom situation has changed, the challenges women in the business world face are … [Read more...]
Queen Bees in the Workplace
There is no denying that there is a lack of women in the workplace, especially in industries such as IT, finance, construction and engineering. The stats vary from country to country, but nevertheless, the issue exists worldwide. This has an effect far greater than just on women’s careers. It affects men, women, businesses, and the economy because research shows that a more … [Read more...]
Hey Ladies: Get Confident
Looking for companies with a culture accepting of women in senior roles is critical but so too is your own level of confidence. Women still have a long way to go evidently. According to the results from the Silicon Valley Bank’s (SVB) Innovation Economy Outlook 2014 survey, which focused exclusively on the representation of women in technology leadership positions, less than … [Read more...]
Onboarding: Advice for New Directors and “Fit” With the Board
One way to help with onboarding a new director is to focus not just on skills but also on cultural fit—how well will the new director fit with the way their fellow directors work. New directors and sitting directors can become more effective and influential by examining these three ideas: 1) The difference between the actual role and the expectations the new director has … [Read more...]
The Importance of Asking Questions Before You Join a Board
As a board consultant, I have heard a number of stories from first-time directors who gained a board seat only to discover troubling issues ‘after’ accepting the board position. The single most important task before you join a board is due diligence. Instead of merely examining the rewards of board service, a board candidate needs to explore both the risks and rewards. … [Read more...]