High-Achieving Women Reclaiming Our Relationship With Power
by: Laura Calandrella Ten years ago, social entrepreneurship was a pretty lonely field. There weren’t degree programs or associations; impact investing and microfinance were barely even recognized terms. Even organizations like Ashoka – which has a 25-year history of investing in entrepreneurs with high potential for solving social problems – would have struggled to promote [...]
It’s sad that the glass ceiling still exists. Even though there has been progress, we still have a long way to go regarding women enjoying equality in important leadership positions and compensation. Far too few capable women are offered positions with the responsibilities and influence they have earned and deserve, and far too many women [...]
Every young professional hears it: “Get a mentor!” Many companies invest in mentoring programs, especially for women aspiring to advance. But do mentor programs pay off –– for the mentors and the mentees? My clients and I have had positive experiences, but, who knows? Maybe we’re not typical? Nope. (Whew!) The data is pretty clear [...]
By: James daSilva I recently asked Mary Davis Holt about the book she co-authored, “Break Your Own Rules: How to Change the Patterns of Thinking That Block Women’s Paths to Power,” and some of the general themes regarding women and workplace advancement. Holt is a partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership, whose goal is to move [...]
Anne-Marie Slaughter’s article in the Atlantic, Why Women Can’t Have it All, has reignited crucial issues of advancement and balance that women continue to face in the workplace. As a male executive in business for over forty years, I have worked with many women who have consistently performed at the highest level, often more capably [...]
Recently, I have written several articles about our need for more women in key leadership roles. I assert that our companies and organizational cultures could benefit from women’s great strengths, e.g., their willingness to ask questions, to listen to understand and learn, to be inclusive in decision making, and to have meaningful conversations and relationships. [...]
Yes, there really is an entire wall of toilet paper rolls behind Karen Riordan in the picture you see next to this post. The TP wall – standing between the doors of the women’s and men’s bathrooms – is only one of many interesting aspects of SmithGifford’s offices, where Karen took over as President of [...]
Early in my career, empathy was my ace-in-the-hole management technique. I was all business when it came to helping my team on technical, process and performance issues, but if they had an emotional reaction or issue, I reverted to empathy because it was the easy thing to do. I learned that when I was empathetic, [...]
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A Mentor Is Not Enough
By: Dr. Tanvi Gautam What you need is a mentor! We have all heard that piece of advice at some point or the other in our careers. Organizations believe in this idea too and many make it a policy to assign employees to mentors. While this concept is well-intentioned there is an inherent flaw in [...]