Synapses Firing at Random

I use this image not only because this blog includes several disconnected thoughts, but also because The Female Brain is an intriguing, important and useful book.

What's With the Movies?
In the past several weeks I've watched 4 movies - 3 about amazing women (Coco Before Chanel, Catherine the Great, Young Victoria) and one about an amazing man (Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius). I've noticed something disturbing.

The 3 movies about fashionista Coco Chanel, Russia's Empress Catherine and Britain's Queen Victoria, start in their youth and END right before the women step onto the path to historic significance. We who would love to know more about the path to great accomplishments are absolutely left in the dark (although the paths to great love are well illumined).

Not true in the movie about golfing legend Bobby Jones. We meet him as a sickly young boy and follow him through the triumphs of winning major tournaments.

In these cases, Hollywood has shied away from shining light on the women's paths to greatness. This isn't an accident, nor is it an exception to the rule. Movie messages to women are most often about being sexy and finding love - nothing wrong with that, except that it's incomplete.

AND this leads me to wonder why Malcolm Gladwell is blind to one of the most important and obvious factors in the creation of Outliers...

The Blind Spot in Outliers
The major premise in Outliers: The Story of Success (with which I agree) is that external factors play a huge role in an individual's rise to greatness. Gladwell uses many professions to illustrate why this is true. He explores the role of birth month, culture, generation, family background, economic status in producing successful sports figures, authors and pilots. What's missing?

Nearly all of the examples he cites are men and yet the factor of being born male is not stripped out for examination.

Thank You Mary Sammons
In June, Mary Sammons will step down as CEO of RiteAid. In my book, No Ceiling, No Walls and in my presentations on mentoring I use several lessons from her path to the C-suite.

Thank you, Mary for the lessons you're leaving for women who want to build careers with no ceilings and no walls.

Lead ON!
Susan
Susan Colantuono is CEO of Leading Women and author of No Ceiling, No Walls. She blogs on networking for PINK Magazine. Follow her on Twitter.