Visit Us at Our New Blog!

We have a new blog for you! 

As of 12/16/13, you will find Leading Women's news, information and insights for your career success and about closing the gender gap at the top of organizations here:

http://www.LeadingWomen.biz/blog

Hope you'll join us there.

Lead ON!
Susan
Susan Colantuono, CEO and Founder Leading Women

"Be FOR the Business" and Other Essential Career Advice

When we asked women to tell us the best career advice they received and applied our definition of leadership to analyze what we heard, we discovered that:

• Nearly 75% of the advice had to do with the personal greatness component "Use the greatness in you..."
• Nearly 24% was advice about "...engaging the greatness in others."
• Only about 2% was advice about how to "...achieve and sustain extraordinary outcomes."

We often talk about Merrill Sherman, former CEO of Bank RI who told us that the best advice she ever received was to "be for the business" and also share other advice that we heard including:

• No matter what position you hold, act as if you own the business.
• Learn to understand the financials and the story they tell.
• Learn the business of your business.

We continue to ask women to tell us their best career advice. Here are some others that you can add to your own collection and share with your proteges:

• Put together a solid business case to gain buy-in and support for any idea.
• Think about the big picture. Examine situations in the context of the impact on business.
• Learn what those in charge are concerned about.

The other trend we see in the advice women receive and value is that it is predominantly focused on what we have to do to move from career-start into middle management and succeed there. It is advice that creates a platform for moving up, but isn't what will "get you there." The transition from middle management to executive levels requires business, strategic and financial acumen - an understanding of how to manage the business, not just manage the people.

If you want to continue to create a career that soars, take hold of the advice shared here...and pass it on.

Lead ON!
Susan
Susan Colantuono, CEO and Founder Leading Women
Author of No Ceiling, No Walls and Make the Most of Mentoring. Underway is her new book, Network! What corporate women need to know about strategic relationships and success
Follow on Twitter | LittlePinkBook | Facebook | LinkedInGroup | LinkedIn 

What Gets You to the Middle, Won't Take You to the Top!

I'm redesigning my office...and that means cleaning up and throwing out. In the cleaning I came across a list of inquiries that a recent Leadership Mastery group of participants had. These are women poised to move into senior and executive positions.

There were two significant learning goals shared across nearly all of the women:

1. What will it take to unstick from where I am and to move to the next level - including re-branding myself in the eyes of higher levels and external stakeholders.
2. How to be more effective with change and innovation.

Smart women! They had a clear understanding that what got them to the middle wouldn't be sufficient to take them to the top.

In more and more of our client organizations, the line of demarcation between the abundance of women in middle management and the absence of proportional numbers at the top is being defined as a transition from managing managers or managing clients or managing functions to managing the business. And, as I write in No Ceiling, No Walls and Make the Most of Mentoring - making that transition requires demonstrated business, strategic and financial acumen.

Other topics of interest to them were two that are most commonly associated with making the move from career-start to the middle. They were:

• Harmonizing work and life outside work.
• Strategies for finding my voice.

This serves to remind us that the potency of these issues ebbs and flows depending on our stage of life and what's happening in our career. Happily, these weren't front of mind for these women whose ambition included continued opportunities to contribute at higher levels in their organizations.

Lead ON!
Susan
Susan Colantuono, CEO and Founder Leading Women
Author of No Ceiling, No Walls and Make the Most of Mentoring. Underway is her new book, Network! What corporate women need to know about strategic relationships and success
Follow on Twitter | LittlePinkBook | Facebook | LinkedInGroup | LinkedIn  

Surely Things Have Changed!

When I talk about The Missing 33%™, the first research I cite is from a BusinessWeek cover story published in 2000. In short, the findings were that women "outshine their male counterparts on almost every measure."

This led me to research what the almost was all about. After all, if we're so good, why were there so few of us at the top? The finding is what we call The Missing 33% and basically it means that women outshine men on interpersonal and team skills but men are seen by bosses as better than women at business, strategic and financial acumen.

It's inevitable that, hearing this, someone will make the point, "That was over 13 years ago. Surely things have changed."

Here are some findings from the last 12 months. I have coded the skills according to our definition of leadership (Leadership is using the greatness in you to achieve and sustain extraordinary outcomes by engaging the greatness in others.).

• P = Personal greatness
• O = Outcomes (business, strategic and financial acumen)
• E = Engaging greatness in others, 

Recent research reported by HBR found:

"...at all levels, women are rated higher in fully 12 of the 16 competencies that go into outstanding leadership. And two of the traits where women outscored men to the highest degree,  were taking initiative (P) and driving for results (P - the reason this is a P and not an O is because you can do you job and hit your goals without having business, strategic or financial acumen) – two traits which have long been thought of as particularly male strengths.”

“When global management consulting firm McKinsey asked business executives around the world what they believe were the most important leadership attributes today, the top four results were:

_      Intellectual stimulation,(P)

_      Inspiration (E),

_      Participatory decision-making (E)and

_      Setting expectations/rewards (E) -

all attributes more commonly found in women leaders."

An Apollo Group study finds that women are well poised to lead into the 21st century. Why? Because...

"Women top the charts in key skills. Women outperform men on key leadership competencies, such as

_      Communicating(E),

_      Coaching (E),

_      Organizing people (E),

_      Thinking creatively (P) and

_      Solving problems (P - you can solve problems, but not demo business, strategic and financial acumen).

Women also score higher than men on traits that are essential in today’s collaborative work environments, such as:

_      Empathy(P),

_      Transparency (P/E) and

_      Inclusiveness (E)."

Authors John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio have written The Athena Doctrine in which they make the case that women and men who think like us will rule the future. Why? Because we have the excellent interpersonal skills and personal attributes that people want in their managers - intuitive (P), expressive (P), passionate (P), selfless (P), patient (P/E), flexible (P), etc. I came across their book because of an article on "the vision thing" by Kay Koplovitz in which she writes:

"The Harvard Business Review published an article in 2009 on this very topic called "Women and the Vision Thing," with interesting information and conclusions. Originally, their study found that women tested higher than men in many leadership categories except one: envisioning, or the ability to recognize new trends and opportunities and develop new direction for the organization. The perception of women as poor visionaries, in this study, comes from male peers. Now, the newly released and well researched "Athena Doctrine" by John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio reported that being a visionary is a neutral trait, that it was neither a masculine or a feminine trait.

So which is it? Are women visionary or not?"

 Here's the thing, John and Michael interviewed lots of people, but they didn't focus on how bosses make decisions about advancement. They don't make the distinction between traits and proven skills. Sure, women have vision. Who among us doesn't imagine ourselves 10 pounds thinner, or our kids being the next great success or our partner being more romantic?

But there's a world of difference between the ability to envision and having strategic acumen. That's what the HBR study points out. How many of us take time to scan the business environment to "recognize new trends and opportunities and develop new direction for the organization?" Only those who use their ability to envision to cultivate strategic acumen.

How much have things changed in 13 years?

Not much - there's nary an O on any of the lists. And until there is, women will continue to fill the middle and have trouble moving to the top of organizations.

This is why Leading Women's services enable learning and development professionals to audit their talent/performance management systems, diversity and inclusion professionals to introduce gender dynamics to managers and women to fill in The Missing 33%. To learn more about these services email us.

Lead ON!
Susan
Susan Colantuono, CEO and Founder Leading Women
Author of No Ceiling, No Walls and Make the Most of Mentoring. Underway is her new book, Network! What corporate women need to know about strategic relationships and success
Follow on Twitter | LittlePinkBook | Facebook | LinkedInGroup | LinkedIn 

Self-Promote with Grace and Authenticity™

In our workshop and online module on how to self-promote with grace and authenticity, one of the foundation concepts is this - when you highlight your contributions to moving the business forward it is always graceful.

I was reminded of this a while ago when I heard a feature on NPR's Talk of the Nation on The Quiet Power of Introverts.

During the segment a hotel manager called in with a story about a woman director of sales. He found that when she spoke with clients he observed that she spent more time selling herself and her career history than selling the hotel. He illustrated the discomfort when people focus on themselves versus importantly (and gracefully) focus on advancing the business. He said:

"When she would focus more on herself than on the property or the product we had, it became more of a liability than an asset to our company."

To highlight contributions to moving the business forward, you have to understand the business of your business and be able to Speak the Language of Power™ - which is the language of business outcomes. If this language is Greek to you, pick up a copy of No Ceiling, No Walls. It will help you be graceful and authentic when you capture opportunities to self-promote.

Lead ON!
Susan
Susan Colantuono, CEO and Founder Leading Women
Author of No Ceiling, No Walls and Make the Most of Mentoring. Underway is her new book, Network! What corporate women need to know about strategic relationships and success
Follow on Twitter | LittlePinkBook | Facebook | LinkedInGroup | LinkedIn  

Leadership Lessons from Boston

I was often in my hometown outside of Boston during the weeks during and following the Boston Marathon bombings. As I listened to President Obama, Governor Deval Patrick and Mayor Menino in public statements and news conferences,  I was struck by their leadership - especially during their addresses in the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.

What I noticed was the skill with which they reached out to engage the greatness in their listeners. As you know by now, "engaging the greatness in others" is one of 3 interdependent leadership skills identified in my definition of leadership.

Here are a few examples of how they did this. As you review them, think about how you could do the same in your leadership role.

From President Obama

"You’ve shown us, Boston, that in the face of evil, Americans will lift up what’s good. In the face of cruelty, we will choose compassion. In the face of those who would visit death upon innocents, we will choose to save and to comfort and to heal. We’ll choose friendship. We’ll choose love."

Rather than call for vengeance and retribution, he chose to focus on compassion and love. And later he reminds the people of Boston of their inner strength and the support of others.

"And that’s what you’ve taught us, Boston. That’s what you’ve reminded us -- to push on. To persevere. To not grow weary. To not get faint. Even when it hurts. Even when our heart aches. We summon the strength that maybe we didn’t even know we had, and we carry on. We finish the race. We finish the race.

And we do that because of who we are. And we do that because we know that somewhere around the bend a stranger has a cup of water. Around the bend, somebody is there to boost our spirits. On that toughest mile, just when we think that we’ve hit a wall, someone will be there to cheer us on and pick us up if we fall. We know that."

From Governor Patrick

"I am thankful maybe most especially for the countless numbers of people in this proud city and storied Commonwealth who in the aftermath of such senseless violence let their first instinct be kindness. In a dark hour so many of you showed so many of us that darkness can not drive out darkness as Dr. King said.

...we're organized around a handful of civic ideals...equality, opportunity, freedom and fair play...we must not permit darkness and hate to triumph over our civic faith. It cannot happen, it will not. We will recover and repair, we will grieve our losses and heal, we will rise and we will endure. We will have accountability without vengeance, vigilance without fear....the grace this tragedy exposed is the best of who we are."

 And Mayor Menino whose theme was love.

"It is a good morning because we are together, we are one Boston. No adversity, no challenge, nothing can tear down the resilience, the heart of this city and its people...love has covered this resilient city...Love the brave ones who felt the blast, but still raced to the smoke...We love the fathers and brothers who took shirts off their backs to stop the bleeding. The mothers and the sisters who cared for the injured. The neighbors and business owners the homeowners all across the city who opened their doors and their hearts to the worried and the scared...we'll get through this together."

In his own way, each of these politicians sought, grabbed hold of and held up to the light all that is great in the people of Boston. They called for unity rather than divisiveness. They reminded people of their inner strength and how it compels caring acts. They help people turn aside fear. These are things that true leaders do - in all walks of life.

As you think about the challenges you face every day - new projects, changes in organization structure and threats from the external environment; ask yourself what greatness in those around me can I honor and proclaim? Whose spirit can I acknowledge? When faced with a challenge, how can I shine light on the greatness of your team members and give them strength to forge ahead?

Lead ON!
Susan
Susan Colantuono, CEO and Founder Leading Women
Author of No Ceiling, No Walls and Make the Most of Mentoring. Underway is her new book, Network! What corporate women need to know about strategic relationships and success
Follow on Twitter | LittlePinkBook | Facebook | LinkedInGroup | LinkedIn 

Find the Courage to Take Your Next Step!

Recently a friend and colleague pointed out this quote from Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In.

“Fear is at the root of so many barriers that women face. Fear of not being liked. Fear of making the wrong choice. Fear of drawing negative attention. Fear of overreaching. Fear of being judged. Fear of failure. And the holy trinity of fear: the fear of being a bad mother/wife/daughter.”

It spoke to her because of work she’s doing on the impact of fear on women’s advancement. I had this response (in black with quotes sprinkled throughout):

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage.”
― Anaïs Nin

Thanks for sending along Sheryl's quote. I disagree slightly with it...fear isn't "at the root of so many barriers that women face." That makes it sound like fear is something outside of women that feeds barriers that spring up on our paths through life. That’s not how fear operates.

Fear is an inner feeling that a woman creates based on her unique response to a given circumstance.  I look at a climbing wall and, because of my fear of heights, am loathe to climb it. Another woman looks at it and is exhilarated by the challenge. I go horse camping in the backcountry of Yellowstone with grizzlies and wolves and travel by myself around the world - things other women might be too afraid to do.

“Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires...courage...”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Instead of believing that fear feeds barriers that women face, I would say that "fear is at the root of so many excuses that women make." (I know it's harsh, but it's true.) A nicer way to say it is that "fear is at the root of so many ways women hold ourselves back." 

Thinking of fear this way is empowering. By believing that in the face of any given fear we actively decide whether to hold ourselves back (or not) we see that the solution lies within our control - it is to tap our courage.

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”
― Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button screenplay

We all experience one or more of the fears that Sheryl cites. If we tap courage and act regardless of these fear we will be successful - not only in our careers, but also our lives. I call this "having the mindset of a winner." It doesn't mean being competitive, it means believing that one will prevail, that any obstacle can be overcome and that we have within ourselves the courage to act.

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that 

something else is more important than fear.”
― James Neil Hollingworth aka Ambrose Redmoon

It is important to acknowledge fear, not to give it power, but to seek what's more important that will compel us to tap our courage! That thing that is more important might be the next step on the career ladder, it might be resolve to not see a less worthy man get that opportunity, it might be the drive to fulfill the one's gifts, or the desire to be a better provider for her family. No matter what it is, a woman who wants to live a rich live has to intentionally place her fear on the back burner and do what might scare, but will fulfill, her.

You live life this way - it's one reason you're such a joy to work with! Let's keep helping other women do the same.

“Do one thing every day that scares you.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

Lead ON!
Susan
Susan Colantuono, CEO and Founder Leading Women
Author of No Ceiling, No Walls and Make the Most of Mentoring. Underway is her new book, Network! What corporate women need to know about strategic relationships and success
Follow on Twitter | LittlePinkBook | Facebook | LinkedInGroup | LinkedIn