The mentor cares that the acorn grows into the tree it is meant to be. She is nurturing or tough and everything in between as needed. As she chooses what is called for, it is always with the best interest of the mentee in mind.
In our recent conversation Margaret Heffernan lamented, “Most women would rather spend $500 on a pair of shoes than invest in their professional development.” If we don’t make serious investments in our own careers why should others make serious investments in us?
When words you used to describe the change come into common use, you have probably achieved the change you sought to create.
In November 2010 a list of nominees for “Best Leadership Blog” appeared on the internet. It included 10 white men and 1 white woman. Later that week a list of 25 Leadership Gurus appeared as well. It included 23 white men, one white woman and a man of Indian origin. I was stunned, then outraged, then hopeless and angry at myself for wishing so hard for things to be different that I lost sight of reality.
What if leaders, managers and human resource professionals could understand what’s going on inside people’s heads? What if teachers and parents had access to this same information? Brain science has new answers about what’s going on up there, and John Medina makes this knowledge accessible in Brain Rules.
In today’s complex world a singular go-it-alone leader won’t suffice. He or she cannot possibly understand or focus on each and all the critical issues. Setting priorities doesn’t help when everything in the web of inter-related factors is equally important. ….So why not have two – a he leader and a she leader?
Despite the number and variety of programs for women at large corporations such as Deloitte and Touche, General Electric, Procter and Gamble, American Express, etc. the number of women in top leadership roles at major U.S. companies remains relatively unchanged in recent years. Uncommon practices are needed to crack open the glass ceiling. To discover what they are, read more.
When I asked Tony Hsieh, Zappos CEO “What is your essence?” he replied,” I build things creatively.” I learned that for Tony “building things creatively” means playfully defying conventional wisdom while building something of value.
Forbes is wrong. “Good Leaders Recognize When Patterns Change” is the first item listed in What Wall Street Needs from Leaders. That’s not good enough for me and it shouldn’t be good enough for you. Once the pattern changes everyone can see it, and a good leader should not be in the crowd. She should be in ahead of it.
