Honoring the 20th Anniversary of the Berlin Wall tumbling down reminded me of the children’s nursery rhyme-- “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall Humpty Dumpty had a great fall All the king’s horses and all the king’s men Couldn’t put Humpty together again” Curious verse; so here is my interpretation. When we fall and perhaps feel … [Read more...]
Breaking the Stereotype Code: Do Women Really Talk Too Much?
We have come a long way since we won the right to vote in 1921. In just about 90 years we are no longer barefoot and pregnant. We can go anywhere on the planet with or without a man at our side. We can be called “Ms.” To our men’s “Mr.” and the word spinster has become archaic. (What would be a name for an elder man who did not marry?) We're finally becoming more equal in our … [Read more...]
How Much Help is Enough?
There is a pivot point we all need to find between being too caring or too cold when employees have personal issues. Women, hard-wired to be compassionate and consider others first, often get stuck in the caring rather than cold region. Here is an example: Roberta, a valued administrative assistant who does great work and is dedicated to her company had … [Read more...]
Busting Stereotypes
Every once in a while I meet a woman who has quietly taken stereotypes, looked them in the eye and with a quick flick of the wrist lobbed them into the discard pile. Rosie Saez a Senior V.P. of H.R. at Wachovia Bank is a stereotype buster. She has been in the world of banking for over 20 years and has participated in helping change this mainly male dominated world over … [Read more...]
Women and Men: Is Partnership Really Possible?
This is such an exciting time of pattern busting. By that I mean the old ways are falling fast and furious. We are no longer willing to shove bad behavior under the rug. We are questioning old ways and questing for new ways. I believe the most fascinating and long overdue microscope is now being put more strongly on male-female relationships in a way that is neither … [Read more...]
Gender Stereotypes and Leadership Success
When power words are said we all have a fast reaction. There is an image that comes to mind depending upon what we learned in our families and cultures. So, take a moment and see in your mind’s eye a picture of the word “man”. Did you see a strong, muscular guy, perhaps wearing jeans and a fit to the skin tee shirt? Maybe it was a sophisticated type in a well tailored suit with … [Read more...]
What Makes Women Happy?
Lately there is a new rash of articles and discussions about women's happiness. Even men are getting into the center ring. Marcus Buckingham, a business consultant and author, is now hoping to become an expert on women. He is tackling why there is so much female depression in the midst of so much seeming success at becoming equal partners with their men. I think there is a … [Read more...]
Authentic Leadership
I was recently at the Pa. Governor’s Conference for Women with the theme of “rethink, resolve, renew”. It was a mighty meeting. There is nothing like thousands of women who are claiming their power to partner with their male counterparts in the world of work. One of the sessions was of exceptional interest to me. The theme was about enabling authentic leadership. That word, … [Read more...]
Green Coaching
I recently returned from our home in Santa Fe where the Green Movement can be seen everywhere. There are classes on sustainability, a wonderful farmers’ market with organic everything, throw-away containers that are biodegradable. I started thinking about what makes the green movement so powerful. It is all about how systems operate and cooperate with the laws of nature. So … [Read more...]
Real Power
I was in the presence of a motivational expert who was tall, dark and handsome. By any standards, Hollywood, Wall Street, mothers looking for guys for their daughters, he was a standout. Then he started to talk, and again he got stellar grades. He was engaging, funny, relevant, and deep. He was the kind of guy you want to hang out with, laugh with, and learn from. I must … [Read more...]