She was a precocious, spunky, creative little girl who roamed the halls of an exotic Manhattan hotel and learned about management at the young age of six and could become the CEO of just about any multi-national company. Her name was Eloise and she delighted kids and parents with her antics to the point that people would visit the Plaza hoping to catch of glimpse of her. There … [Read more...]
Is the Male-Female Wage Gap a Myth? You Decide….
Stirred. That’s the best word I can use to describe how I feel after seeing the very recent findings from the Independent Women’s Forum (IWF) about the gender wage gap. I’m even more . . . stirred . . . by IWF’s Carrie Lukas’ Op-Ed, “There Is No Male-Female Wage Gap" in the Wall Street Journal. Boy, is she going to get some hate mail! Carrie and her group draw some … [Read more...]
GUTSY Is As GUTSY Does
As I continue to research for my book about GUTSY WOMEN LEADERS have such a sense of pride looking the progress we have made to stand and be counted. Our revolution has, at times, been angry; yet, it has maintained dignity and a deep desire for continued dialogue. If you have not yet read “When Everything Changed” by Gail Collins grab a copy and take the journey back to the … [Read more...]
How to Blow It and Move On
Post by Jane K. Stimmler, contributing Women on Business writer I've been following the story of a man I know who rose to a top executive position followed, several years later, by a spectacular descent. He's always been the consummate 'good old boy' with the network firmly behind him, which is how he got to the powerful position in the first place. He has the … [Read more...]
Leadership Development: When NOT to be GUTSY
While gathering definitions for the word "GUTSY", to be used in my new book being released soon. I had an epiphany. Maybe there are times to just be still, not show your confident, brash, exuberant, irreverent side. I sat with this for most of a day, letting it roll around in my mind like a chocolate drop that did not melt quickly. What happens if a gutsy woman stays quiet? … [Read more...]
Venture Capitalists Are Looking for Failures
Did you know failure is one of the biggest indicators of future success in an entrepreneur? According to an article in the April issue of Harvard Business Review, “Failing By Design,” many venture capitalists won’t invest in a new enterprise if the founder has never undergone failure. In other words, they are looking for… failures! Why?? Let me first state that there … [Read more...]
Does Being GUTSY Activate Being GUILTY?
Gutsy women break barriers. Gutsy women lead the way. Gutsy women speak out when others remain silent. As I research the lives of women leaders who have earned the badge of being a change agent I have been curious about the down side of standing out from the crowd. I call it “the giraffe syndrome”. You know be careful about sticking your neck out, you never know what can … [Read more...]
If Failure is NOT an Option, Then Why Do I Want It?
I don’t actually want to fail, but the fact is that we learn near to nothing when everything is going along perfectly. Last Friday I was speaking to the National Speakers Association, Illinois Chapter, and was relaying that over the years the best lessons I’ve learned as a speaker do not come from the positive feedback I receive, but the insightful comments on how I can … [Read more...]
Can a CEO be brutally honest?
Can a CEO be brutally honest? Everyone from sales clerks to CEO’s have been talking about the ‘burning platform memo’ from Nokia’s CEO Stephen Elop. In the memo, Elop points out where the company is failing compared to its competitors and effectively asks what the staff plans to do about it. ( Read the full memo here, here.) In the memo, Elop takes a hard and critical look … [Read more...]
Leadership Tactics: New Meaning of FEMA
The title of my almost finished book about women and leadership keeps changing, while I continue to search for essential concepts about partnering with our male colleagues in new and highly productive ways. A recent thought about a merger of the feminine and masculine aspects of our natures made me chuckle. Looking at a synthesis of female-male leadership qualities, I … [Read more...]