ChangeThis RSS
"There is no shortage of theories about why there are not more women leading companies, boards, and local, state, and national governments. Explanations range from the persistence of the glass ceiling, inflexible work-life policies, male-dominated networks, and unconscious gender bias. As a result, solutions for correcting the lack of gender parity typically include remedying workplace policies and practices that privilege men and penalize women—or sponsoring women to attend women's leadership conferences, professional development training, and mentorship programs. And while all of these solutions have merit, what remains lacking is a complementary intervention that addresses a behavior most women struggle with—a behavior that leaders irrespective of gender need to possess.
For the last decade, I've supported women to step into their moxie—what I define as possessing the mindset and skillset to be able to walk into any room, or onto any stage, and speak up for yourself and the ideas and issues that matter most to you (and to your company). I have led a range of women's leadership development programs—independently and on-site at organizations. And while my work has supported women to develop comfort and competency in a range of areas, including interpersonal communication, public speaking, persuasion, sales, facilitation, and coaching, the top area where I've seen junior women, emerging female leaders, and even senior women struggle has consistently been in navigating difficult conversations."
Continue reading
"I've studied leadership my entire adult life, and I firmly believe there is no shortage of leadership on this planet. However, we are systematically ignoring a huge percentage of the leadership that surrounds us each day because we have chosen to define it too narrowly.
To change that we need to teach a more accessible form of leadership: one that acknowledges that while not everyone can or should be a CEO or senior executive, there is a form of leadership to which we all can and should aspire. My goal is to make living that form of leadership more accessible and appealing (and as such, spread it throughout our organizations and communities) by providing a clear place to start: Day One."
Continue reading
"As a result of our fascination with the latest and the greatest, the word 'innovation' is often used as a synonym for technological advancement, bringing with it imagination-capturing glory—as well as its less savory reputation for being expensive and fickle. But that's just one dimension of innovation. In our combined decades of experience working in this field, we've seen that there are many ways to innovate that don't take as much time, or require as much money and investment, as a moonshot initiative. And they're less overwhelming to get started with, to boot.
Innovation doesn't always have to be more—more flavors, more horsepower, more memory space, more bells and whistles. In some cases, customers don't want more. They just want us to do the job they've hired us to do, and for us to do it very, very well. New solutions can excel in their simplicity, earning customer love and saving money along the way—and, yes, that is just as deserving of being called 'innovative' as a new blockchain game or genetic therapy."
Continue reading
"A long career in business has impressed upon me the unpredictability of success. As an entrepreneur and investor this lesson is particularly sobering.
When I started, I felt that my hard work and a modicum of intelligence would propel me to certain success. Simply put one foot in front of the other. But living in the Silicon Valley casino has changed my view.
Success is, after all, relative. There is much written about the short half-life of the joy experienced after receiving a significant windfall if others have received an even greater sum. It seems we can't even gauge our own success without comparison to others.
And in Silicon Valley, the relative distribution of success appears largely random. That is not to say that many of the successful icons of innovation aren't impressive; it's to say that in comparison to so many of the also-rans they are virtually indistinguishable. And that realization alone is humbling."
Continue reading
"The world of work is going through a large-scale transition—much like the transition we went through from the agricultural economy to the Industrial Revolution. We are now in the age of digitization, automation, and acceleration—an age where critical skills and expertise will be an imperative for us to succeed in the economy.
[...]
If you aren't ready and willing to learn every day and keep up with a rapidly changing world, you can't and won't stay competitive. Gone are the days when you could graduate with a four-year degree and feel secure that you had learned everything you needed to know to stay relevant for your entire career."
Continue reading
