Rethink Your Elevator Pitch
I recently attended a swanky little speed networking night hosted by Amherst’s Emerging Business Leaders. Drinks in hand, we circulated around tables, a sparkling crew of young, Buffalonian professionals. During the formal speed networking time, we were given 90 seconds to “network” with each person. 90 seconds. Have you ever tried to authentically present yourself and your experiences, to make a real connection with someone, and to listen well and ask questions – all in the time you spent microwaving last night’s leftovers? 90 seconds is NOT a long time. But by...
Read MoreDreaming of Video Storytelling
I recently discovered the Daily DoGooder, and I cannot. stop. watching. The site serves up a seemingly bottomless platter of fresh-picked video goodies: short clips that aim to “change the world one video at a time.” The issues range from marriage equality and environmental sustainability to international movements like World Water Day. After I watch a film, like the one below, I’m instantly eager to join the movement. Then I watch the next video, and again I’m completely moved. Thinking Versus Feeling There’s something intensely powerful about video as a...
Read MoreThe Ugly Stereotypes of Women in Leadership
In real life, women are amazing leaders, though they don’t have enough changes to prove it. Women make companies more productive. They bring variety, insight and new ideas to the table. So why is it, as we’ve explored in the past few weeks, that women are 50% of the population but only 17% of the national leaders and 3% of the CEOs? You can’t be what you can’t see. The Geena Davis institute on Gender in Media recently found that in G and PG movies, very few female characters have any occupation whatsoever. These are the films targeted at the youngest members of our society,...
Read MoreWhat Media Teach Us About Women in Leadership
Why have women made so little gains since the feminist movement first launched decades ago? Everyday workplace issues are key, but at the root of the problem is one of our society’s most powerful institutions: the media. In our first story on women in leadership, we shared a pretty extreme statistic: women hold only 3% of powerful positions in mainstream media, which encompasses film, TV, publishing, and advertising. That means that 97% of the messages we see and hear about how women should look, act and think (or not) are created by men. What stories and messages is the average teen...
Read MoreChoosing Both: “Lean In” and the Work-Life Question
In a world where 50% of the population is women, shouldn’t 50% of our CEOs, national leaders should be women too? If you read last week’s post, you know that’s not the reality. This month, in honor of Women’s History Month and the 100th Anniversary of International Women’s Day, we’re talking about women in leadership. We’re elevating this issue not just because it’s about justice, or equality, or integrity – but because we are missing out on the rich insight and innovation that comes when we bring diversity to the table. The reality is – depending on the social institution...
Read MoreLeadership’s Biggest Challenge
This week Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo!, banned employees from working from home. The resulting firestorm has called into question Mayer’s leadership ability, but the conversation always seems to come back to whether women have a place above the glass ceiling. So here are the facts: women in leadership have a distinct edge. A 2011 Harvard Business Review survey of over 7,000 leaders, women scored higher than men in 15 out of 16 categories of leadership competencies, including taking initiative, driving for results and championing change. According to Forbes magazine, women are better at...
Read More
