Monday, October 26, 2015
Good morning,
While reading the Dallas Morning News this weekend, I came across some leadership advice that is worth passing along.
Fortune held their “Most Powerful Women’s Summit” earlier this month in Washington, D.C., where over 450 executives came together to swap stories about their careers as well as their lives. Now just because it is a “women’s summit” doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply to men or that men can’t learn something from it. And let’s face it, the more both men and women can learn about women, the more beneficial it is to everyone.
Carolyn Tastad, North America group president for Proctor & Gamble, said that when she presents opportunities to other women, they often say things like: “I’m not sure I’m ready.” “And yet I can talk to men in the same situation, and men are like ‘Yes, I’m going for that.'” She said she tells women, “I just need you to put on blinders for one minute” and focus on the opportunity itself, rather than everything they’d have to give up or change.
Carolyn Everson, Facebook’s vice president of global marketing solutions, told about finding a way to thank families at a time when her team was working “insane” hours. She bought gifts for all the spouses and wrote letters herself. “I wish I could say it was my idea,” Everson said. “But it was my husband’s.”
Everson thinks of herself as a thermostat when she walks into a room. A leader might need to turn the temperature up or down, getting people energized, or calm people down. Different situations call for different communication styles.
Ginni Rometty, chief executive of IBM, says career growth is never comfortable. “When did you ever learn the most in life?” she said. “I guarantee it’s a time you felt most at risk.” Rometty said her advice to women is to “be comfortable with the fact that growth and comfort don’t co-exist.”
What great advice from a few great women……….listen and learn!
Make it a great day!