Six ways to define yourself as a leader

What strikes me, in having worked with hundreds of women leaders, is how much we get in our own way and shut down our progress.

- We are not clear about who we are and what we stand for.
- We are not good at making our vision real and actionable.
- We hold self limiting beliefs about what is possible.
- We don’t get into action or if we do, we lose momentum.

For example, I recently worked with Jane, a senior woman in the technology space. We were talking about leadership and what makes a great leader. Jane told me that the best leaders that she worked with had a number of specific attributes.

- They were clear on their purpose and values.
- They were authentic – what they said and what they did matched.
- They supported and mentored others.
- They took risks and were not afraid of making mistakes.

What does this mean for you? Who are you as a leader? How do you develop clarity on your leadership vision? Here are some things to think about:

1. What are the qualities that make you stand out? In my client’s case it was her ability to connect the dots and tell a story from the data. She also has a personality that draws people in and engages them in conversation. Think back to times when you have really shone and ask yourself the question “what was I doing and how was I being that made me stand out”.

2. Check in with others and ask them to describe your strengths. Speak to colleagues, family members, your community. We can often be modest when describing our own strengths and not see what we bring to the table. With these strengths ask yourself what qualities was I demonstrating? What impact was I having on others?

3. Do you know what values are most important to you? The qualities that make you stand out are rooted in and directly linked to two or three core values and what you are passionate about. Think of high points in your life. See what is important about each one. Your high points are times when you are living your values.

Now look at your low points. These are times when your values have been compromised. What values were absent or threatened that made it so unsatisfying for you?

4. Pick two or three values and really embrace them. Bring them “into your bones” so they become an essential part of you, like your muscles, skin and bone. The more you step into and lead from your values, the more authentic you will be.

5. What impact do you want to have as a leader? Research shows that people remember us for what we say, the stories we tell, how we respond under pressure and what we are seen to reward. The greatest leaders tell stories that support their
values and what they are looking to cause in the world. What stories do you want to tell? What impression do you want to leave after chance or short meetings? What value do you want to bring to others?

6. What is your legacy? This last idea brings it all together. Get clear on your purpose, the “why” you are here. We all have a purpose, a reason for being, and the clearer we get on what that is, the more we can lean into it and live productive, fulfilled lives. And in living our purpose we will empower others to live it as well.

So what are you waiting for? Look inward and ask yourself who am I as a leader and what do I stand for? Are you ready to make a difference in your life and in the teams that you lead?

Bonnie Flatt is an executive coach who works with individuals and teams to understand and align on their purpose and values and develop goals and outcomes that deliver meaningful results. Bonnie will be launching a women in leadership series this fall.  If you are interested in learning more contact her at bonnie@bonnieflatt.com or follow her on twitter @BonnieFlatt.

The World’s 100 Most Powerful (And Connected) Women

This year’s 100 Most Powerful Women have never been more powerful – or connected. Whether leading multi-billion-dollar companies, governing countries, shaping the cultural fabric of our lives, or spearheading humanitarian initiatives, collectively these women are changing the planet in profoundly powerful and dynamic ways. And to that end, this year’s Power Women exert influence through very different platforms, and to very different ends, and all with very different impacts on the global community.

As you might imagine, measuring the relative power of such a diverse group of women is an enormous challenge. How do you quantify the difference between political leaders, likeHillary Clinton (#2) to those dictating from the sides of a runway like Anna Wintour (#51)? Yet across their multiple spheres of influence, there is one commonality among all of this year’s power women: they all have achieved power through connectivity – the remarkable ability to build community around the organizations they oversee, the countries they lead, the causes they champion, and the personal brands they’ve created.  It may be true that connectivity and collaboration have always been the cornerstones for achieving and maintaining lasting influence. But what’s incontrovertible is that power today has been amplified and transformed by dramatic changes to this force of connectivity. 

Technology has forever changed the scope of power today, especially for these 100 women. People and cultures are connected through rapid communication and the exchange of seemingly endless information, all through new platforms and tools. Just look at social media allowing individuals to more effectively build communities and reach a critical mass. Facebook’s COO Sheryl Sandberg (#10) is just one of this year’s many Power Women behind this tectonic technology, prompting us to break out technology for the first time as a separate power category. Between this year’s new tech titans in C-Suite like Yahoo’s Marissa Mayer (#21) or Virginia Rometty (#15) CEO of IBM, women are dominating some of the most high-profile firms in the world and helping to drive far more ways for each of us to have power.

In an age of unprecedented connectivity, the influence of this year’s political powerhouses, and women’s political power worldwide, now extends far beyond traditional borders of country and continent. While German Chancellor Angela Merkel has reined supreme six out of the past seven years in the number one spot, her power today has never been greater. She not only holds the fate of the Eurozone debt crisis in her hands, but she has the power to profoundly impact the fate of the world’s most tenuous economic markets.

The ability to scale one’s influence is also much greater today than it would have been a decade ago when we first envisioned our list. 14 of this year’s listees are from the media world, like Jill Abramson, Editor of one of the most revered voices in journalism, The New York Times, and #5 on our list. Abramson doesn’t just report on the world’s most pressing news, she’s defining it alongside those media mavens redefining the industry as we know it. Who would have imagined that a 20-something author of artist biographies would evolve into one of the most successful media entrepreneurs of the past decade connecting thousands of media bloggers under one brand as Arianna Huffington (#29) has done.

Put simply, virtual networks and communities around the world have democratized the ability for anyone to rise to power and influence the masses. What’s more, cultural impact can at times mean as much as money and political influence. From the social causes we champion, to the products that get our share of wallet, to what gets talked about with friends, power women also build and broadcast their personal brands. Lady Gaga (#14) is an ever-provocative example of transformational power, going from the top of the billboard charts to top rankings within our power list in a matter of years. With a mere 140 characters, Lady Gaga can speak to 28 million “little monsters” around the world. Across Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, this social star collectively reaches over 80 million people around the world with just one click of the mouse – a constituency roughly the same size as the one controlled by the world’s most powerful woman, Angela Merkel. At just 26 years-old, Lady Gaga has become an outsized influencer of our times and redefining the face of power women in the future.

Finally, this year’s listees have teamed up with other Power Women, to harness their respective areas of influence in an effort to broaden their scope of impact.  With her mission to educate Americans about nutrition and fitness, First Lady Michelle Obama (#7) launched the “Let’s Move” initiative in 2009, rallying support from leaders across diverse industries including PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi (#12). With revenues of close to $66b, this snack food giant committed to cutting over one trillion calories from its product lines by 2015 under Nooyi’s directive thanks to power collaborating with power.

While today’s rapidly evolving environment has created far more ways to achieve influence, now more than ever, power can be fleeting.  With that in mind, our annual Power Women’s list has always served as a snapshot in time, paying special homage to those who have managed to sustain their influence in today’s rapidly-changing environment – all the while circumventing traditional obstacles and bypassing naysayers and critics.

Secrets for Nailing a Pitch From 7 Female Founders

Want to take your start-up to the next level, get in front of dozens of investors, and even score some funding?

If so (and if your company has at least one female founder), apply now to Women 2.0′s PITCH NYC Conference & Competition 2012 in November. Finalists will get the opportunity to pitch their company to a panel of investors, and the winner will get a meeting with Marc Andreessen (Co-Founder & General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz), a one-year service to Rackspace (valued at $24,000), and an automatic finalist interview for TechStars NYC Winter 2013 class.

Ready to get started? Check out the application details (hurry—the deadline is August 31), then get some insider tips for pitching your company from these six successful founders and advisors

I subscribe to the 10,000-hour rule to mastery, so practice, practice, practice until your pitch becomes natural and unscripted. Practice day and night, in the shower, in bed, whenever. Also, watch this and learn how to invoke the audiences’ emotions so they remember your pitch. Last but not least, pitch with no shoes on and always smile!

Cheryl Yeoh
Founder & CEO of Reclip.It

Do everything you can to not give a damn when you walk into the room to pitch. Line up enough other opportunities, options, and ways of thinking about where you’re at, that you don’t suffer from ‘OMG it all hinges on this one presentation!’ mindset. That way you’ll be relaxed, confident, able to enjoy pitching the venture you’re passionate about, and all of that will shine through and make for a much better pitch.

Cindy Gallop
Founder, IfWeRanTheWorld and Make Love Not Porn

1. If you don’t piss at least some people off, what you are doing isn’t revolutionary.

2. Don’t be afraid to paint your vision as big as you’ve dreamed it.

3. Your investors need to like your idea/business but fall in love with you. Because if they love your idea more than they believe in your ability to adapt and execute, they are the wrong investors.

4. Be proud of your xx chromosomes, but walk into that pitch with balls.

Maria Seidman
CEO & Co-Founder, Yapp

In terms of advice, I would say being authentic is the most important thing. Companies are investing in you as much as they are in your idea and company. Sherpaa’s whole brand is built on trust and honesty, so it’s not only what we stand for as a company but also how we guide every decision we make.”

Cheryl Swirnow
Co-Founder, Sherpaa

The most important thing to do before you pitch a VC is take some time to get to know them. Ask for a soft intro meeting to see if they are a fit for you. People invest based on data and emotion. So, understand if the dynamic works before you do the formal pitch.

Kristen Galliani
Co-Founder and Chief Juggler, Meshin

Be genuine and passionate. If nothing else, the audience will remember your positive energy. Passion is transformative, infectious, and moves people to action—which may be a connection, referral, great idea, or funding.

Jennifer Hill
International Venture Lawyer/Start-up Advisor

Tell a story. Most likely, the audience you are pitching to will be hearing a lot of pitches on one day. Instead of listing out a series of facts about your business, you want to weave those facts together to present a cohesive story. It will help the audience to follow and be easier for you to remember while on stage.

Samantha O’Keefe
Founder, MicroEval

Too Busy Building A Business To Sleep, Exercise, or Eat Well? 8 Quick Fixes to Boost Your Energy

It’s the modern cliche: running so fast and furious through your workday that you don’t have time for lunch. That you get home late for dinner, so you end up getting takeout. And depending on your current age and lifestyle, you’re either up late working on your laptop, watching TV, out for drinks (to numb the effects of the day) or cleaning up after your kids. So you don’t get enough sleep, and wake up groggy the next day, rushing out the door to enjoy your morning traffic jam. Forget about breakfast. Exercise? Ha.

Surviving the day on venti lattes with a triple shot of espresso, a protein shake in a can, an energy bar and a muffin has become routine for so many of us. Heck, when I started my first business, I probably wasn’t even getting that much nutrition. I’d be up at 5 a.m., plow through my day overseeing every detail of the store’s operations, and get home completely exhausted and famished, because I hadn’t eaten all day. So I’d have a big meal, work some more and collapse into bed.

The irony? I was the proud owner of a healthy fast food store. I was selling fresh vegetable and fruit juices and smoothies, and promoting the benefits of getting your daily requirements of vitamins and minerals served in a to-go cup.

About a year into running the business, I realized I needed a major lifestyle makeover. That I wasn’t practicing what I was preaching, and it was having a detrimental effect on my energy levels at work, and my life overall. So of course, I bought a dog. Yeah, I know–that’s not exactly a “quick fix”. But Scooby (my beloved mutt from an SPCA shelter) forced me to slow down and make time for both of us. He needed daily walks, which got me outside and moving my body. He needed to be fed, reminding me of my own body’s needs for balanced nutrition. And he needed playtime and affection, which he generously gave me in return.

If you have children, pets or anyone else who is dependant on you, I urge you to let them be your guide, your health guru. Let their needs remind you of your own, that you’ve been overlooking and ignoring for far too long. If you don’t have anyone in your life who can do that for you, you’ll have to be your own guru. Do yourself a favour and incorporate as many of the following suggestions into your day:

• Start your morning with warm water and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I’m not telling you to skip the coffee, just don’t drink it first thing. The lemon has an alkalinizing effect on your body, and combined with the water it helps flush out toxins and get your digestive system moving.
• Take a 32 ounce water bottle with you everywhere. Fill it up at least twice and sip it throughout the day. Keeping yourself hydrated helps maintain your energy levels, keeps you from mistaking thirst for hunger and eating when you don’t need to, and keeps things moving through your system.
• Eat as much “live” food as possible. This includes things like fresh produce, raw nuts and seeds. It’s as easy to grab a banana or a handful of almonds as it is to grab a bagel or protein bar, and your body is much better equipped to process whole, live foods–meaning it takes less effort, provides much more benefit, slows the aging process, and leaves us with more energy. Eat something live with every meal.
• Get your daily omega 3 dosage. I know, you’re sick of hearing about how you need to eat more fish or flax seed oil. But omega 3s are proven to have brain-boosting powers, and without them, our minds are much fuzzier. If you’re not keen on seafood, just take a supplement.
• Get your daily vitamin D dosage. Preferably through at least 10 minutes of sunshine a day, but this isn’t always possible, especially for those of us in the Northern hemisphere who don’t get strong enough exposure to the sun for most of the year. So, take a supplement to make sure you’re covered. (But also, get outside!) A vitamin D deficiency can make you feel depressed and lethargic, in addition to making you more susceptible to certain diseases.
• Eat healthy carbs and fats. Don’t fall prey to fad diets that have you cutting out carbs altogether, or avoiding all fats. Fruits, vegetables and legumes are carbs and your brain needs those for fuel. Fruits may be higher on the glycemic index, but they’re also whole foods with nutrients your body craves. Don’t forsake them because you think it will help you lose a few pounds. And moderate amounts of healthy fats like olive oil, avocados and nuts actually help keep you slim because they make your body feel satiated so you aren’t craving more food.
• Get outside, get outside, get outside. I know, you have no time. But even if it’s just five minutes between meetings, get outside.
• Stand up. Make a habit of standing whenever you take phone calls, pacing around in your office. Take every opportunity to get up from your desk and stretch your legs. Go see people down the hall, rather than emailing or calling them. The more sedentary we are, the more lethargic we get, the fatter we get, and the more prone to disease we become.

All of the above suggestions will help you not only feel better throughout the day, but sleep better at night. However, if you really want to become as healthy as possible, it will take a little more effort than that. Depending on who you listen to, you need 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. And cutting out all sugar, gluten and processed foods will do wonders for you. Adding visualization or meditation into your day can help take you to the next level. But for now, just take a few small steps, and pat yourself on the back for doing that much.

(follow this blogger on Facebook at PeaceAndProfit) 

Bright girls, smart women: often their own worst enemies

By Carol Frohlinger

As if it wasn’t hard enough to be a nice girl, it seems that it is even harder to be a bright, nice girl. The evidence is Dr. Heidi Grant Halvorson‘s piece, “The Trouble With Bright Girls.”

She writes that even if the workplace were an equal playing field that women would still lag behind men. Why? Because smart women (in their youth, bright girls) are often their own worst enemy.

Grant Halvorson cites a study done by psychologist Carol Dweck (author of “Mindset“) in the ’80s that showed bright girls were much more likely than bright boys to throw in the towel when they found learning something difficult. And the higher their IQ, the faster they gave up. Grant Halvorson writes:

Why does this happen? What makes smart girls more vulnerable and less confident when they should be the most confident kids in the room? At the 5th grade level, girls routinely outperform boys in every subject, including math and science. So there were no differences between these boys and girls in ability, nor in past history of success. The only difference was how bright boys and girls interpreted difficulty — what it meant to them when material seemed hard to learn. Bright Girls were much quicker to doubt their ability, to lose confidence and to become less effective learners as a result.

Researchers have uncovered the reason for this difference in how difficulty is interpreted, and it is simply this: More often than not, Bright Girls believe that their abilities are innate and unchangeable, while bright boys believe that they can develop ability through effort and practice.

 Grant Halvorson traces the reason for the difference in beliefs back to childhood messages. Messages girls tend to receive praise them for qualities such as “goodness” or “cleverness” — attributes that are either present or absent — rather than the kinds of messages boys receive assuring them that more effort will pay off, “you can do it if you try harder”.

This finding is consistent with the premise of Nice Girls Just Don’t Get It: 99 Ways to Win the Respect You Deserve, the Success You’ve Earned, and the Life You Want. In it, Dr. Lois Frankel and I recount stories of women from all walks of life including those who are employed at companies firms such as Citigroup, AT&T and Pzifer, not only nice but bright too.

Nice girls, particularly bright nice girls, often feel stuck. Nice girls, more concerned with pleasing others than with addressing their own needs, tend to accept the status quo without pushing back. We knew they hesitate to take action because they don’t want to make waves or be labelled a bitch.

This research adds additional insight – they can also fail to successfully negotiate for what they want and deserve because they give up too soon. Getting support for their agendas, the resources to get the job done, the buy-in from those whom they lead and the credit for the results they have achieved isn’t easy for women.

It can mean many rounds of negotiations and refusing to take no for an answer. Nice girls just don’t have the resilience required. Women who want to get ahead get over the nice girl thing — particularly the bright ones.

Other Reading of interest:

Six ways Women Can Build Career-Enhancing Relationships

Hillary Clinton On Power Of Women And Girls At TEDWomen

Women in the Workplace are Just Too Nice

Why Working Is The Secret To Happiness

11 Blatant, Obvious, Shocking Signs It’s Time for Women to Step Up and Lead