Leadership Nuggets

LucyP Marcus on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of The Feminine Mystique writes about the Leadership Nuggets from Betty Freidman whose words are relevant even today and arouse violent emotions:

1. "There needs to be bolder thinking, on how to measure the quality of life of men and women in the work force. Currently, success is measured by material advancements. We need to readjust the definition of success to account for time outside of work and satisfaction of life, not just the dollars-and-cents bottom line."

2. “You can have it all, just not all at the same time.”

3. “A good woman is one who loves passionately, has guts, seriousness and passionate convictions, takes responsibility, and shapes society. ”

4. “The key to the trap is, of course, education. The feminine mystique has made higher education for women seem suspect, unnecessary and even dangerous. But I think that education, and only education, has saved, and can continue to save, American women from the greater dangers of the feminine mystique.”

5. “Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength.”

6. “It is easier to live through someone else than to complete yourself."

7. “It's a different stage of life, and if you are going to pretend its youth, you are going to miss it. You are going to miss the surprises, the possibilities, and the evolution that we are just beginning to know about because there are no role models and there are no guideposts and there are no signs.”

8. “In almost every professional field, in business and in the arts and sciences, women are still treated as second-class citizens. It would be a great service to tell girls who plan to work in society to expect this subtle, uncomfortable discrimination--tell them not to be quiet, and hope it will go away, but fight it. A girl should not expect special privileges because of her sex, but neither should she "adjust" to prejudice and discrimination”

9. “It is wrong to keep spelling out unnecessary choices that make women unconsciously resist either commitment or motherhood--and that hold back recognition of the needed social changes.”

10. “You can show more of the reality of yourself instead of hiding behind a mask for fear of revealing too much”

11. “The only way for a woman, as for a man, to find herself, to know herself as a person, is by creative work of her own.”

12. “Just as darkness is sometimes defined as the absence of light, so age is defined as the absence of youth.”

13. "The freedom to lead and plan your own life is frightening if you have never faced it before. It is frightening when a woman finally realizes that there is no answer to the question 'who am I' except the voice inside herself.”

14. “...bowling alleys and supermarkets have nursery facilities, while schools and colleges and scientific laboratories and government offices do not.”

15. “A woman has got to be able to say, and not feel guilty, 'Who am I, and what do I want out of life?' She mustn't feel selfish and neurotic if she wants goals of her own, outside of husband and children.”

Source:  
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130219060733-60894986-10-leadership-nuggets-from-betty-friedan

Resonant Leaders

Dr. Richard Boyatzis speaks about Resonant leadership in an EQ Leadership summit:

Resonant Leaders inspire their organisations and communities to reach for dreams that even a few years ago were impossible. Great leaders are emotionally intelligent an mindful. They seek to live in full conscience of self, others, nature and society. Resonant leadership help to blend financial, human, intellectual, environmental and social capital into a potent recipe of effective performance in an organisation. Then comes "primal leadership" where the most important role of a leader is to drive emotions positively. We have to feel that our work makes a difference that is going to be meaningful to thousandths of people to be involved in co-creating a vision for the organisation collectively by participating in building strategies and share mutual accountability for execution and implementation . People find meaning in their work when the objectives  created transcend mere profit lines and very importantly reflect the collective ownership of the objectives through co-creation of the vision.

Source: Ascent, TOI 6th Feb., 2013

Leaders are Good Storytellers - Where to Find Stories

This is an interesting article by Dr. Maynard Brusman:

"I recently spoke with the VP of Human Resources of a Silicon Valley company regarding providing executive coaching for the company CEO. She asked some very poerful questions to determine fit. She specifically wanted to know how I worked with different personality styles, and my methods for initiating behavioral change. 

The VP of HR and I spoke about my approach to coaching, and my belief that possessing a psychological understanding of human behavior and business acumen are important competencies for coaching executives. We also spoke of the need for her organization to create a culture where innovation flourishes. 

The VP of HR is interested in partnering with me in helping the CEO to develop her executive presence and become a more inspiring storyteller. We further discussed how company executives can benefit by working with a seasoned executive coach. 

Where to Find Stories 

Potential stories are everywhere, but you may not notice them until you practice storytelling for a while. It's fine to start with borrowed stories from other speakers, books and the Internet, but be sure to credit them appropriately. 

You can reap an endless supply of great stories by paying attention to the anecdotes other share. Start a story notebook or computer file so you can access them for the appropriate occasion. 

Anything that captures your attention can be turned into a story. Often, life's little details contain big lessons, so begin to develop your sense of "story radar." After an interesting conversation or encounter, ask yourself if you can use the incident to illustrate a leadership principle. 

As with anything, you sharpen your skills through practice. Make a commitment to yourself to start practicing this week. Pick three stories to tell, and play with the details to figure out how to accentuate key points. 

Alternatively, pick a challenge or lesson you want to teach through story. Then, match the story to the objective. 

Leadership Challenges 

Make a list of your most important leadership issues, such as: 

1. Envisioning the future 

2. Strategic purpose and goals 

3. Team alignment 

4. Values and corporate culture 

5. Customer service and focus 

How you can teach leadership principles through stories of real people in your particular industry? 

Look for stories about people who implement their core values in day-to-day tasks. Values tend to be vague until you integrate them into stories about actual experiences. 

Encourage people to view a situation through their own lens, but in a new way. This will help them make progress in implementing organizational goals. 

Are you working in a company where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide strength-based executive coaching for leaders? Sustainable leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more compelling future. 

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is "How do I find great stories?" Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their leadership development programs. 

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help leaders develop their executive presence and become better storytellers. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company. "