Tag Archives: 2011 Annual YWCA’s Women’s Leadership Conference

How Do I Lead When I’m Not in Charge?

puzzle-person-keyI get a little nostalgic in October remembering my late parents whose birthdays were this month. So when Bonnie McEwan, president of the public interest communications firm Make Waves, suggested I write about how people in middle management can be leaders, I chuckled to think of one of my father’s favorite sayings:

“Everybody puts their pants on one leg at a time.”

That conjures up amusing pictures that equalize people regardless of their stature in the formal organization chart.

But the question of how to be a leader whether or not you have the formal authority isn’t about cutting others down to size. That famous scene from the 1980 movie 9 to 5 where the secretaries, played to the comedic hilt by Dolly Parton, Lilly Tomlin, and Jane Fonda, tie up their boss and make him beg for mercy. It’s sweet revenge in fantasy, but in reality comes from a place of feeling powerless to influence or lead in any other way…

Posted in 9 Ways Blog, Gender, Heartfeldt Leadership Advice, Inspiration, Leadership, No Excuses, Politics, Workplace | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

She’s Doing It: Sergeant Bernadette Smith Making a Difference

Sgt. Bernadette Smith
I had the honor to meet Sergeant Bernadette Smith at the YWCA Women’s Leadership Conference in Tucson. We had written back and forth, as she had contacted me via this website after discovering No Excuses in a local bookstore. Once I met her in person I knew she was someone you had to meet. She is the epitome of “Power-To” utilized gracefully in a very male-centric profession. As you’ll see she also has a keen sense of humor about it.

Here is her inspiring story for this week’s “She’s Doing It.”

Posted in Carpe the Chaos, Gender, Inspiration, Leadership, No Excuses, Power Tools, She's Doing It, Use What You've Got, Workplace | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Friday Round Up: Inspiring Women and Taking Leadership NOW

Greetings from TucsonGreetings from Tucson, I couldn’t be more excited to be here today to keynote the 2011 Annual YWCA’s Women’s Leadership Conference on my favorite topic, No Excuses and doing a brief workshop on the 9 Ways Power tools with about 400 women.

I’m honored to be tag-teaming with the inspiring Shoshana Johnson, the first African American female prisoner of war (POW) of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Plus, we were Glamour Women of the Year honorees together in 2003! I can’t wait to hear what she has to say.

Thursday was a big day as I was getting ready for Tucson…

Posted in Employ Every Medium, Equal pay, Gender, Heartfeldt Leadership Advice, Inspiration, Leadership, No Excuses, Politics, Power Tools, Workplace | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Friday Round Up: Inspiring Women and Taking Leadership NOW
 
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Copyright 2010 Gloria Feldt