DOES THE LOOK OF LEADERSHIP MATTER IF CONTENT IS STILL KING?

DOES THE LOOK OF LEADERSHIP MATTER IF CONTENT IS STILL KING?

by | Jan 30, 2014 | Article

Whether it’s President Obama addressing the nation or a class valedictorian addressing graduating students, the question is the same: To lead, do we have to dress like a leader? Or does what we have to say, matter the most?   Our human brains are hardwired to notice what’s different, not what’s the same. In a supermarket, this may show up as a SALE tag on a shelf of similar products. In nature, it might be a rock that rolled to a stop in the middle of a field of flowers. With celebrities seeking more attention, it’s a “wardrobe malfunction.”   Once, heading out to an art event, I was reminded that I might want to switch to dress shoes instead of the more comfortable sports shoe I was wearing. Why? Because women are hardwired to notice the whole person AND all the details.   So if you want project the look of leadership as a woman, dress to match expectations. Then what will stand out the most will be the content of your message and the inner power and energy with which you deliver it. They will be talking about what you said, not what you wore. This blog by Alexia Parks first appeared in the Huffington...
AS A WOMAN, YOU WERE BORN TO LEAD

AS A WOMAN, YOU WERE BORN TO LEAD

by | Jan 20, 2014 | Article

How many times has someone looked you in the eye and said: “You’re a natural born leader!” Never? Well, if you’re ready to feel a quick boost of confidence, start each and every day by looking in the mirror and say to yourself: “I was born to lead!” Now I’ll tell you the same thing: “You were born to lead!” What ever you do, in every moment, influences others. To test this out, be the first to smile when you meet someone. Chances are, they will immediately smile back. It’s an instinctive reaction that doesn’t require any thought. When you role model actions that you would like other people to take, your actions will speak louder than any words. When people agree on a set of actions to take to reach a certain goal, it’s called collaborative leadership. The actions they take influence others. A circle symbolizes the shape of this type of...
WOMEN OF POWER

WOMEN OF POWER

by | Jan 20, 2014 | Article

As an expert on the New Science of a woman’s brain I always remind women: “Each one of you is hardwired by Mother Nature with 10 natural leadership traits. As a woman you are already a leader, you just don’t know it. Most women don’t know it because the history of women’s leadership is all too often isolated in a field of study called “women’s studies” The good news is that the 21st Century is tailor-made for the 10 unique traits hardwired in a woman’s brain. And these 10 special traits – proven and documented by many fields of science – just so happen to be exactly the traits needed in leadership today in order to manage the complexities of our volatile, interconnected world. Hardwired, these powerful traits represent a major paradigm shift that once understood will forever change the way we look at and think about women. When you focus on EACH of these 10 leadership traits – which you already have – when you study them and meditate on them, they WILL...
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM?

by | Jan 20, 2014 | Article

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream. What is yours? If your life purpose could be described in a single sentence or phrase, what would it be? In every celebration honoring the life of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. we are reminded that he had a dream. Like a beacon of light, his dream called to him. It was the guiding focus of his life work. What is your dream? Take time to think about it, to test it out by speaking it aloud to yourself. Write it down. Post it somewhere as a note where you can see it frequently during the day. Go to sleep thinking about it. Wake up repeating it in your mind. Science reminds us that what we focus our awareness on expands. Choose something – aligned with your values – that is easy for you to express through your thoughts, words and actions. When you’re ready, share your dream with others. My dream: That my words and my work lift and shift the consciousness of women. (This post is linked to Alexia Parks’ blog on Huffington...
NEW FRIENDS & OLD

NEW FRIENDS & OLD

by | Dec 16, 2013 | Uncategorized

One is silver, the other, gold. This phrase from a campfire song carries an ages old truth. As we grow, as we develop new habits, we will find ourselves engaging with a whole new “ecology” of people and services to support our personal growth. Imagine a tree growing from a seedling on the forest floor to the treetops. Do you have new friends who reflect new growth happening in your life right now? Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver, the other, gold. Value your most trusted friends as...