“Followership is of the utmost importance, but which has been far too little considered.” These words were written by an early management scholar, Mary Parker Follett, in 1929. Nearly 100 years later, this critical aspect of leadership remains “far too little considered.” It seems self-evident that if { Read More }
Leadership Credo
I was once asked to write a leadership credo. Upon re-read years later, it still fits for me and I still believe in it. I believe leadership is about making things possible. Leaders see potential, possibilities, and connections. They align resources, remove barriers, and provide inspiration and motivation { Read More }
The best management (and life) lesson I ever learned
Early in my career I enrolled myself in all kinds of leadership, management, and supervision training, seminars, and classes. I had been promoted internally and was learning on the job. I'm grateful for the team I was leading for their patience, my colleagues for their mentorship, and my boss for his trust. I { Read More }
Ten guidelines to define with your team
My favorite part about working is leading a great team. I've been fortunate to work with some of the smartest, strongest, and most creative team members around. We have accomplished incredible things together, and truly enjoyed the process. It wasn't always easy. A great team is filled with talented, { Read More }
My post on Huffington Post: We all fit the profile
This year I am serving as a national spokeswoman for Go Red for Women, and in that role I was asked to contribute an article to the Huffington Post. As I thought about what I wanted women — and everyone really — to know about heart disease, I landed on what is perhaps the most […] The post My post on { Read More }
Backstage with the Real Women
Last June I spent three days in Los Angeles being dressed up and made up and interviewed and photographed as one of the Go Red for Women Real Women. I took all these photos and then kept them under wraps for months as the release of the “Class of 2015″ was embargoed until late September. […] The post { Read More }
Keeping it real
Have I got a story to tell you. It’s one I couldn’t talk about for a while — embargoed they say in the PR business. But now it’s released and official and real: I am a 2015 Go Red for Women national spokesperson. One of the “Go Red for Women Real Women, Class of 2015.” […] The post Keeping it real appeared { Read More }
13 Ways to Make Your PowerPoint Good (or at least not bad)
PowerPoint is at once beloved and beleaguered, but I think PowerPoint is either "good" or "bad" depending on the person using it. It can work for you, but you have to know what you are doing. (For a humorous example, check out this redesign of the infamous NSA slides.) These are some of my design rules and { Read More }
What I didn’t see coming
I left my job three years ago because our life was simply untenable -- two demanding jobs, two kids, running a business. It was just too much, and something had to give. And I wanted that something to be my job. I wanted my turn at home. When our older son was three, my husband was laid off. Having been { Read More }
5 steps to presentation success
Are you working on an important presentation? Don't even open up PowerPoint until you've thought through these five things. 1. Determine your primary objective Know what you want the outcome to be before you start, and structure your presentation or argument to build toward that. Is your primary { Read More }
Own your awesome
There's nothing worse than the humblebrag, right? (I'm not able to come up with a witty example just now, but you can find lots of cringe-worthy ones here, here, and here.) It turns out there is: Actually putting yourself down while trying to be self-deprecating because you were genuinely feeling awkward { Read More }
Get along to get things done: 9 questions to ask your team
Early in my management days I stumbled on this exercise and it got my attention: Have each member of your team or department share their "get-along" rules. Get-along rules are things like: Tom replies to an email in two minutes flat but never answers the phone? Jen thinks out loud, so what she says is { Read More }
How to prepare and give a great presentation
I just finished reading a great book called "How to Deliver a TED Talk: Secrets of the World's Most Inspiring Presentation" by Jeremey Donovan. It was a quick, helpful read full of great real-life examples and stories. A how-to book that wasn't the least bit boring. The title caught my eye because I've { Read More }
Ladies Who Lunch. Women on a Mission.
Yesterday was one of those roller coasters: punch-to-the-gut emotional lows followed by relief, support, and happy-tears highs. Seriousness of purpose, silliness in feathers. Ladies who lunch. Women on a mission. The Go Red for Women Luncheon. I had a job to do at this luncheon. I was the survivor story. { Read More }
Exactly what’s needed
Here’s when I feel best: When I’m home with my sons and they are happy to see the first snow, jumping up and down at the window, putting on their coats and boots over their pjs. When they come in cold and rosy, warming up their bellies with hot chocolate and pumpkin muffins. When I put their { Read More }