Buzzwords like inspirational leader get bandied about and then quickly blurred with conventional wisdom about leadership. Be self-aware, be values-grounded, be credible, be a story-teller, be results-driven, etcetera. I suppose that’s all true. But what makes a run-of-the-mill leader, even those who at times flirt with greatness, markedly different from a truly inspirational leader ? I believe it’s the Little Bit Crazy Factor. Leadership gurus today, like New York Times best-selling author Bob Rosen, argue that great leadership requires … [Read more...]
Being a social and emotional thinker makes you a better strategist
May 1, 2014
by
Leave a Comment
I once had a boss present me with a complex problem, and go on to explain that in her experience that just a tight deadline gets the best solutions, then she set an arbitrary tight deadline- not out of necessity, but rather, as an intentional strategy to inspire a creative, innovative solution. Often, in my experience, this isn't the case at all and new research recently highlighted in a Wall Street Journal backs this up. These new insights are coming through the world of neuroimaging, where scientists use sophisticated machines to map … [Read more...]
Leaders Who Attract Main Street America’s Women
April 25, 2013
by
Leave a Comment
Writing a book about what Main Street, America women think and care about is an awesome, humbling and sometimes challenging experience. I’m at a crucial stage in writing The Flight Patterns of Superwomen, the book that amplifies the voices of America’s majority: women. I’ve come to well understand why Nora Ephron, the writer of iconic films like Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally, and Sleepless in Seattle said, "The hardest thing about writing, is writing.” The women I interviewed definitely want to be acknowledged as individuals (beyond … [Read more...]
