Quote on Assertiveness
“The basic difference between being assertive and being aggressive is how our words and behavior affect the rights and well being of others.”
-Sharon Anthony Bower
The Art of Assertiveness
Anyone – male or female – can benefit from a few lessons in being assertive. But as women, we need to learn a few more nuances in order to be effectively assertive.
In her article, The Fine Art of Female Assertiveness,, Marcia Reynolds shares her own experiences learning this “art,” and some tips you can give your female leaders to strike that balance between being assertive and being considered aggressive and pushy.
Perspective on: Assertiveness
Unfortunately, most women confuse “being assertive” with “being aggressive.” Assertive women express themselves without becoming defensive. Assertive women share their opinions without belittling those of others. Assertive women command respect.
Aggressive women, on the other hand, can be seen as defensive, bullying and disrespectful of others.
I think the difference is clear. Do you?
Woman of the Week – Karyl Brown
Karyl Brown
My Current Job/Company:
Director, Risk and Regulatory Administration at H. D. Smith in Springfield, Illinois
My Birthdate:
July 15th, 1965
My Work:
Regulatory compliance for a national pharmaceutical wholesaler. I develop process improvements, controls and collaborative customer solutions!
My Passion:
My Family and Ohio State Football
My Family:
My best friend and soul mate, Dave; daughters Kennedy [16] and Lyndsey [13]
My Hero:
My dear friend who has been living with stage 4 breast cancer since June 2004! She is such an ongoing inspiration.
My Escape:
Curling up with a blanket, a good book and a glass of wine! The beach is nice too:)
My Pet Peeve:
A lack of accountability and poor customer service
My Indulgence:
Naps
My Roots:
Blue Collar/humble
My Future:
Full of unknown opportunities
My Love:
Faith, family and friends
My Favorite Movie:
Top Gun
My Quote on Life:
Character is who you are when no one is watching!
My Accessory:
I love pearls
My Mentor/Coach:
I often rely on the advice from several friends who are wiser than I am!
My Advice to Young Women:
Be confident and accountable. Believe in yourself and your ideas. Never underestimate the power of girlfriends, so take time now to develop these friendships! Learn how to have non-electronic conversations and relationships (a.k.a., real face to face conversations!)
How I Balance it All:
My faith keeps me grounded.
On Creativity
“There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.” — Edward de Bono
Encourage Creativity
Too many female executives think of themselves as “non creatives.” But creativity isn’t necessarily about painting or writing or the things we often associate with the word. It’s essentially about looking at things in a new way.
In fact, the definition of creativity is:
The ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships, or the like, and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations, etc.; originality, progressiveness, or imagination.
Your rising stars need encouragement to think creatively. But they also need some explanation around what “thinking creatively” actually means. Because, most of the time, successful business leaders are already “thinking creatively” and don’t even realize it! You need to encourage more of that behavior.
In his post about creativity, Think Smart, Brian Tracy offers some ways to help leaders tap into their mojo and think differently about solutions to business problems, challenges and issues.
Check it out. And then get your team’s creative juices flowing!
Perspective on: Creativity
Creativity and problem solving skills are two of the biggest competitive advantages any associate can bring to an organization. If you want to add value to your organization, think about how to solve problems before situations even become problems!
Woman of the Week – Rachel Caviness
My Name:
Rachel Caviness
My Birthdate:
08.24.76
My Family:
Lane (Husband), Jacob (Son-4)
My Current Job/Company:
President/International Financial Group of Columbus
My Work:
I run and manage a recruitment and consulting firm that places senior-level finance and accounting professionals in full-time positions and consulting assignments.
My Passion:
My family, my home, travel.
My Hero:
My grandmother. Her legacy of love, hard-work and mind-over-matter lives on for generations in my family.
My Escape:
Quiet time with my husband spent mapping out our dreams.
My Pet Peeve:
Laziness
My Indulgence:
Wine & Coffee
My Roots:
“Perfect is close enough” and “I love you because you’re you” was the mantra.
My Future:
More of what I have today — a happy family, a successful business, an attitude of service.
My Love:
Being unexpectedly moved by a song or something in nature. I can feel the energy it provides me running up my spine.
My Movie:
Pretty Woman. It’s got a rags-to-riches storyline, love, beautiful clothes, jewelry, and a prince rescues her at the end…what could be better?
My Quote on Life:
“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.” -Albert Einstein
My Accessory:
Coats
My Advice to Young Women:
You can’t change who you are, and why would you want to anyway? You can, however, learn to identify, harness and extrapolate your strengths while at the same time identifying, harnessing and mitigating your weaknesses. It’s easier said than done, so start the process today.
How I Balance It All:
Surround yourself with people who love you…people who support and share your dreams. Those people will move mountains for you by taking things off of your plate, encouraging you to take breaks, and making sure you find time for yourself.
Quote on Executive Presence
“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”
-Epictetus
Executive Presence: Is it Important?
You know how some women just “seem” like executives? There is something about the way they carry themselves, speak and interact with others.
A recent survey by Sally Williamson and Associates showed that, of the nearly 400 executives and CEO’s surveyed, 89% felt that “presence” helped them get ahead.
The company defines Executive Presence as: “the confidence to express your ideas with conviction and the ability and desire to engage and influence others in the process.”
Business 2 Community explores the results of this survey in their article, What is Executive Presence?, and the surprising, as well as validating, things about the insights offered.
What do you think creates executive presence? Do you think it’s important?