Women Empowerment the Goal of Take the Lead Challenge

The recent Take the Lead Challenge was a momentous event. the national organization formally launched their mission of helping women build their self confidence and self-esteem so they will step into leadership roles. The WomenConnect4Good Foundation reached out with sponsorship and Dr. Nancy attended the event in the packed 3000-seat auditorium at Arizona State University.

Take the Lead Women.com logo snapshot of the crowd at Arizona State with the inspirational and empowering words: prepare, develop, inspire, propel.

Among the more than 500,000 live stream viewers was a small group of women in Springfield, Missouri. Michele Kauffman, chapter president of the Association for Women in Communications, was among them. She shared her experience and sources of inspiration in the March AWC Newsletter. We hope her review inspires you also.

One Woman’s View: Take The Lead Launch

Michele KauffmanOn Feb. 19, Maggie Castrey, Cathy Evans, Jill Randolph and I attended a live stream viewing event called “Take the Lead Challenge.” This was a launch event for Take The Lead, a 501(c)3 organization with a mission to prepare, develop, inspire and propel women to take their fair and equal share of leadership positions across all sectors by 2025. It’s today’s women’s movement — a unique catalyst for women to embrace power and reach leadership parity.

One of the speakers was Carla Harris, Managing Director for Morgan Stanley. Her message was “Expect to Win.” She gave three “pearls” of information; Power of Authenticity, Power of Relationships and Power of Perception. One of her stories was “the meeting before the meeting.” The conversation centered on other areas of her life, like the fact she is a gospel singer. She noticed when she talked about other hats she wears it resonated with her clients. It was to her benefit to be authentic. “I am more than just a sales person.”

 Clarity Will Build Self-confidence

Carla asked us, “How do others perceive you?” We must understand the adjectives that are needed for the job regarding the seat you sit in now or the seat you desire to sit in. It’s important to remember that “decisions will be made when I am not in the room. How will others describe me?” And “what is valued in the organization?”

To maximize our achievements, understand the objectives associated with what you desire. What are the three adjectives that describe the job you desire? What are the three adjectives that describe me? Now, have consistent behavior around these three adjectives. A manager told her she was qualified for the position, but he did not think she was tough enough. She decided, “For 90 days I am going to show you I can be tough.” Using consistent behavior, and the use of language, she kept talking tough and changed the way her co-workers perceived her. She sold herself as “tough.”

 Women Empowerment Quotes

Other lessons I took away included:

  • Be comfortable taking risks.
  • Your voice is the heart of your power.
  • Fear has no place in my success equation.
  • Getting involved brings new experiences and will give you new skills, expose you to new networks and create new branches on your tree of opportunity.

The final keynote was given by Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook CEO and author of a good book for women,  Lean In. She spoke about self-confidence and of course, taking your seat at the table. Her question to us, “Are you bossy or do you have leadership skills?”

Find more information at LeanIn.org and TakeTheLeadWomen.com.

See more empowering messages on the video of the event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgTr6-ZfKE4.

When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” –Audre Lorde

 

Reprinted by permission.

 

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