I’m a big fan of the work of Robert Greenleaf who developed the concept of Servant Leadership.  Essentially, Greenleaf says the leader is there to serve his or her followers so that they can carry out the mission of the organization.  Whether you lead a department, chair a committee of the PTA, or are involved in a non-leadership capacity in any enterprise, you won’t go wrong following these principles proposed by Larry Spears, CEO of the Greenleaf Center.

1.  Listening.  Traditionally, leaders have been valued for their communication and decision making skills. Servant-leaders must reinforce these important skills by making a deep commitment to listening intently to others. Servant-leaders seek to identify and clarify the will of a group. They seek to listen receptively to what is being and said (and not said). Listening also encompasses getting in touch with one’s inner voice, and seeking to understand what one’s body, spirit, and mind are communicating.

2. Empathy
Servant-leaders strive to understand and empathize with others. People need to be accepted and recognized for their special and unique spirit. One must assume the good intentions of coworkers and not reject them as people, even when forced to reject their behavior or performance.

3. Healing
Learning to heal is a powerful force for transformation and integration. One of the great strengths of servant-leadership is the potential for healing one’s self and others. In “The Servant as Leader“, Greenleaf writes, “There is something subtle communicated to one who is being served and led if, implicit in the compact between the servant-leader and led is the understanding that the search for wholeness is something that they have.”

4. Awareness
General awareness, and especially self-awareness, strengthens the servant-leader. Making a commitment to foster awareness can be scary–one never knows that one may discover! As Greenleaf observed, “Awareness is not a giver of solace – it’s just the opposite. It disturbed. They are not seekers of solace. They have their own inner security.”

5. Persuasion
Servant-leaders rely on persuasion, rather than positional authority in making decisions. Servant-leaders seek to convince others, rather than coerce compliance. This particular element offers one of the clearest distinctions between the traditional authoritarian model and that of servant-leadership. The servant-leader is effective at building consensus within groups.

6. Conceptualization
Servant-leaders seek to nurture their abilities to “dream great dreams.” The ability to look at a problem (or an organization) from a conceptualizing perspective means that one must think beyond day-to-day realities. Servant-leaders must seek a delicate balance between conceptualization and day-to-day focus.

7. Foresight
Foresight is a characteristic that enables servant-leaders to understand lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and the likely consequence of a decision in the future. It is deeply rooted in the intuitive mind.

8. Stewardship
Robert Greenleaf’s view of all institutions was one in which CEO’s, staff, directors, and trustees all play significance roles in holding their institutions in trust for the great good of society.

9. Commitment to the Growth of People
Servant-leaders believe that people have an intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers. As such, Servant-leaders are deeply committed to a personal, professional, and spiritual growth of each and every individual within the organization.

10. Building Community
Servant-leaders are aware that the shift from local communities to large institutions as the primary shaper of human lives has changed our perceptions and caused a send of loss. Servant-leaders seek to identify a means for building community among those who work within a given institution.

TAGS: Leadership, servant leadership, Women and Leadership, women leading

One of the best things you can do to reach the “corner office” is to be included in a leadership development program your company sponsors for high potential talent. Some of these programs are internal, others are outsourced but regardless of where they’re held or how much work is involved with preparing for it, make sure you are considered when the opportunity comes along. Why?

• You stand to learn a lot about yourself and how you are viewed by others

• You will have the opportunity to step back from the day-to-day to reflect on what you are doing that is working as well as what you want to change

• You’ll be tagged as a high potential leader as a result of your selection

Apropos of the thin pink line, however, research shows that you, as a woman, may not be top of mind when these highly coveted ─ and competitive ─ spots become available.  According to an analysis done by Development Dimensions International, men are more likely than women to be enrolled in both early career leadership development programs as well as executive level development programs.

Source: Development Dimensions International

Ann Howard, Chief Scientist for DDI is clear about the problem this causes for women who aspire to the top, “If they (women) don’t make it into these programs, their chances for an executive promotion are slim, and they don’t know it until it’s too late.”

So how can you best position yourself to be selected?

• Do your homework
  Learn everything you can about the program. When is it held? Where? What the criteria is for inclusion? Who makes the decisions?

• Assess your chances, shore up as needed
  What are your current chances of being selected? If they’re not as good as you’d like, what can you do to improve them? For example, do you know a Program Alumuni you could ask for advice? Do you have a Sponsor who might be able to put in a good word on your behalf?

• Raise your hand high!
  Do not be a shrinking violet, sitting on the sidelines until some ne invites you to the party. Follow the formal process the company has outlined for those who wish to be considered and make it clear that you are ready, willing and able.

Readers, have you been involved with a leadership development program? What was your experience? What impact did it have on your career?

TAGS: Developing your skills, Leadership, LinkedIn

After reading posts about leadership and the importance of voice on The Thin Pink Line, Kay Kleinerman, Ed.D. a singer and voice and leadership development coach, wrote the following guest blog:

Can singing turn you into a leader?  Can you learn to lead by learning to sing?  Over the course of my work, I’ve noticed that there is an integral connection between voice, identity, and the inclination to lead.  The journey of locating your voice through singing can be one of self-discovery, empowering you to find new aspects of yourself that enlarge and transform your identity.   Developing your voice is akin to developing your identity and when you become conscious of your identity you are awakened to your potential.

The word “voice” and the concept of having voice are often used as metaphors for leadership.  Frequently, though, female voices are ignored or subverted, particularly as they age.  Voice as a means of self-expression and self-agency has been a battleground for women.  For women to claim their equitable rights as leaders and meaning makers in their communities, they must know themselves and make themselves heard.

In working with diverse populations of women, I have seen that singing can foster self-awareness, self-assurance, a sense of free expression, and greater presence — many of the qualities upon which leadership rests.  So,does this mean that all women should learn to sing?   I, of course, would say “Yes.”  However, learning to sing takes time and commitment.  If time is in short supply, you can still do some things to discover the power of your voice:

1. Breathe – deeply, every day for at least 5 minutes.  Relax those stomach muscles, take air in through your nose and mouth simultaneously, and feel your lower back expand. Breathing this way centers you and connects you to your inner support.

2. Hum – every day.  Humming awakens your voice and gets it buzzing.  You can feel it resonate in your cheeks, your nose, even in your forehead …and it’s fun, it makes you feel good.

3. Sing a song – every day.  Not in the car.  Take 10 minutes for yourself, find a private space, take a deep breath  and sing a song that uses your whole range.  Don’t limit yourself.  If your voice cracks or breaks, don’t worry – it just needs a little exercise.

Everything you want to express, everything you want to be is in your voice Open your voice and keep singing.  Get in touch with your sound.  It’s the center of who you are.  The more you know it, experiment with it – up and down your whole range – and use it expansively, the more you’ll discover about yourself, which is the first important step to developing your authentic personal leadership capabilities.

Learn more about Kay at her website Voice Matters.

TAGS: Leadership, singing, voice

Many women struggle with how to walk the thin pink line with regard to expressing pride in their accomplishments.  Show too much and you’ll be considered egotistical but now we know that if you don’t show enough pride, you will damage your credibility.  According to research recently reported by Benedict Carey in The New York Times, pride is the strongest “status signal” among emotions.  An excerpt:

“The implications of this are hard to exaggerate. Researchers tend to split pride into at least two broad categories. So-called authentic pride flows from real accomplishments, like raising a difficult child, starting a company or rebuilding an engine.  Hubristic pride, as Dr. Tracy (who led the research) calls it, is closer to arrogance or narcissism, pride without substantial foundation. The act of putting on a good face may draw on elements of both.”

People who demonstrate the right kind and amount of self-pride are seen as leaders.  And, as importantly, they feel like leaders. Their belief in themselves is contagious.  Those who don’t fail to convince people to follow.

Yes, the right kind of pride in the right amounts can help in many situations.  Lois wrote about Susan Boyle the other day and, as Ann pointed out in her comment, Susan’s courage to pursue her dream is indeed inspiring.  I would add that her courage to believe in herself despite the odds she faced contributed as much to her success as a sensation as her magnificent voice.  She knew her voice would wow them and it did.

What can we learn from this research and from Susan?

• Don’t blame yourself for things you can’t control.  If you lost your job as a result of the poor economy, that’s not your fault. It’s not a reflection of your knowledge or skills. It is what it is.

• Don’t feel compelled to share your concerns about your lack of experience about a particular subject with everyone.  Sure, get a pep talk from someone you trust when you have moments of self-doubt but be sure that his/her interests aren’t impacted.

• Don’t allow yourself to become a victim of “Impostor Syndrome”.  That’s when deep down, you think that the success you’ve enjoyed was a fluke. that you were just lucky – and you constantly worry that someone will find out that you aren’t as good as people think you are.

Keep your chin up and a healthy amount of pride in your demeanor.

TAGS: Leadership, pride, self-confidence, Self-trust, Susan Boyle

When we were writing Her Place at the Table: A Woman’s Guide to Negotiating Five Key Challenges to Leadership Success, we talked about the “special tests” that the workplace reserves just for women.  We described one of them as “The Token Test” ─ the question that often follows a woman when she takes on a leadership role: “Did she get the job because she is a woman?”

I must confess that I was a bit skeptical that the Token Test was still operative in 2004. I thought we had come far enough and that there were so many clearly qualified women that there would be no reason to offer an unqualified woman a leadership position. What I have learned from this election is that I was wrong —John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin was, in my opinion, a setback for qualified women in politics and in business.

If the polls and the pundits are right, the American public wasn’t fooled by a charismatic politician who claims she didn’t have a second of doubt about her readiness for the VP role. And, unless McCain wins the election, I think Palin will shoulder a great deal of the blame. Even last week, she was being described as a “diva” and a “whack job” by unnamed McCain campaign officials. Hmmmm…

So what can we learn from this?

• Ask lots of questions when you are offered your dream job. Why me? Why now? What are the expectations that I will have to meet? What kind of support will I get? What kind of resources can I expect? (Make it clear you are not asking for a clothing allowance!)
• While women should take appropriate risk to enhance their careers, taking on a role when you do not have the requisite knowledge and skill is harmful to your professional reputation. Be realistic about what you have and what you lack. Then build your knowledge and skills incrementally in a strategic way to set yourself up for success.
• There’s nothing wrong with being reflective; moments of doubt make us stronger and better prepared.

Apologies to all thethinpinkline readers who have election fatigue, especially those who read from outside the US.  It’s almost over.

TAGS: gender, gender and leadership, John McCain, Leadership, Sarah Palin, The Token Test

The numbers speak for themselves – the percentage of women in leadership positions seems stuck at about 20% – and that’s in progressive industries and professions!

Cathy Arnst writes in Business Week about the irony of publishing “lists” about the most powerful women in business:

I always find it ironic when magazines put out an issue celebrating outstanding women—see Newsweek’s Women and Leadership , Forbes’ The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women In Business . If women leaders were all that commonplace or women in business all that powerful, it’s unlikely they would be singled out for celebration. After all, no woman has ever been editor of Fortune, Forbes or Newsweek. Or BusinessWeek.

But there’s a silver lining in every cloud:

1. Cathy has reminded us of an important conversation – she is soliciting insights from readers about how women can make it to the corner office, as Lois would say.  Please add yours!
2. She mentioned The Thin Pink Line blog, calling us “excellent”.

We’re going to continue to do our best to help other women to achieve success, however they define it.  And those numbers will get better.

TAGS: Leadership, lists, stereotypes

Dear Hillary:

I hope you won’t find it too familiar to call you by your first name.  Studying you over the past year or so has caused me to feel as if I know you personally – so much more so than after you spent 8 years in the White House as First Lady.  I think that was your intention – to allow Americans to see who you are, not only what you stand for.  Once you opened yourself up to us, we opened our hearts to you.  What a wonderful leadership lesson for both men and women – vulnerability is not a liability but an asset. 

Thank you, Hillary, for the dedication you demonstrated to securing the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.  Do I agree with your stance on all of the issues?  No.  But do I respect and admire you for your selfless dedication to public service and your willingness to put yourself on the line, open to criticism, day after day, month after month?  You bet.  I don’t know how many of us would be willing to show the same courage under fire. 

You showed us in real-time what it means to walk The Thin Pink Line.  Moms, entrepreneurs, business professionals, volunteers, and even authors have learned invaluable lessons in a new brand of feminine leadership from how you handled yourself (and others) during the campaign.  Some of those lessons come from the myriad things you did right — others come from what you could have done differently.  Here’s what I know I will take away from your campaign — and what I hope other women will as well.

1.  We can be strong leaders without losing one ounce of our femininity.  You delivered tough messages fairly and kindly.  You played the game like a woman without playing the gender card.   

2.  We don’t have to acquiesce to louder male voices asking us to relinquish our goals.  By adhering to your vision to compete until every vote was cast and every voice was heard you persevered despite calls to step down.  

3.  Leaders have not only the right, but the responsibility to exhibit their emotions.  Masculine leadership is stoic.  Feminine leadership is genuine.  You showed us that in New Hampshire.

4.  Loyalty can be misplaced.  Like many women, you were loyal to those who showed loyalty to you — even when they  may not have been the best people for the job.  To best serve others, leaders must surround themselves with those who best serve them.  Tough decisions are best made sooner than later. 

5.  Focus on facts, not personalities.  You were at your best when you exhibited your command of the issues and concern for the American public, not reacting to the bait put out by opponents or critics.  Bill’s campaign strategy to counterattack doesn’t work for women leaders.   

6.  Fight fair, fight clean, but fight.  You waged an aggressive, but civilized, campaign.  You showed us that women can (and should) compete to win without going for the jugular. 

7.  Developing a leadership persona takes practice.  Over the course of the campaign the strident, tense Hillary was replaced by a woman with great confidence and ease in front of cameras and crowds.  As a professor once told me, “You demonstrate the self-confidence that comes with repetition.”

Again, thank you, Hillary.  You’ve represented all women, indeed all Americans, well.  You’ve changed the tone of political campaigns from animosity to even-handed competition.  You leave a legacy from which we can all learn and apply to our daily lives.  We look forward to learning even more from you in the years to come.

With gratitude and admiration,

Dr. Lois Frankel

TAGS: Hillary Clinton, Leadership, lessons in leadership, ways women lead

I attended The White House Project EPIC Awards last Thursday held at The American Museum of Natural History in New York. We were all seated beneath the huge blue whale that hangs from the ceiling. It was a celebration of 10 years The White House Project has devoted to enhancing women’s progress in a wide variety of fields. As their website indicates, this job is far from over. There have been a lot of derogatory remarks made about "old feminists" lately because Hillary Clinton is in the race for President. But, truth be told, none of us makes it to the top of our fields alone. We all need help. And we all stand on the shoulders of giants. So the next time you read or hear someone disparaging women who’ve stuck their necks out, like the tall tree that catches the wind, trying to advance women’s options, tell them that. We need each other. That doesn’t preclude helping men. It just means we should all consider from time to time what we’ve contributed lately to helping women reach higher levels of business, government, and other fields dominated by men. And getting there is only part of the battle. Staying there requires help from other women too. We’re a long way from both goals and we need each other.

TAGS: Feminism, Leadership, The White House Project, women's equality

At least not if you’re working for Donald Trump.  Piers Morgan’s victory over Trace Adkins as the winner of the Celebrity Apprentice contest shouldn’t be confused with true leadership.  I know leadership and Piers, you’re no leader.  Yes, he made a lot of money… but plenty of people do the same and they’re not leaders.  They’re lone rangers.  Others don’t want to work with them.  They demean and dispirit the very people who depend on them and who they depend on for success.  Their style works in the short-term but they fail to get long-term trust, cooperation, and commitment.  If you’re thinking you might be too nice for the corner office I don’t recommend that you follow Piers’ lead — the advice Carol and Kathleen gave you in this week’s posts is far sounder – and you can still look yourself in the mirror. 

TAGS: Celebrity Apprentice, corner office, Donald Trump, Leadership, NBC, Piers Morgan, Trace Adkins

Carol’s insights about leadership led me to think about this topic. As Carol explains, there are a variety of leadership forms and each is more or less suited to particular types of situations. None works for all. But I learned as a youngish woman that having an edge and people knowing you can employ it is very useful.  Most of the time, being able to “do hardball,” as the title above implies, is more important and more useful than doing it. There is something to be said for keeping unsavory people a little unsure of you, not quite able to predict if you will counter in kind or cleverly an insult or offense. They tread somewhat lighter, watch what they say a little bit more carefully. And that can pay big political and professional dividends.

I devoted a fair amount of space in The Secret Handshake and It’s All Politics to examples of comebacks — ways of asserting yourself and advancing your ideas in the face of opposition. Some are graceful, others clever, still others direct and some aggressive. Versatility is key, especially if you work in a highly political environment. Knowing how to lead without being commanding is critical to success. Knowing how to hit back when it really counts is too.

TAGS: Leadership, playing hardball, Politics, versatility