Women in the LEAD

Access Your Inner Knowledge

“We are not in a position in which we have nothing to work with.  We already have capabilities, talents, direction, missions, callings.”

--- Abraham Maslow 

“Focus on your heart, get neutral, and ask yourself for the most important understanding you can gain.”

                                                                                                                                         From Chaos to Coherence by Doc Childre and Bruce Cryer

We hold so many gifts that are rooted in our socialization, learning’s and innate wisdom.  The real art is to identify and utilize these riches.  Becoming aware of these gifts must come from a deep calling from the heart.  What is the most important understanding and knowledge that you need to understand in this moment? 

Find the answer to this question and your life will begin to fully unfold.

Maureen Simon

Women: FIVE QUESTIONS TO END THE DAY

Last week, I watched the sunset out over the ocean from my window. Many colors were streaming like ribbons across the sky. Then it rained. Many things passed through my mind. The ebb and flow of life. Starts and stops. Ups and downs. Hope of a new day. It also made me think and the FIVE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS I wrote about in my first book, Breakthrough! How long has it been since I asked these questions of myself each day?

FIVE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
We are often quick to point the finger at others. The more difficult task is to look at ourselves. Significant personal growth begins when we are brave enough to develop a habit of examining our own behavior... thinking about and questioning our own actions every day as a personal continuous improvement process.

Here are five important questions to ask yourself at the end of each day:

1. What positive impact have my actions had on others today?

2. What impact have my actions had on achieving our business goals?
(think of business broadly to align with your life's work).

3. What positive impact have my actions had on my own future?

4. What did I learn today from my own actions?

5. How will I improve tomorrow?

Imagine the power of one small improvement every day!

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy

Visit Women in the Lead at the Global Dialogue Center
www.globaldialoguecenter.com/women

Life Is The Creation Of The Mind

“What we are today come from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow.  Our life is the creation of the mind.”

Ponder this!

It never seizes to amaze as to just how ancient good pure wisdom is!

The Buddha

Maureen Simon

WOMEN: When Women Leaders Gather

This has been a very exciting week. Women from all over the world are signing up to join us for our special celebration of International Women's Day on Friday, May 7. It's a ONLINE day of conversation at our online virtual Global Dialogue Center CONFERENCE CENTER.

If you missed the announcement, here are the details from my earlier post.

What has been so thrilling is seeing the diverse group of women that are gathering for our informal series of conversations --- so far, women from all over the United States and Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Mexico, and South Africa.

I've been dreaming about what it will be like to learn from our experiences, aspirations, missteps and accomplishments. What I envision is that we'll have our focused discussions and yet also have some in-between times for more informal conversation about other topics on your mind and stories you have to tell. Most of all, my hunch is that we will all walk away enriched from being there.

Hope you can join me and Maureen Simon (Maureen Simon Consulting) with our supporting hosts Emily Duncan, Emily Duncan Consulting, (former Vice President, Hewlett Packard Culture and Diversity), Dr. Sid Reel, former Director, Diversity and Inclusion, HP, and Nancy Marguiles, co-founder of the World Cafe and well-known "godmother" of graphic recording/mindmapping. Learn more in our the 3-page brochure.

Warm regards,

Debbe 

Debbe Kennedy, founder
Global Dialogue Center, home of Women in the Lead

new book!
Putting Our Differences to Work
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership and High Performance
by Debbe Kennedy ▪ Berrett-Koehler ▪ Spring 2008 – Hardcover
PRE-ORDER a copy at AMAZON.COM

Foreword by Joel A. Barker, futurist, filmmaker and author
Paradigms: The Business of Discovering the Future

Making A Commitment To What Is Really Important

“Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness.  Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, the Providence moves too.

All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred.  A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one’s favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way.”

Scottish Himalayan Expedition

As we approach spring it is a wonderful time to take notice of the areas of your life that you are truly committed to.

§         What is important to you? What motions in life to you go through or perform mindlessly?

§         In the answer to these questions –lies very important information.

As spring carries into the new—take a moment to renew your commitment to a life fully lived.

                                                                                                Maureen Simon

Leadership Is More Than Being Well Liked

“When we take an unpopular stand, people are bound to criticize us.  We will not always be well liked.   Leadership involves strength of character, which means making tough decisions, doing things not because they’re popular but because we believe in them.”

Diane Dreher “The Tao of Personal Leadership”

Whether we are dealing with the world in general, our families, or our children, too often we have learned in growing up to fear criticism and rejection and too often this fear dictates our actions.  Learning to take criticism as feedback rather than a personal attack is a measure of maturity.  If we assume that we are responsible for our lives and that we bring to us that which we need to help us to grow, we learn to get past fear and use it as a pathway for our growth.

How can we stay open in the face of what appears to be an attack?  Would taking a breath help? Would taking a moment to reflect on the opportunity of learning that’s being presented to us be helpful?

--- Maureen Simon

A Woman's Leadership Gathering: YOU'RE INVITED

PERSONAL INVITATION from Debbe Kennedy

Dear friends,

Women in the Lead is celebrating International Women's Day 2008 in a special way!
We invite you to join us for...

A Women's Leadership Gathering
Bringing new friends together across the world
being held at the online Global Dialogue Center CONFERENCE CENTER

Friday, March 7, 2008

10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time
7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time

It's a special online women's conversation day.
We've saved plenty of time to talk with one another, share our stories,
and explore questions in a special interactive online space
with three conversation themes to guide the day...

• Lessons in Leadership: Missteps, Milestones, and Miracles
• Big Changes: Reinventing Your Work and Life
• Changing Our World: Putting Our Differences to Work

Conversations during the session will be seeded by thought- leaders from our Women in the Lead community and other guests.

Our center is powered by Microsoft Live Meeting. All you need to participate is a computer with a sound card and USB headset (like the one you might use for SKYPE). You just logon and you'll be with us. Details to attend are confirmed after you register.

Learn more...
Download a 2-page brochure with additional details about this special gathering.

REGISTER TODAY
Click here to reserve your seat - registration is required to attend.

• Details confirmed via email when you register.
• Space limited - put your name on a chair today.
• Complimentary to everyone - no fees - no charge.

This special day of conversation is our gift to women across the world
from Women in the Lead at the Global Dialogue Center.

Join us. Share your story. Get inspired. Be moved. Be the change.
Together, by putting our differences to work, it will be a day to remember!

Warm regards,

Debbe 

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center
Home of Women in the Lead

Whispers and Shouts

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains:  It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

C.W. Lewis

The Divine gives us so many gifts.  This great force creates our pleasure, raises our awareness through our conscience and teaches us through pain.  It is unfortunate that sometimes we need a megaphone to awaken us from our deafness.  I believe that Nature is serving as a megaphone today by speaking to us loudly through weather and sadly through climate changes that are affecting many species.  What will it take for us to hear the things we need to hear to live sensibly in our world?  What role do you have in all of this?

Maureen Simon

To Love At All Is To Be Vulnerable

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.”

CW Lewis

Love is the greatest gift of all. Share it. Grace the world with it. Your life will be much richer-in many ways. Happy Valentines Day!

Maureen Simon

WOMEN: Tipping Points in Your Life

Today I came across a quote that gave me a BIG flashback. At the time, my professional life was clearly on the rise. Unfortunately, my personal life was reaching new lows. The relationship I was in was quite awful ... it was unsupportive and going no where...no, the person was unavailable. That is more the truth. I thought I was the only person that knew my misery as I was sure I had been every effective in the truth from my friends.

On a particularly bad day, I had run out of the office at lunch wanting to burst with a deep sense loneliness, frustration and loss of self that loomed over the whole situation. When I returned to my office, my personal assistant had left a page of a magazine on my desk with this quote:

It's a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it.
---- Somerset Maugham, Novelist (1874-1965)

Looking back this was a very powerful catalyst for change. Being forced to see the truth in an instant, seemed to be the tipping point I needed to make changes in my life. Whew! I am so glad I did! I've always been grateful that my PA had courage to be such a truthful friend.

What small influences have had a big influence on your life and leadership?

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center
Home of Women in the LEAD