Women in the LEAD

Learning How To Live With Our Power

“Learning how to live with our power involves living close to the truth that is within us and not deviating; it involves periodically checking out how we are behaving, how we are giving power away to things that do not need or deserve our intervention or assistance, how we are retaining or stealing power to create a cocoon of protection.  Power cannot be owned; it is only on loan to us all.”

“The Celtic Spirit” Caitlin Matthews

We all hold personal power.  It is the universal principles of truth, right action and right use of will that guide us to the focused use of our power.  Notice in your life where you are claiming your power.  Is this an area of importance or truth?  What actions are you taking to bring your power more fully into the world?  Is your will involved?  Consider becoming more conscious and aware of your power. Use it to better the world.  Power leads us to confidence, strength and clarity.  These are attributes and gifts that we all need.

Maureen Simon

WOMEN: Be Who You Are

Sometimes people show up in your life to leave enduring lessons and provide a leadership example you never forget. Sue Swenson, President and CEO, Sage Software -- North America. Sue has been blazing new trails and leading exponential growth in the telecommunications industry for over fifteen years. Wherever she goes there is some entrepreneurial adventure underway.

In my new book, there are a couple of great stories from Sue Swenson about how she works to put differences to work in her organizations. However, one of my very favorite stories from Sue Swenson is one she told me about in an earlier interview. Here is the first-person story written from our conversation (published in my Diversity Breakthrough! Series ( Berrett-Koehler 2000):

B WHO U R
Story told by...
Sue Swenson
President and CEO, Sage Software -- North America

"Early in my leadership career, I worked for a man who told me to cut my hair and change my name—and that I would never be successful unless I had this certain appearance. This went against my grain. His message was that I was being judged on my external appearance—not on what I brought to the organization or my leadership ability. At that moment, I certainly wondered if I was going to be a fit in that company. Fortunately, soon after, in came the new boss, who shared common values with me. Problem solved. However, the lesson I learned from it stayed with me. I once saw a license plate that said it all:  B WHO U R. If you try to be somebody, or something, other than what you are, you are always having to think about it—and put energy into it, instead of directing your energy toward the constructive purpose calling for your full attention. When you are not distracted, you can be much more effective.

It has been important to me to bring my belief about being who you are into the business and I have done this, first, by living it out in my day-to-day work. People see I am who I am—no pretense. People may find it unnerving at first. Some think it’s a put on, so I’ve been told. Over time, I have learned people need to see sustained behavior to understand you are real.

I think these experiences have also had an influence on me selecting people to work with who share the same values. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed working with direct reports who have very diverse management styles, approaches to dealing with problem-solving and people—and very different ways of interacting with one another. None of them looked for a mirror image of themselves in others. We all shared the belief, your idea combined with my idea is really the best idea—a concept that is sometimes hard for people when they reach senior levels of leadership. It is a harder environment to work in, because you are involved in so much more. I have found that inclusion means ensuring that everybody’s thinking, opinions and ideas are brought into the process. There is a power and strength in ideas coming together. The outcome is always better."

What's your experience in being who you are?

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Author and founder, Global Dialogue Center
Home of Women in the Lead

My New Book! Putting Our Differences to Work (June 2008)
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership, and High Performance
Learn more: www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com 

Join me for monthly online dialogues --- Next DATE August 12

Hard work is not the path to Well- Being

Hard work is not the path to Well- Being. Feeling good is the path to Well-Being. You don't create through action; you create through vibration. And then, your vibration calls action from you.

Abraham Hicks – Excerpted from a workshop

in Washington, DC on Saturday, May 7th, 2005

It may not be necessary to work as hard as you are working.  We feel that action is the means to an end but in truth we create through vibration.  If we send out a sense of well-being doors open and our full potential can be realized. 

Maureen Simon 

WOMEN: Clearing Your Space for Renewal

My mind continues to attact messages about cleaning out the clutter in my life and work. ...and I admit to much stuff has become the norm this year, so I continue to be grateful for the various messengers trying reach me. Clear that desk, open up those clogged, over-stuffed file drawers, share your closet and your cupboard. Intellectually I get this. I know it feels good and it works, but moving yourself into it is most often a gradual series of steps.

Today I opened to one of my favorite inspirational books, Everyday Sacred by Sue Bender. Here is what appeared:

A Brilliant Idea
One my sixteenth birthday someone gave me a book by Marguerite Duras. She was writing about disorder, and I was struck by her quote saying...

'Get rid of things or you'll spend your whole life tidying up.'

One day a friend suggested that I put away everything in the room where I'm writing: all the piles of paper on the floor and on the tables and on the shelves. I had just read a review of a book about Albert Schweitzer's life and read '---a clearing in the woods---cutting out from the thicket to may way for the sun.' That's what I woud do---make way for the sun.

The truth was I was not ready to throw the papers out. But I could certainly manage to put them in a closet and shut the door. Doing the best I could for the moment was more than enough. It was a triumph. The next day, my son, David asked...'The room looks so different.'

This writing serves as both encouragement to continue striving to free my space of clutter, while being grateful for my small starts that are already letting rays of new sunshine in.

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Author and founder, Global Dialogue Center
Home of Women in the Lead

My New Book! Putting Our Differences to Work (June 2008)
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership, and High Performance
Learn more: www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com

Join me for monthly online dialogues --- Next DATE August 12

The Law of Attraction

The “Law of Attraction” Adds Power to Both Problems and Solutions. . .

The realization that something is not as you want it to be is an important first step, but once you have identified that, the faster you are able to turn your attention in the direction of a solution, the better, because a continuing exploration of the problem will prevent you from finding the solution. The problem is a different vibrational frequency than the solution—and all thoughts (or vibrations) are affected by (or managed by) the “Law of Attraction.”  (from Abraham – Esther and Jerry Hicks)

The world has a close fixation on the “Law of Attraction” for good reason.  We must identify things in our lives that are not as we want them and then move towards a sense or picture of how we would actually like things to be.  The more we place our attention on our desired and intended life the sooner we will create it.

Maureen Simon

WOMEN: Reaching for the Highest Good

I have a cherished stack of cards that I keep with a ribbon tied around it. Quite a few years ago, I began writing down quotes and messages that had meaning to me in my studies and reading. Sometimes I like to just grab a stack and see what message might be in it for me. Amazingly, many times it is a perfect one for that moment. I picked a message from the deck today...IT WAS PERFECT!

"Tonight by candlelight or by the light of the full moon in your backyard, commit to use your power wisely for the highest good of all. You have no idea of the countless lives you touch in the course of your lifetime."
--Simple Abundance

I can almost see each of you in your own Light contemplating the possibilities for using your power for the highest good of all.

What does this mean in your life?

What commitment will you make?

What lives will you influence?

I leave you pondering these important questions myself.

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
founder, Global Dialogue Center

Visit Women in the Lead at the Global Dialogue Center

Two Wings: Grace and Action

"We come into this world with two wings; one is the wing of Grace, the other is the wing of self effort.  Use them both and you will take flight”.

Unknown

I recently learned that it is important to not only visualize and pray for our intended results in life but also to put forth specific effort on the earth plane, which will lead me to my desired outcome.  For most of my life “effort” is something that I have gone out of my way to avoid.  But it has become clear to me that when all of the things in our life are aligned and become things we love to do there is no effort.  I guess instead of the word effort, I prefer the word action.  For when grace and self-action are combined the outcome will be amazing.

Maureen Simon

WOMEN: What Does Commitment Feel Like?

When I was a new emerging leader, we had an Espiscopal priest in our office at IBM. He had been ordained long after he went to work for IBM and continued to work until he had his own parish. There was something comforting about having him there and his spirit was always glowing with inner goodness.

One day, he passed by my office as he often did to say hello, but this time he dropped a paper on my desk. He said, "I read this poem today and thought of you. It is a keeper." One the paper was this wonderful description of what commitment looks like and what it feels like and what it manifests.

"Until one is committed,
there is hesitancy,
the chance to draw back,
always ineffectiveness.

Concerning act is 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
then 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 unforseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance
which no one could have dreamt
would come one's way.

Whatever you can do,
or dream you can, BEGIN IT!
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Begin it now.

-- Johannn Wolfgang von Goethe

Have you seen and felt a whole-hearted commitment inside you?

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Author and founder, Global Dialogue Center
Home of Women in the Lead

My New Book! Putting Our Differences to Work (June 2008)
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership, and High Performance
Learn more: www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com 

 

Do Not Believe What You Have Heard.

“Do not believe in what you have heard; do not believe in the traditions because they have been handed down for generations; do not believe in anything because it is rumored or spoken by many; do not believe merely because a written statement of some old sage is produced; do not believe in conjectures; do not believe in as truth that to which you have become attached by habit; do not believe merely the authority of teachers and elders.  After observation and analysis, when it agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and gain of one and all, then accept it, practice it, and live up to it.”

Buddha             

§         What agrees with your reason and is conducive to the good and gain of one and all?

§         Where do you want to tie your boat – align your values’

§         Who is the tribe that supports you?

§         What do you most believe in?

Maureen Simon

WOMEN: Soft is Strong Leadership

I see women demonstrate that they think ASSERTIVE, sometimes HARSH, actions are a show of strength as a leader. Ancient wisdom suggests otherwise. I read (The Tao of Personal Leadership by Diane Dreher) that leaders of the Tao draw on a power much great than the stereotyped strength of celluloid heroes society has somehow learned to admire. Dianne wrote that these flashy, tough, emothionally repressed, and ultimately unreal characters. "Real strength is strength of character."

In my own career, I learned from early mistakes that there was power in being kind, gentle, respect, transcending difficulty to create new possibilities. Interesting, the lessons were further imprinted by being "batted around" by a few women, who chose to model the more brutal approach to leadership. I learned most of all, I didn't want to inflict on others what their rath did on me. In reflection, they were sad characters.

It is perhaps our most feminine qualities that come as strength when they are partnered with our values, a forgiving and understanding heart, and good intentions.

What do you think? Let me know...

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Author and founder, Global Dialogue Center
Home of Women in the Lead

My New Book! Putting Our Differences to Work (June 2008)
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership, and High Performance
Learn more: www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com

Join me for monthly online dialogues --- Next DATE August 12