I’ve decided to do it… get naked with you. Not in the embarrassing, “it’s kinda cold for that” kinda way, but I’m inviting you on my personal and intimate journey to become a better leader and CEO for this company, and I promise to be transparent during it all.
Let me be clear… I’ve grown to hate “women’s programs.” Each one I attend, I start out with an expectation of THIS time! THIS time I’m gonna connect with women who are like me (raised their hand that they wanted to lead; semi-scared about that hand-raising; concerned they might be drinking a little too much wine, etc. etc.), but inevitably (usually by lunchtime) I’m bored. It’s another “rah, rah, we wear a bra!” event mainly talking about work/life balance, and I’m out.
I already know my life isn’t balanced, and I’m not trying to balance it. I’m an entrepreneur. I’m cool with that, and hopefully, you, dear reader, are too.
I also know that I have a high degree of self-awareness. To make a difference building a media company in Frisco that is not just financially sound, but a fantastic place to work, I want to do everything I can to improve my leadership skills.
So, I’m slowing down
When I learned of the opportunity to join this year’s class in Marsha Clark & Associates’ POWER of Self program, I jumped at the chance.
The fastest way to change society is to mobilize the women of the world.” ~ Charles Malik
But first, some statistics on women today:
- Women are starting 1,288 new businesses every DAY – double the rate of three years ago.
- Women account for 85% of all consumer purchases.
- 60% of Master’s and 58% of Bachelor’s degrees are being earned by women.
- 70% of women will switch financial advisors when their husbands die.
- In 40% of U.S. households, a mother is either the primary or sole breadwinner for her family.
- 68% of women compared to 42% of men do food preparation or cleanup, and
- 73% of Lifestyle Frisco’s audience is women.
This past Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, I drove to Southlake to begin Module 1 in my 12-month POWER of Self journey…
- to gain intentional and strategic leadership,
- to craft laser-like clarity around my goals,
- to develop a supportive and mentoring relationship with the people on the Lifestyle Frisco team, and
- to create a personal vision for this company and my life.
No biggie, right? Well, by Sunday, I was exhausted. This self-examination stuff is REALLY hard. And uncomfortable. And necessary.
Over the three days, I worked with 21 other women to examine our internal beliefs about women and women in power which gave us even greater self-knowledge… What gives us energy, how we absorb information, and the unique processes we use to make decisions.
We explored our own masculine and feminine attributes and how that relates to “power dead-even” rules. For example, men have been socialized for their actions to be driven by “hierarchy” whereas women are motivated by a “flat structure.”
Men take advice from the coach, then the star player, then the A team, then the B team, and finally, the bench-warmers – in that order. Women, on the other hand, operate from mottos like “we’re all in this together” where power is always shared, and we work to build relationships. Put these two ways of looking at work together and no wonder we have issues understanding, let alone leading, each other in business.
On Saturday afternoon, we started working on our personal vision for leadership. The anatomy of a compelling vision…
- is motivated by your own desire without obligation,
- stands on its own,
- answers the question, “What results do I want to create?”
- is affirmative, descriptive, and specific,
- is situated in the future, yet you can see yourself in it right now,
- reflects your thinking when you aren’t constrained by what only immediately appears possible, and
- is written in the present tense.
A woman who is in full possession of her mind, who is responsible for her thoughts and actions, and who is UNAFRAID of bucking the status quo is a dangerous woman. Such a woman is a force of nature. She creates whirlwinds of change in individuals, communities, and systems just by being herself.”
And now, Speeding Up
With five more modules to go, plus customized one-on-one coaching, over the next year, I’ll be slowing down, focusing on my self to become a better leader, and then speeding up all the amazing things we’re delivering here at Lifestyle Frisco.
Finally, I want to thank two very important people in my life for supporting me along this year-long journey… Debbie Mrazek, an entrepreneur, sales coach, and long-time mentor and friend, and of course, my husband, Scott, without whom Lifestyle Frisco wouldn’t exist.
Glad you’re on the journey with me, and if you have any comments or questions about this program, please give me a shout out in the comments box below.
FULL DISCLOSURE: This post is sponsored by Marsha Clark & Associates by way of Wendi participating in the “POWER of Self” program.
