Women in Leadership: Working with the Good Ol’ Boys

A quick trip down the road to Auburn took me to the Women’s Leadership Institute. The Institute, established by Auburn University, has the distinct purpose of taking a proactive step to close the gender gap found for women in politics, corporate boardrooms, the administration of business and our educational institutions. Keynote speaker, The Honorable Sue Bell Cobb, spoke to the challenges and opportunities for women in leadership, and her significant litany of accomplishments shows that it can be done. Chief Justice Cobb is the only Democrat on the nine member court, and is the first woman chief justice. How did she get there? Not by fighting against the system, but by working within it. Her best reminder of the day, “Qualifications are the only thing that matters.” This is not to say that networking and swimming the channel of the Good Ol’ Boy Club isn’t very important, but that your qualifications will get you in the door. According to Cobb, don’t approach the club by trying to bust through it. You have to navigate it.

Well, how do you do that? First, according to Judge Cobb, “Do more than is expected.” For Chief Justice Cobb that meant working 14 circuits in 40 out of 67 counties. In her words, “Stand for something. Make a decision. Choose your purpose and be unapologetic and outspoken.” As a judge, you must make a decision, which is why you wear the robe. As a leader, you too must make a decision or the effort may founder on the rocks. Her challenge to leaders is to take a stand and be a person of conviction.

Second, seek out support, and seek it out from men who have daughters. What great advice this is! I see this in my own home and family where the relationship between the father and the daughter is a critical gift that helps her define faith, leadership and accomplishment.

Judge Cobb also points out that successful women leaders can cross gender lines. This means that they are able to work with, have fun with, and accomplish much with men and women. Great leaders are people that are not just respected, but liked too. They are uplifting and encouraging. Strong leaders know that anger is useless, and humor is key to building a strong team. This also plays into another important ingredient for a strong female leader. She needs to know how to widen her comfort zone. Don’t get offended so easily and for goodness sake lighten up. The Good Ol’ boys can teach us a thing or two about this, and they certainly know how to have fun AND accomplish much.

But, it is also important to know the difference between friends and allies. No one agrees all the time, even friends. But true friends stay with you thick and thin, and you don’t have as many friends as you think. Most of your “friends” are really allies, and that is okay to know, and more important to understand. Remember, loyalty works both ways, so “dance with the one who brung ya.” No one is successful in isolation. You must remember all of those who helped you to achieve that success.

Leaders must be risk takers too. Whether in politics, running a company, or leading a team, it takes a brave soul. This is a place where women leaders can really shine. We are by nature consensus builders, and this ability can earn buy in to a plan and ownership of an outcome in a solid way. In Judge Cobb’s words, “the rooster crows but the hen delivers.” What does that mean? It means that men tend to vote for the right now. Women tend to vote for the future. They see the vision, the purpose behind the design, and the legacy sought after. Women leaders are therefore vital to sustainability in an organization.

Here is another good tip: Finish what you start. I preach this at my house all the time. No one cares how smart, cute, wealthy or you name the great trait, which you are. If you don’t do something with it, and finish what you start who cares? Judge Cobb asked, “How do you finish a whitewater raft race?” Stay in the boat.

In all, time was well spent on this trip to the Women’s Leadership Institute. The big lesson for women leaders is really quite similar to the words for our male colleagues: find your mentors, set your goal, and seek out partners. Remain full of purpose and conviction, but don’t let that keep you from having some fun. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, “I have never wanted to be a man, but I have wanted to be more effective.”

Technology for All

Who knew? I am a reformed Luddite. No, it is not some rare sect of Post-Reformation religion, but a Luddite is someone who feigns and even shuns technology. I, however, have seen the light. I am reformed, and proud of it!

The Luddites were protesters during the Industrial Revolution who smashed their textile machines in protest to the change, and in particular to loosing their jobs to the new technology. This is not to be confused with the 70 Million people, or approximately 25% of the US population who do not use computers at all. According to the Pew Center on the Internet and American Life, the bulk of these people are aging boomers and seniors who find technology intimidating, rural Americans who do not own computers, and low-income Americans who find them too expensive. The real “New Luddites” are just those who simply choose to not use the technology even though it is available. According to the Pew study, the new Luddites shun and even rebel against their computers and blackberrys.

While slow to start, I have hastened my move from my Luddite thinking to fully embrace the vast array of tech offerings that we have today. According to Microtrends, I am not alone. There was a time that the “quiet, smart girl” would love her technology and be a happy introvert. It seems that those who embrace technology have now made the move from introvert to extrovert. Computers and technology are not just the diet of the classic science and research geek, but now are the mainstay of the socially organized. It is the staple of the party organizer, and can drive the family social life center. It may have you happily purring about Linked In, Facebook, Blogs and all the great mysteries of the internet.

Recall for a moment the Myers-Briggs personality test questions. These questions center on a person’s habits, attitudes and preferences, and can be applied to just about everything including technology. The Myers-Briggs quadrants are divided into 4 primary categories of Drivers, Expressives, Analyticals, and Amiables. In general, Drivers and Expressives tend to be extrovert personalities that do a lot of telling and do so in direct, and colorful ways. Analyticals and Amiables are the introverts that do a lot more asking of questions, and tend to be more subdued. Interestingly, when these queries are made with respect to preferences in technology, nearly 60% of the most enthusiastic tech users are extroverts. In the Mictotrend research, those who tend to shy away from computers tend to be the ones who shy away from a social life. It seems that the technology that was once the refuge for the socially inept, is now the haven for the socially ambitious. The quiet techie geek, who had no friend prior to Facebook, now has an impossible number of Friends with which to keep up. The average thirteen year old can have hundreds of “friends” on Facebook.

Another point of interest is the larger number of women compared to men who are deep into the high tech binge. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, girls are more likely than boys to use mobile phones and digital cameras. Think about this if you walk into Best Buy any time soon. Historically not a store focused on women, Best Buy is shifting some of the focus to personalized shopping, softer lights and music to enhance appeal to women shoppers. Think for a moment about the thirteen year old next door with the cute bling-bling on her cell phone case. Are there any ladies reading this who will admit to changing your computer briefcase color as well as your purse color to compliment the changing seasons? It seems that women want technology that will accentuate, not take over. And look at all of the choices! My recent mailing from Franklin Covey made my head spin with the selection of binder covers, and brief case styles. AAAHHHH!! Spring!!!

You still may not know “what women want,” but if it rings, beeps or clicks, it had better be cute!

And remember, take care of your customers, or someone else will.

Governor Riley, State of the State, a Perspective

I had the pleasure of attending the last State of the State Address by Governor Bob Riley this week in Montgomery, Alabama. What a privilege to be able to sit (or stand as it was standing room only) to hear how his leadership plans to continue into 2010. His platforms have remained consistent with a commitment to Charter Schools, Ethics Reform, Work Force Development and a removal of slot machines from Alabama. He remains committed to the Alabama prepaid tuition program as well. We have been discussing trends in the past few articles here for 2010 and beyond for Alabama, and it would seem that many of his ideas remain consistent in supporting the quiet undercurrent of change that will continue to take hold of our State. Our challenge is to seek out information about these opportunities and make informed decisions based on rational thinking and understanding. As State Senator Scott Beason has reminded us, Alabama is a legislatively driven state, and to that end, we should remain fiercely open to debate and discussion as we work to move some of these initiatives, and ultimately Alabama, forward.

One undercurrent of change is the growing presence of women in the work place and a trend toward more women working in general. According to The Economist (1/2/2010) it is truly a woman’s world, and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. It seems that three of the four people who lost jobs during the recession were men; female unemployment runs at 8.6% which is measurably less than the 11.6% for men. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women make up more than two-thirds of the employment in ten of the 15 job categories likely to grow fastest in the next few years. Consider this fact: by 2011, there will be 2.6 million more women than men studying in American Universities. It seems that much of this opportunity is born in accepting the challenge of finding ways to blend work and parenthood. Countries in other parts of the world manage this trend by placing a focus on preschool education. For example Norway places an emphasis on women returning to work and children getting started into kindergarten. Other countries such as Germany, Japan, Switzerland, and the Netherlands support mothers working part-time. It has been suggested that women who work will be the beneficiaries of the growing “war for talent”. An ageing workforce in a skill dependent economy will need to make better use of their female populations, especially since they seem to be the greater number pursuing higher education.

Here is another fact of interest for you: the number of privately held companies started by women has increased twice as fast as the number started by men. Women owned companies employ more people than the largest 500 companies combined. If these women are like many that we know, a proper education opportunity for their children is a high priority and they will be watching the Charter School debate.

It seems that women have a growing presence in the work force, are working more, and becoming increasingly more politically active. Consider what this means for schools, and the debate that we will see this legislative session with regard to Charter Schools. Millions of families in Alabama struggle with insufficient child care facilities and a school day that bears no resemblance of their working lives. Governor Riley suggests that there is merit in an open discussion about the Charter School option for Alabama. He reminded the audience during his State of the State this week that Charter Schools ARE public schools and that Charter Schools would not re-segregate schools because discrimination is prohibited. In addition, approving Charter School legislation would help to secure up to $200 Million in federal grant money for education as well. Take a moment to seek out information on Charter Schools as this will be a very significant discussion for the legislature, and has high impact potential on the education of our children and their ability to grow prepared future workers. The best distinction between Charter and Public schools that I can find as yet indicates that there is simply less bureaucracy and that has to be a good thing. Again, according to The Economist, governments are trying to adjust to the new world of work, and the working parent, specifically the female working parent. Charter schools for Alabama may hold some measure of promise as it has for other areas of the country. Some of the most popular American charter schools offer longer days, and shorter summer holidays which does match up more neatly with the lifestyle of working parents.

As we move into our work week, take some time to catch the headlines, or read a quick update of what Montgomery is doing for you. I am confident that if you are informed about the debates taking place on work force development, ethics reform and school initiatives, not to mention gambling, you will be better prepared to place a vote for leadership that will make pro-business decisions.

And remember, take care of your customers, or someone else will. You can find additional readings on my blog at http://businessadvise4u.blogspot.com