Posted on Sat, Jan 28, 2012 @ 02:53 AM
Did you know that 88% of the women on the 2011 Forbes list of the World's Most Powerful Women are mothers? Or that the U.S. is one of only three countries that does not guarantee paid maternity leave?
Below is an infographic of the most powerful women according to Forbes and key statistics about them:
Courtesy of:
OnlineSchools.com
Posted on Wed, Jan 25, 2012 @ 03:54 PM
Television doesn't always provide us with the best of role models. With characters that become successful drug lords who use their sexual influence to manage the people in their lives (Nancy Botwin from Weeds), it's not hard to look to primetime television and see a slew of corruption and misbehavior by powerful lead characters. That's part of what makes TV so engrossing. Shows create these characters that are flawed and interesting in ways that real life just can't support. These flawed characters somehow receive our sympathy and our encouragement. However, among the numerous negative role models on television, there are also numerous characters that display strength, tenacity, and passion that is both inspiring and influential to our generation of TV watchers. These three female characters on television today are wonderful role models that demonstrate strength, intelligence, and determination in their own ways on the silver screen.
Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation
Running for four seasons now, Parks and Recreation has become a sitcom that approaches political satire and comedy in a fresh and interesting way. The show's central protagonist, Leslie Knope, is endlessly optimistic, smart, and successful. Knope is dedicated to her job, demonstrating the drive and determination it takes to succeed in today's professional atmosphere. Though this character is, just that, a fictional character, she is nonetheless inspiring and influential as a positive female role model in the world today. Knope is ambitious and hard-working almost to the point of flaw (almost). Dedicated to her job as Director of the Pawnee City Department of Parks and Recreation, Knope uses her intelligence and unending spirit to reach her noble goal of creating a better city. Fiction or not, we can learn a lot from Leslie Knope as a female leader in today's society.
Lisa Cuddy from House MD
Lisa Cuddy has been followed and supported by thousands upon thousands of fans for seven seasons of the hit television series House. As the Dean of Medicine at the fictional Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital, Cuddy displays astounding strength in difficult situations of all sorts, superior intelligence, and endless dedication to her job and her employees. Though many aspects of Cuddy's character are flawed, they are so in a way that demonstrates some very real issues in today's society. Cuddy's personal, romantic, and family life suffer under the pressures of her job and due to her dedication to her career. It would seem that Cuddy's character communicates that professional success is unattainable without sacrificing all other aspects of your life. However, Lisa Cuddy manages to run one of the most successful hospitals in the nation, manage one of the most brilliant and challenging doctors in history, raise a child as a working single mother, and maintain her own personal integrity through it all.
Catherine Willows from CSI
CSI Las Vegas is not known for its great writing (though I adore it) or for its particularly unique point-of-view, but nonetheless the show has managed to create several dynamic and engrossing characters. Catherine Willows is the Senior CSI Shift supervisor for much of the series, leading her team of CSI's through challenging cases and personal struggles. CSI Willows is smart, good at her job, a strong leader, always calm, and morally upright throughout. As a single mother and strong career woman, Willows demonstrates some the best qualities a modern day woman can possess. If there's one thing we can learn from each of these fictional characters on the silver screen, it's that professional success comes with dedication and hard work. 
Bio: Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education where she writes about education, online colleges, online degrees etc. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
Posted on Mon, Jan 16, 2012 @ 11:19 PM
Recently, I learned about the duck syndrome from a friend of mine at Stanford University. The duck syndrome is apparently running rampant at many colleges (and from my research) at many high schools as well. What is the duck syndrome? Well, think of the duck gliding along the water. S/he looks very serene, calm and pleasant. Then, look under the water and s/he is paddling frantically.
That is the duck syndrome.
Too many students on the outside are appearing calm, cool and collected while on the inside they are completely stressed out. As women, we want to see ourselves being able to have it all. To be the great student, great athlete, and well-liked by her peers, which typically means being social. But what price do we pay? Proving we can do it all has transformed into an ugly state of unattainable expectations and extremes, which are unhealthy for any girl at any age.
This is a recipe for disaster that really goes against what feminism truly stands for.
I believe high school is where this syndrome starts to formulate. Many of the girls that suffer from the duck syndrome in college were probably “big fish in small pond” at their high school. Most teens want to be popular, and to be popular these days means that you can do it all. I see high school students staying up ridiculously late doing homework, always wanting the A, playing on one if not two sports teams, and also expecting to go out every weekend. All this can lead to anxiety, depression, and unhealthy habits. When they get to college, which could have 12 to 20,000 students, being big fish is not so easy anymore so the stakes get higher.
During college, the classes (typically) are more difficult with more homework, papers and tests. If they see their peers staying out late and still getting good grades, they feel the peer pressure to attain the same and compete among the top percent, to be popular, to be perfect. This means more competition and pressure for top grades with less sleep. We need to teach our teens that setting limits for themselves never means failure, but in fact it means a healthy and happy life with realistic and attainable goals.
Paddling frantically is literally for the birds.
Bio: Dr Carol is a former Associate Provost and Dean, trained therapist, researcher and soon-to-be-author.
Presently, she hosts a blog to offer practical advise and guidance on self-esteem issues as a tool for teen girls and young women.
Connect with Dr Carol
Posted on Sat, Jan 14, 2012 @ 02:00 AM
Created by:
Educational Leadership
Posted on Mon, Jan 09, 2012 @ 10:00 AM
A recent study for the Journal of economic Psychology finds that a lower preference for becoming self-employed can partly explain why less women are opening their own businesses.
Is it just that women are under-motivated, or is there a lack of role models leading the way for young female entrepreneurs? Women make up only 3% of CEOS on the Forbes list of 500 biggest companies. As a female entrepreneur you are in a unique position to become a role model for the generation of women in business.
What can you do as an entrepreneur to inspire the next generation?
Share your story: I remember in the Girls Scouts being visited one day by a sales manager, architect, and local politician. Seeing women in a wider range of career than usually depicted on TV really broaden my ideas on who I could be when I grow up. You can share your story as well. Blogging is a great way to do this, as well as visiting a local girls scout group or getting involved in a women's philanthropic club like Zonta.
Emphasize new models of leadership: In the current climate of economic uncertainty, unemployment and dissatisfaction in the workforce, many are calling for a new type of leadership. In a study by Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute they found that women owners and managers tend to be more receptive to input and guidance from internal and external advisors, proactively customer-focused, and More committed to creating opportunities for others. Rather than changing your leadership style to fit a masculine world emphasize how a more cooperative management style can be a positive change.
Give Practical Help: Have you ever asked for advice and instead received platitudes? Don't just tell other women to reach for the stars, tell them how you made it. Take the time to grab lunch with a young entrepreneur or attend networking events with the goal of finding another woman to reach out to. You can go the extra mile by becoming an angel investor, but just solid practical advice from the field can be a huge asset.
Be confident: Remind other women that it's not about acting like a man, but rather demanding that others not treat you worse because you are female. Demand respect for yourself as a business owner and it will encourage other women to do the same.
What inspired you to start your own business? Who were your role models?
Bio: Becky Canary-King is an Account Manager and Press Contact at Direct Incorporation, a company focused on providing a more economical and efficient alternative to using a law firm for common legal/entrepreneurial issues. She is passionate about women's empowerment and blogs for personally for Happy Bodies, and professionally for Direct Incorporation's Blog,
offering tips for the first 6 months of your small business.
Posted on Thu, Jan 05, 2012 @ 09:02 AM
As January approaches (and passes), the same old New Year's resolutions can seem pretty tired. You already take weekly classes at the gym, you're happy with your personal life--it's your work life that's in a slump. Make this year the year you change your career for the better. Use the seven professional resolutions below as a jumping off point to get you on the path to greater success.
Join a networking group
No matter what industry you're in, there is almost certainly a networking group you could join. Look into professional organizations in your field. Some may be specific to women, others could be aimed at young professionals in general. Either way, you're certain to meet people thriving in the field who may be a valuable source of advice or opportunities down the road. [click here for FWL Membership information]
Take a leadership role in a volunteer setting
If you aren't being given the opportunity to shine at work, take it upon yourself to develop leadership skills outside of the office. Head up a Habitat for Humanity team or find a charity that speaks to your personal interests. Not only will you gain experience that looks great on a resume, you'll learn first-hand how to deal with a wide variety of people in an uncontrolled environment. [FWL volunteer opportunities: email president @ futurewomenleaders.net]
Consider further education
Sometimes a career is just not going to advance without an outside push. A masters degree can make you more valuable to your employer, and a second degree can open the door to a whole new field of employment. If you can't afford to take the time off work or have other obligations, consider an online degree program. Hundreds of degrees are offered by thousands of schools, and you can take classes on your own schedule.
Branch out
This year, decide to take on projects outside of your comfort zone when they become available. Volunteer to maintain your company’s website, or help a swamped coworker manage and organize an event. You'll increase your own skill set by learning on the job, and you'll prove that you are a quick learner and up for a challenge.
Refresh your resume
Even in the few years since you got your job, you've accomplished a lot. Make sure your resume is sharp and aesthetically pleasing. Don't bother labeling your email (what else would it be?) or phone number. Consider shifting around your experience to include awards and honors. Incorporate up-to-date industry keywords, for example, any phrases that pop up consistently in job descriptions within your field.
Befriend your coworkers
As obvious as it sounds, you don't want to be an island at the office. Try to get lunch with a new coworker each month, or at least stop by to chat. It never hurts to have one more person on your team.
Study a language
Spanish, Japanese, German--find a language that will help you connect with new clients and business partners and hop to it! Expanding your skills also gives you an excuse to travel.
Jesse Langley lives near Chicago. She divides her time among work, blogging and family life. She advocates for online mba programs and has a keen interest in women's leadership roles in contemporary society. She also writes for www.professionalintern.com.
Posted on Fri, Dec 30, 2011 @ 06:17 PM
Oh yes…it is that time of year again when people begin to reflect on the previous year (maybe years), and what they would like to accomplish moving forward. We laughingly joke about the ‘resolutions’ we absolutely will accomplish this year....knowing that majority of them will slide into the following year to be restated over and over and over again. So what does it take to make resolutions that stick?
Play To Your Strengths
I recently attended an offsite focused on Strengths and Strengths Based Leadership that is, what I consider, my launching pad for achieving my resolutions this year. If you have not taken the Clifton Strengths Finder 2.0 assessment I highly recommend it. To follow along with this blog post please be sure to purchase the book ‘Strengths Based Leadership’ and the accompanying survey access code as it will provide you with more information than the ‘Strengths Finder 2.0’ book.
The StrengthsFinder assessment is the culmination of more than 50 years of Dr. Clifton’s (and a team of scientists) work surrounding Strengths-Based Psychology. After a semi-brief survey it provides you with a report on your top five strengths out of a possible thirty, along with suggestions on how you can apply your stengths. Understanding your unique personal strengths, and reflecting on how you apply these in your life TODAY to accomplish your goals is critical to understanding how you can accomplish your goals for the future.
There are several fundamental concepts regarding your Strengths:
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You are a unique combination of strengths and even when someone has the same Top 5 strengths they will have different meaning and application. Yes, we are all truly unique.
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A strength is something you are both good at and passionate about.
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A strength is not something you are good at but hate doing.
Applying Your Strengths
Once you have completed the survey you will be provided with a report outlining your top 5 strengths as well as what themes these strengths fit within (again, please be sure to use the survey access code from the ‘Strengths Based Leadership’ book). Your strengths will fall within four themes:
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Executing
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Influencing
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Relationship Building
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Strategic Thinking
The next step is to create a table with your resolutions and applicable themes. Your resolutions should follow the SMART method (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely). A reasonable goal is not to become a World Class athlete in 2 months! More information about this method of setting goals can be found at ‘Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals’.
The following is an example resolutions table:
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Resolutions
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Strengths Themes
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Executing
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Relationship Building
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Strategic Thinking
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Influencing
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Resolution 1 – Walk 30 minutes every day
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[Achiever] – Track using a FitBit and achieve a goal of 8,000 steps per day by March
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[Learner] – Research the best walking programs to achieve maximum fitness by end of January
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Resolution 2 – Expand professional network by 50 people outside of my current company
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[Achiever] – Decide on 2 certificates I would like to achieve this year (& when) and professionally connect to class participants on LinkedIn
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[Individualization] – Join a mentoring program where I can act as a Mentor for people at other companies
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[Strategic] – Join Advisory boards for organizations & issues I care deeply about
[Learner] – attend FWL events each month and professionally connect to participants on LinkedIn
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Resolution 3
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Resolution 4
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For each resolution reflect on how you can use the Strengths and Strengths Themes to accomplish your goal. Your individual report from the StrengthsFinder Assessment and the book can help you with ideas on how to apply your particular strengths. Write in examples of how you will use your natural strength to accomplish your resolution. It is o.k to combine strength types, as well as strength themes to get the job done. The more you apply your natural strengths…the far more likely you are to achieve your resolution.
Wishing You Success in Your Resolutions & A Happy New Year!
About the author: Celeste Paradise is an award-winning Silicon Valley Professional with 10+ years IT experience in media, advertising, operations management/optimization, social media & marketing. You can connect with her via: 
Posted on Tue, Dec 27, 2011 @ 09:09 PM
Big things often start out small. Like the little pink ribbon, which was created by Evelyn Lauder, who endured breast cancer treatment herself. Lauder and her friend, Alexandra Penney, former editor-in-chief of SELF magazine, created the Pink Ribbon campaign in 1992 to increase breast cancer awareness and remind women to get regular breast exams.
This was a cause Evelyn cared about enough to finance herself; initially she and her husband paid for the small pink bows handed out to women at department store makeup counters. Her efforts added up. She continued to hand out Pink Ribbons, promoted the color pink as a breast cancer awareness symbol, received media attention, used the advertising Estee Lauder placed in popular magazines, and persuaded many influential friends who were also in the health and beauty industry to promote breast cancer awareness.
In 1993, Evelyn founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, establishing the Pink Ribbon as its symbol; it has raised more than $350 million.
Responsible for international breast cancer awareness, today the “Pink Ribbon” makes headline news. It’s a brand strategy, and it’s responsible for raising millions of dollars for breast cancer research. It’s even spun off some backlash.
Activists talk about “pinkwashing,” and several media outlets have suggested that “Pink fatigue” has set in. Concerns include whether or not “pink products promote a false sense of doing something about breast cancer, the funds collected are directed effectively, the pink campaign fosters gender stereotypes, and if some pink products are actually harmful to women's health,” according to medpagetoday.com
Whether the buzz is good or not-so-good, the Pink Ribbon has done exactly what Evelyn Lauder intended: increase breast cancer awareness, and help fund breast cancer treatment research.
In a way, the Pink Ribbon campaign’s rise to success and popularity replicates that of Evelyn Lauder herself.
The daughter of Austrian immigrants who fled to the U.S. from war-torn Europe in 1940, Evelyn grew up in Manhattan. She met Leonard Lauder in college, married him, and helped with the then-small family business wherever she was needed.
"We had five products in the line,” she told cable news channel NY1 in 2005. "It was a baby company." The Estee Lauder Companies grew in popularity, prestige, and profits. Fulfilling many different roles, Evelyn eventually became the Senior Corporate Vice President and head of fragrance development worldwide.
Evelyn Lauder didn’t start out as a leader, and her Pink Ribbon didn’t start out as an icon. She started out working hard, doing whatever she could for the causes in which she believed. The Pink Ribbon started out as one ribbon handed to one woman at a cosmetics counter.
Evelyn Lauder lost her battle with ovarian cancer this month, but the campaign she launched continues. The Pink Ribbon is everywhere. More than 115 million Pink Ribbons have been handed out worldwide. Breast cancer treatment is being researched internationally. Survival rates have increased significantly, and the messages that breast health and early detection saves lives are prevalent.
Like the Pink Ribbon, it’s the small things in life that make a difference.
Jesse Langley lives near Chicago. She divides her time among work, blogging and family life. She advocates for online mba programs and has a keen interest in women's leadership roles in contemporary society. She also writes for www.professionalintern.com.
Posted on Wed, Dec 21, 2011 @ 09:01 PM
Understanding the ins and outs of the economy or the fundamentals of business like the back of your hand is sure to land you the career position you want, right? Or maybe it takes a little bit more than knowing what makes your industry tick and being able to execute necessary tasks with your eyes closed.
As education becomes more accessible and the number of Bachelor’s degree holders increases, the pool of educated candidates in the job market expands. Suddenly the Master’s is the new Bachelor’s and the Bachelor’s is worth little more than a high school diploma. But there is a way to get a leg up on the equally-educated competition by adding invaluable skills to your resume.
Leadership studies majors and minors are growing in recognition and popularity as they spread to college and university campuses across the United States. While some schools offer the program as a stand-alone major, many more offer it as a concentration or a minor to complement an extraordinary range of majors. Whether your long-term career goals include CEO of a major corporation or small business owner or homemaker, firmly understanding the principles of leadership and the tools for successfully navigating your herd will prove to be the key to your personal and professional success.
Courses in leadership studies give women even more ammunition to break down the long-protected image of men running the operations as women claw their way to the middle. The stereotypes that plague women in the workplace become nullified as the images of CEOs and corporate presidents are reconstructed to include educated, knowledgeable, powerful women with valuable attributes, such as strong leadership skills, that rival those same skills in any company’s leading man.
Leadership studies programs allow learners to identify their strengths and weaknesses and fine-tune skills essential to professional and personal growth. Programs explore current and historical trends in businesses and habits of effective leaders, while students learn to understand the implications of such trends and habits.
In addition to undergraduate majors and minors, many colleges and universities offer Master’s programs in varying facets of leadership studies. Have you been working in your industry with a Bachelor’s degree and find your ultimate goals to still be out of reach? Are your on-paper credentials lacking the proof of your capabilities to lead? Explore educational opportunities in leadership studies today and see your opportunities grow.
About the Author: Alyssa Ammirato is a content writer for College.com touching on various education topics and issues. She is well-versed in the topics she writes about and is always looking for the next feature article to produce.