Dr. Lois Frankel literally wrote the book on coaching people to succeed in businesses large and small around the globe. Nice Girls Don’t Get The Corner Office and Nice Girls Don’t Get Rich are international bestsellers translated into over twenty-five languages and featured on the TODAY Show, CNN and CNBC, in the New York Times, USA Today, and in People and Time Magazines. BusinessWeek named Corner Office one of the top ten business books of the year and ABC Television purchased the rights to it for a comedy series. Her most recent book, See Jane Lead, furthers the premise that women make natural leaders for our time and explains how to harness your own leadership talent. Learn more about Dr. Frankel at www.drloisfrankel.com.

Guest Blogger Lois Frankel--

When I was in graduate school working on my doctorate in counseling psychology, there was a book I was required to read that changed the course of my life.  You would think that icons like Jung, Freud, or Maslow would have inspired me--but no--it was a physicist by the name of Fritjov Capra.  His book, The Turning Point, talked about how our society is at just that--a turning point. No longer can the best economists, scientists, or political savants predict the changes that are coming at warp speed.  But more importantly, Capra pointed to the past to demonstrate that societies that see an early demise are those where the people who have power no longer know how to wield it effectively--but they also won't share it.

A light clicked on for me.  Who leads most countries, companies, communities, and religious organizations?  Certainly not women.  Despite the fact that they're pretty lousy stewards of our future (think war, global warming, increasing random acts of violence, corporate greed), men still don't want women to share leadership responsibility to any meaningful extent.  Look at the polls--Hillary Clinton lags behind Barack Obama with male voters.  We only have one woman, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, on the bench of the highest court in this country.  In corporate America, women leading Fortune 500 companies can be counted on both hands. And as for women of color--fuggedaboutdit.  Their representation in leadership roles is even more dismal.

The fact of the matter is, women lead all the time, they just don't call themselves leaders.  Why?  Let's start with being called that dreaded b-word when we show the least bit of assertiveness.  Or having our ideas ignored then later picked up and lauded when expressed by a male colleague.  Then there's having to prove ourselves over and over whereas a man's credibility follows him from success to success.  So instead of leading, grown women act like the "nice girls" they were taught to be in childhood, toiling behind the scenes to make sure everything works but never reaching their full leadership potential--to say nothing of the rewards and recognition bestowed upon leaders.

If ever there was a time in history that cried out for women's leadership that time is now.  We've proven our leadership capacity.  Who do you think started the Red Cross, PTA, and Planned Parenthood?  We have the skills needed to coalesce people to work together in the spirit of teamwork.  Why do you think Pat Summit, head coach for the Tennessee Lady Vols is the winningest coach (man or woman) in basketball history?  Women shun the command and control style of leadership despised by a new generation of workers in favor of ensuring collaboration and an equal voice for all.  We lead using the least muscle necessary and bring to the table all the talent needed to solve problems efficiently and effectively.  Throughout our lives we've honed the key skills needed to lead the world out of some of its toughest problems including the ability to influence from a values-based foundation, to coach people to success, balance strategic and tactical operations, take calculated risks, and build effective groups of people working together toward a common goal.

So the next time you're in a situation where it's clear that leadership is needed, consider not only your capability but your responsibility as well.  We need more women's voices in the mix to turn around a community, an organization, a country, and a world searching for answers.  Be the leader you were destined to become by not allowing others to define the parameters in which you operate, by exhibiting the courage to speak the unspoken, and by stepping confidently up to the leadership plate.

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Update on Feb 21, 2008 by At Basil & Spice

Seen At Reuters!   Palm Beach Post!

Digg!    Chicago Sun Times!