March is Women’s History Month in the USA. On a broader scale, March 8 is International Women’s Day, with over 573 events around the world. The Day is a major one of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. Instead of one global theme each year, it is completely up to each country and group as to what appropriate theme they select. To check out your country’s events and the various themes, go to internationalwomensday.com. Join in the celebration, even if from your computer! There is a vast amount of information on this website including jobs, health, business and finance and more. Most importantly, give yourself a pat on the back this month for all that you have achieved!

Recently, I was an invited to attend the eighth annual General Hugh Shelton Leadership Forum, offered through the General Shelton Leadership Center at North Carolina State University. The annual seminar series focuses on the importance of leadership development and brings together great leaders from the arenas of academia, civil service, the military, and the corporate world. The forum’s mission is “to inspire, educate and develop values-based leaders committed to personal integrity, professional ethics, and selfless service.” In attending this year’s forum, I truly was inspired and learned so much. This year’s focus was “Leadership, Ethics and Accountability,” and the day was overflowing with great discussion and collaborative thinking. The concepts fostered within these seminars can be applied to any industry, by any employee, by any employer. Since my attendance, I have further internalized these concepts and hope that you will too!

John Allison, chairman of BB&T Corporation and featured speaker, addressed how the lack of ethical leadership is related to problems we are globally encountering today. He shared principles that helped BB&T survive and thrive that can be ushered in to all industries to generate success. He explained that there must be purpose in the work we do—by helping clients achieve success and security, by making the world a better place through our products and services, and by making use of our own lives by doing what we want to do for ourselves. Our values, he explained, enable us to achieve our purpose and mission, defining values as practical habits enabling us as individuals to live, be successful, and achieve happiness. The following ten principles, he explained, must be implemented to ensure that values are upheld and success is achieved:

• Reality: In order to be better, we must understand what the facts are. If we are out of focus with reality, nothing can be achieved. Wishing for something does not make it so. Reality is fact-based and must be preserved in order to obtain and hold authority and ultimately accomplish our goals.
• Reason: Survival is dependent upon the ability to reason logically from the facts of reality. Sound premises, induction, deduction, and integration are all tool of clear reasoning. All concepts within any organization should be logical and fact-based, and all should be able to be traced back to reality. Good teachers develop concepts to be better decision makers and all experimental learners make mistakes and learn from them.
• Independent Thinking: All employees should be challenged to optimally use their individual minds in order to make rational decisions. In this context, we are each responsible for what we do and who we are. Creativity should be strongly encouraged and can only be possible with independent thought.
• Productivity: There should be commitment to the objective and a strong work ethic in order to reach a goal.
• Honesty: Being honest is simply being consistent with reality. To be dishonest is to conflict with reality and is ultimately self-defeating. Keep agreements and mean what you say and know what you mean.
• Integrity: Because we have developed principles logically based on reality, we should always act consistently with our principles.
• Justice: Justice is a sense of fairness. Individuals should be evaluated and rewarded objectively based on their contribution to accomplishing the mission and their adherence to the set of values. Those who contribute most should receive most.
• Pride: Pride is the psychological reward we earn from living with values, being just, having integrity, etc. Pride and a strong work ethic go hand in hand and both feed productivity.
• Self-Esteem: Positive self-esteem should be earned from doing work well. Strong self-esteem enables us to accomplish goals within the context of our mission and, again, feeds productivity and a strong work ethic.
• Teamwork: Teamwork is a mutual supportiveness that allows work to be accomplished. Each individual must consistently act to achieve team objectives with respect.

Each of these ingredients to organizational and individual success was reiterated again and again throughout the forum. Sherron Watkins, former Vice President and whistleblower of Enron Corporation, referred back to these concepts when reflecting on how the lack of ethics and accountability formed the ultimate demise of Enron. James E. Coleman, Jr., Professor of Law at Duke University School of Law, dissected the pitfalls of the Duke Lacrosse case. He shared his perspective on how the role of leadership should address ethics and accountability with public service and how responsible citizenship within local communities will assist to direct out society toward community accountability. Several leaders featured in Secrets of Success: North Carolina Values-Based Leadership, a unique coffee-table book that the General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center published through Ivy House Publishing Group earlier this year, discussed their personal experiences and what made them successful leaders. Again and again, these key concepts were driven home with enthusiasm. The lesson to do what is just and right, even if it is not a popular thing to do, was certainly a strong motif of the day.

Overall, the 2009 General Hugh Shelton Leadership Forum was an educational and motivating event that made me reflect on my purpose as a leader, as a mentor, as an employee, and as a citizen to my community and world. It was an honor to be invited to such an inspirational gathering of great minds. For more information on this outstanding event and the General H. Hugh Shelton Leadership Center, please visit http://www.ncsu.edu/extension/sheltonleadership.

For the past few months I have had an increased sense of fulfillment. My work at Ivy House has always left me with that positive feeling of satisfaction. It’s easy to gain that sensation when your career helps others achieve their dreams. I can’t explain the sense of joy I feel when I see an author’s face light up at the first glimpse of their new book. Or when I get enthusiastic phone calls from authors announcing achievements, whether they win a national book award, or see their name mentioned in a newspaper or review publication. My role as publishing coordinator is always a fulfilling one, but lately it’s been amplified. The reason? I have taken the same kind of guidance I give to Ivy House authors and ushered it in new directions. I have become a mentor.

A young and vibrant high school girl approached me several months ago, asking if I could help her in completing a graduation project. She had to choose a mentor to educate her in the ins and outs of the field she was most interested in. In her case, this young, budding writer was thirsty to learn about every facet of the publishing industry—how to choose a publisher, how to submit a manuscript, what is looked for in the evaluation process, how a book is edited, how to market a book, the list goes on. I was more than happy to help this student check the project off her graduation to-do list, but didn’t expect to gain what I did in our meetings.

In our conversations we covered a lot of ground, laughing along the way as we got to know each other. We would volley questions and answers back and forth and, in doing so, I soon realized that I was also learning something. Mentoring was a new way of testing my knowledge about my field. Sometimes I didn’t have an answer, so I would look it up for both of us. After months of meetings, phone calls, and emails back and forth, I also realized that I gained a friend. Last week I got a brief email that informed me that she had enrolled in a writing class this semester because I had inspired her to take classes that could help her develop as a writer. I once explained that taking classes that dealt with her career interest, as opposed to something un-enriching like study hall, could make her a more attractive college applicant. I certainly didn’t realize that I had such an impact on her (and she certainly doesn’t realize how this mentoring experience has impacted me).

If you ever get the opportunity to reach out, take that opportunity and run with it. My mentoring didn’t stop with the completion of this student’s project. I have been here to offer guidance in the college application process—something I wish I had a mentor for when I was an overwhelmed high school senior. Not only have I served as a general sounding board, but as a literary critic as well. Currently, I’m helping her develop her first young adult novella.

January marks National Mentoring Month. Start 2010 on a positive note and research mentoring opportunities in your area and/or respective field. Visit www.nationalmentoringmonth.org to learn more about the power of mentoring.

What do you believe in?  I don’t mean to ask which religion you ascribe to, or whether or not you believe in the supernatural.  I’m talking about the core, basic principles that drive and motivate the decisions you make in your daily life.  For many, this is a difficult question to answer, but when we stop to really examine our beliefs, they can provide revelatory clarity for how we define our dreams and goals.

First and foremost, I believe in treating others with the same respect, kindness, courtesy and compassion that I would want them to treat me with if our roles were reversed.  It’s amazing how far a smile, or a small gesture that brightens someone’s day, can get you.  This really holds true in the business world, where first impressions can mean the difference between a sale and a “No, thanks.”  In the case of disagreements, I try to remember that others are just as entitled to their opinions as I am to mine, so I believe in giving everyone the chance to speak their mind.

Secondly, I believe in putting 100% effort into each and every job I am assigned– whether or not I’ll be getting credit for it or I know if anyone is looking.  If I’m not satisfied with the work I’ve done, then how can I in good faith expect my boss or co-workers to be happy with it?  If I can’t fully commit to a task, then I would rather defer it to someone else who can.

I’m interested to hear what beliefs you ascribe to that guide you in your professional career.  Were these instilled in you at an early age, or have they developed as the result of experience throughout your life? 

You might find some inspiration at ThisIBelieve.org. 

For anyone who has held a particular job for many years, it is very important to have a positive attitude and fresh outlook, always keeping in mind the best way to contribute to the success of your company. A routine assessment of your job skills is very important and an occasional tune-up can prove to be the key to success.

If your company is willing to provide on-the-job training for various positions that may become available, show them that you are willing to take on more responsibilities which could prove not only invaluable for your company, but for you as well. The new training can help you gain more knowledge about your company and the best ways to help it stay successful and possibly perform better. Continue Reading »

There are two exciting events taking place in March that focus on women. First, March is National Women’s History Month, and second, the International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8^th. Continue Reading »

We have all heard that to specifically state your desired salary to a potential employer is bad, bad, bad. However, this is an antiquated method of negotiation that could cost you more in the end if it’s the only rule you play by.  Even in this down economy, you deserve to be paid what you are worth.

What the job seeker should realize is the hiring manager has already determined the range the company is willing to offer for the position - which they may or may not be willing to share with you. It’s fine to deflect the “What pay are you seeking?” question back to them once to see if they will tell you their hiring range.  However, if they toss the question back, it is time for you to speak up.

Continue Reading »

As a woman in my twenties, I feel very fortunate and grateful to my female predecessors in the working world. I am keenly aware of the struggles that women of my mother’s and grandmothers’ generations went through in the name of equality for women. I know that I am lucky because I haven’t had to deal with inequality in the ways that they did.

Because of all the progress we’ve made, though, I think I sometimes take for granted that the world is more fair than it really is. So it’s always surprising to me when I hear news like what was recently reported about the “Career Wage Gap.” The Center for American Progress Action Fund released a report this past December that examines the cumulative effects of a woman’s lifetime of lost wages in comparison to a man in the same job, at the same level of education. What they found is that, on average, an American woman will make $434,000 less than a man over her lifetime. The career wage gap is evident in all professions, ethnicities, and levels of education for women all over the United States. The wage gap is even higher for women with the most education; a woman with a college degree or higher will lose $713,000 over a 40-year period, compared with a $270,000 loss for a woman who did not finish high school.

So what accounts for this astounding discrepancy? Is it a blatant case of sexism in the workplace? Have modern feminism’s accomplishments lulled us all into a false sense of security, meaning we are really no more equal than we were in the 1950’s?

Or is the career wage gap a little more complicated than that? Perhaps it is the result of a combination of reasons– reasons that are more products of circumstance than devious intent or neglect on the part of employers. One possible reason that comes to mind is the effect that motherhood has on a career. Many women make the decision to take significant time off work to bear and raise their children, which, over a lifetime can add up to quite a few dollars lost. Another could be a difference in how women approach salary negotiation– perhaps women are less aggressive or willing to take risks.

This is not to put the blame on women. It’s just an observation about the way things are– circumstances caused by being female. So how do governments, employers, and the public address these aspects of womanhood that, by their sheer nature and existence, reduce our bottom line take-home pay? Does the fact that women are “separate but equal” demand that women be treated differently so as to prevent unintentional sexism in the workplace?

What are your thoughts on why the career wage gaps exists, and what can we do about it? How have you seen it play out in your personal experience? Does the career wage gap exists in countries other than the United States?

If you haven’t heard of personal branding and its importance in today’s marketplace, you need to start here. If you have heard of it, but don’t think it applies to you, then start here.

Now that we are all on the same page, let’s discuss what personal branding can do for your career or business. Personal branding, like corporate branding, is based on how others percieve you. It is the idea of how all of your “marketing messages” work together to create an impression of you. These messages can be delivered intentionally (resumes, personal website, business cards, etc.) or unintentionally (blog posts, email messages, voice mail greetings, etc.). Think of a typical work day…how many impressions is your brand making? Probably a lot more than you realize.

Continue Reading »

It’s no secret that times are tough financially for everyone right now, the world over. Companies are cutting back, jobs are being lost, and stock prices are falling. So how do you stay motivated and on track with your career or business when it feels like the world is against you?  Continue Reading »