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How Remarkable Women Lead

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Barsh, Joanna and Susie Cranston. How Remarkable Women Lead. New York: Crown Business, 2009.

I learned how they used their strengths, their optimism, their sense of belonging, their power, and their energy to prevail in service of a purpose.

I shifted from focusing only on my deficits to building on strength. I practiced reciprocity–and gained a powerful feeling of belonging. I took charge of my fears by reframing setbacks as opportunities and I went after them.

When the leader–or the parent–pauses, she not only gives herself a chance to really listen, she gives her team permission to go ahead and solve the problem.

Centered Leadership doesn’t make adversity go away and it doesn’t make life sunnier and more fun than it is in reality. What it does is help each of us become aware of our thoughts, our feelings, and our actions–extending our range of responses that make the difference between seizing the day and hiding from it.

Imagine a world with women and men leaders who are vulnerable and powerful, empathic and self-aware, grounded and connected–leaders equipped to address the enormous challenges of complexity, volatility, and increasing pace of change.