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Favorite leadership tips from 7 influential women

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From Resume.io

Women face a variety of extra challenges on the road to success, but it’s heartening to know that success can be achieved.

Some indomitable women have proven that it is not only possible to become the top of their fields, but also that the priorities that motivate action can be re-defined, and goals can be transformed to match. There’s a lot to be learned from reading about their experiences, and they have plenty of advice to embolden the next wave of successful women.

So, what leadership wisdom do readers find most inspiring? To find out, the resume experts at resume.io used the ‘most highlighted’ feature in Amazon’s Kindle to find the most popular quotes in the best rated leadership books on Goodreads.

We have gathered 7 extracts from books by powerful women to share their wisdom with you. 

You can find the rest of the list here.

1. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain

Cain’s book explains how the unique skills and potential of introverts is often overlooked by a society that has grown to believe in an ‘Extrovert Ideal.’ She uses strong anecdotal evidence and examples of influential speakers who are actually introverts.

2. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg

As Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and one of Time magazine’s most influential people, Sandberg has a unique insight into the external, and internal, obstacles faced by working women.

3. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, by Brené Brown 

This best-selling book focuses on vulnerability and dealing with difficult emotions, suggesting a transformative practice that can help us become more balanced in leadership, relationships, and parenting.

4. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck 

Carol S. Dweck PhD is a hugely influential psychologist with a simple, but powerful, argument. Whatever your field or goals, adopting a growth mindset will help you to approach it in a healthy and effective way.

5. Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person, by Shonda Rhimes

In this revealing and funny memoir, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal explains how being open to new opportunities, having a can-do attitude, and believing in oneself, has opened doors to her undeniable success.

6. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

Amoruso’s journey from high-school dropout to being CEO of a successful online fashion retailer shows that the path to success isn’t always straight. This is a rallying cry for anyone who wants to chart their own course.

7. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown

The New York Times #1 best-seller uses a research-based approach to motivate readers to believe in their capabilities. What do leaders, culture shifters, and change makers have in common? They have the courage to take the lead.

These strong and influential authors each offer strong and valid perspectives on realising one’s potential and building the confidence to take control. 

Which of these quotes motivates you the most?

 

Rolf Bax, Content Specialist
Since 2018 Rolf manages Resume.io websites & content together with a dedicated team of Copywriters, Product Specialists, Designers and Developers. Rolf worked for several cross-border e-commerce businesses in the last decade helping them with managing their online appearances.

 

 

 

Time = Gold (and … money = silver) by @SBSLEducSoltns

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by SJ Barakony | Featured Contributor

Putting Productivity ahead of Busy-ness in Business

 

“I’m so busy!”

“How are you? How’s business?  Busy!”

 

There are mild variants,  yet, the theme is constant: The individual is … say it with me now …. B-u-s-y.

Since when did our nation’s backbone, entrepreneurs, decide that this status was the end all, be all, in conversation, let alone in practice?

Let’s reframe. First, though, empathy & grace are necessary.

I know: There’s a LOT on your plate;  I’m sure many of these are on your calendar, scribbled on sticky notes, and/or are pop up reminders on your smart device:  Payroll. Review insurance coverage. Talk to the V.A; accountant; and/or financial advisor. Respond to client messages. Etc …

Still, we shouldn’t aspire to busy-ness; when we stop, if merely for a moment & reflect, we realize that as entrepreneurs, we’re solution providers & producers.

Thus, the more we produce, the more pro-ductive we are: it’s productivity which we should strive for, a 1:1 replacement for the ‘busyness’ that is our default answer to so many questions.

Painting a picture to aid in this mindset shift, we revisit the 1st few words …

 

Time = Gold.

 

… and now can move to implement this truth in our business first ( self-leadership ), then, model it for staff + customers, lastly, replicating it to other entrepreneurs in our network.

 

Those who are wise won’t be busy, and those who are too busy can’t be wise.”
― Lin Yutang

Click to Tweet

Lin Yutang #quote

 

 

Precious Metals

 

Gold :  

Time is an irreplaceable asset, just like gold. Gold is finite & very rare: Its value has held firm for thousands of years & once was used regularly in commerce worldwide. Just like there’s always been a 24 hour day, the amount of gold available for mining is constant; fluctuation in the ‘price’ of gold is due to the underlying currencies, just like your productivity ties to how well you lead yourself.

Silver :

Money is a reflection, a flag, which signals how much value you’ve added to the marketplace; your monetized service, product, &/or specialized knowledge is your entrepreneurial bridge b/w problem identified & solution provided. We look to silver now, as its value is also stable, yet it’s more abundant in nature than gold. So, with an abundance mentality x growth mindset, you know you can grow your share of this not fixed pie.

 

 

Two must read books

Without a shred of doubt, I wholeheartedly recommend both. Each has a high ceiling of potential energy which can be tapped to lead to dramatic improvements in your productivity & reduced busy-ness.

 

E-Myth: Revisited

The Fifth Discipline

 

Stephen R. Covey

He passed away over 6 years ago, gone & not forgotten as a pioneer; through his off the charts levels of contribution, we have much to tap into. The 4 quadrants is something to study often, & implement in short order.

 

Covey’s Time Management Matrix, in the written word

Or perhaps you’d learn better from a visual?

 

 

Suggested ‘Twitterverse’ Follows

 

A Helpful Guide to Becoming Unbusy by Joshua Becker

How to Stop Being Busy All the Time from Gus Razzetti

4 Ways to Break Free From Being “Too Busy” penned by Rikki Rogers , culled from The Muse

 

Leverage = Legacy

 

This concept is transformational.  Pulling from the vastness of the internet, here are two marvelous resources. Once you take this small two-step seriously, my advice is to keep going!

 

Kelly Azevedo

Amanda Abella


Systems Thinking?  

 

Its powerful.  In a previous post, you learned all about the power of principled self education.

Here’s a superb opportunity to practice what you read by visiting Donella Meadows ‘s website.

And if you haven’t yet bumped into this infographic, please, I implore you, dive in over the next 24 hours. Your income can become systems driven wealth through active application of this business truism.

 

In my ongoing discovery, I’ve repeatedly shared these maxims with those whom I mentor, in coffee 1:1’s, & elsewhere: Why? They’ve allowed me to run multiple business ventures at the same time, all while making strides towards being productive = gold = time & (more) passive = silver = money.

 

Next steps:

 

 

What can Westminster Abbey teach about implementing this content?!  

 

This inscription, when understood at a deeper level, reflects the ongoing value of lifelong learning.

 

Action Time

 

As with anything you choose to read, listen to, or watch, the truest formula = what you do next, how you proceed, & why?

Reflect, through meditation, prayer, yoga, or in a moment(s) of silence on this post, please, & thank you for reading!

 

In short …

 

  • A producer is productive; a consumer is busy. ‘Busy’ shouldn’t be a status, symbol, or state of being for the wise entrepreneur
  • Time = gold.  Money = silver.  Prioritize your irreplaceable asset;  focus on it and not on money (income, wealth) as #1.
  • Review the links to invest in 2 highly recommended books
  • Covey’s quadrants/matrix is a terrific tool in and by itself
  • Suggested Twitter follows & some of their scholarly tweets. #MustReads
  • Understand systems & leverage in your entrepreneurship education
  • Leadership starts with self

 

Ways to Use Analogies for Effective Communication by @lisaillman

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ForrestGump

by Lisa Illman | Featured Contributor

When Tom Hanks who starred in the movie, Forrest Gump, said, “My momma always said, “Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.” viewers could literally envision taking a half bite of a chocolate to find out what was in the middle. Comparing the unknown middle of chocolates to the unpredictable journey of life resonated with the masses and soon the quote ranked #40 in the American Film Institute’s list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema.  This is an example of using an analogy to effectively communicate an insightful notion.

Analogies, or using comparisons that resemble each other in some particulars between things otherwise unlike, can be a very effective tool to communicate a point, opinion or creative idea. With so many misunderstandings that get lost in translation, analogies can help a speaker to not only reel her listener in, but also successfully describe specific points. Three different situations that analogies can help effective communication include:

  1. Selling Your Idea            

No matter if you are bringing a new product to market or trying to sell a group of Investors on your business, analogies can really help drive your idea home. A main product line can be described as “the meat and potatoes of the business” or “this product is really the bread winner of our line.”

  1. Presenting a Business or Finance Plan

Finance plans can be one of the most important albeit driest presentations, a speaker can give. Consider sprucing up your presentation with catchy analogies such as “this service cost our business so much money, we ended up dropping it like a hot potato.” When explaining the reason for specific sales increase “this product line is really our low hanging fruit for the sales team” could be used.

  1. Telling a Story

Story telling is a wonderful way to engage your readers or audience. Analogies can add drama to any story, such as “the storm was so intense, our boat was being tossed around like a crouton in a ceaser salad!”

Using analogies is a great way to grab audience attention and help connect the dots as a story unfolds. Even in problem solving groups, analogies can foster ideas, bridge gaps and put the pieces of a puzzle together. When using analogies, try to create your own or use ones that are not overused, especially in business. You might start a ‘catchy’ analogy phrase among peers and business contacts setting you apart from others and really standing out from the norm!

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lisa1matchLisa Illman is the president and founder of Kritter Kommunity. Born in 2009 out of her passion for pets, Lisa’s vision for Kritter Kommunity was inspired by her kitty cats, Madison and Abigail. With very little cash to start her business, Lisa and her cat Abigail started blogging and tweeting to gain product exposure. They were able to take 100 orders before their new product was even available. A social media enthusiast today, Lisa and her cat Abigail still post and tweet regularly; they have over 15k pet loving followers on Twitter.

This was just the beginning of Lisa’s journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer for the pet industry. Coming out of the gate with no experience starting a business, Lisa took bold steps without knowing which would be mistakes, and which would take her to the next level of success. Tenacity and passion gave her the courage to pitch her own products to media contacts and landed them on many media outlets like Good Morning America. Relationship building and writing put her in a position to develop a solid reputation with the social media world of pet lovers; her furry muses cheering her every step of the way!

Hands on experience, a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Pennsylvania State University, more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, and numerous professional awards, Lisa has a strong foundation as she continues her journey as an entrepreneur, inventor and writer. She inspires others to capitalize on their interests through coaching and writing.