Top 5 to THRIVE: powerful and practical steps to a successful career and life

Whether you realize it or not, the things you value most are RUNNING YOUR LIFE. If you’re living true to your TOP values, you likely feel a sense of ease, peace of mind, happiness and confidence when making decisions. If you’ve strayed from your most cherished values, you may be feeling sad, guilty, overwhelmed, conflicted and/or unfulfilled. Can you see how there’s great power in knowing explicitly what your values are? The knowledge will allow you make sound decisions, live a life that’s meaningful, have less regret and guilt, and feel more at peace with your life and your next career move. Can you articulate the top 5 values that drive you? If so, write them down and figure out exactly what each one means to you. If you can’t, consider these questions:

Jen OlsonFebruary 17, 2014Comment

Inspiring Young Millennials to TAKE THE LEAD

In advance of the Take The Lead Challenge Launch Event on Feb. 19th, the women at Interview Forward—a web-based television series and a platform connecting generations of women—talked to five young Phoenix-area women who are going to attend the event at Arizona State University.

Take The Lead LaunchJen OlsonFebruary 16, 2014Comment

Take the Lead Women Learning Channel To Be On sageCrowd

Launch of the channel slated during Women’s History Month

Gloria Feldt, author and Co-Founder of Take the Lead, announced today the launch of the Gloria Feldt -Take The Lead Channel on sageCrowd, the online social learning network for professional development. The channel is now open for advance registration, and the first lesson will appear in mid-March to coincide with Women’s History Month. Subscription for the channel is $14.95 per month or $129 per year. All author fees from the channel will be contributed to the nonprofit women’s leadership parity initiative, Take The Lead.

Prepare: Take The Lead...Take The LeadFebruary 14, 2014Comment

Redefining Our Views of "Power"

How comfortable are you with the power you have to improve your own working conditions, ask for a raise, sing your own praises, solve a challenging organizational issue or go after the promotion you deserve? As Gloria Feldt has found, too many people allow the authority they’re given to confine the power they actually have – powers of persuasion, persistence, creativity, disruption and the ability to form mutually beneficial alliances with others.

Ambition / IntentionTake The LeadFebruary 13, 2014definitions of power, intention, positions of power, taking risksComment

Why the World Needs More Authentic (Women) Leaders

“If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.”

– Toni Morrison

Ambition / IntentionLex SchroederFebruary 12, 2014Authentic Leadership, Women's LeadershipComment

Gloria Feldt on Interview Forward: Lead Your Dream, Don't Follow It

When we were children, we told to “dream big,” to “follow our dreams!” But as adults, how many of us are truly living our dream life or taking the steps to ensure we reach our goals? In advance of the Take The Lead Challenge Launch Event on Feb. 19th, Interview Forward’s latest episode showcases women from different generations sharing their perspectives on how realistic it is to attain our dreams in today’s society, and how to feel confident with choices we make.

Jen OlsonFebruary 12, 2014 Comment

Auto-motivated: how Mary Barra can really take the lead at GM

When Mary Barra was named CEO of General Motors in December 2013 – the first woman to head a major automaker—my friend and leadership expert Leslie Grossman declared on a LinkedIn group: “Experience Trumps Gender!”

Inspirational Role ModelsGloria FeldtFebruary 12, 2014inspirational women, leadership parity, pay gapComment

Leading By Letting People in on Your Weaknesses

Over the last 40 years, I’ve held numerous positions—from executive director to chairs of boards—in which I’ve had the challenging and sometimes daunting task of leading other people. Although I had to learn it the hard way, by making the same mistakes over and over, I finally discovered one of the less recognized keys to being an effective leader. It is crucial to let people in on your weakness, forewarn them about your bad habits, invite them to call you on those failings, and take steps to counteract the negative effects you’re unintentionally producing.

Forget, “Conceal it, Don’t Feel it!” Instead, you’ve got to “Name it to Tame it!”

We recently celebrated my daughter’s 7th birthday with a family date night at the movies, where we saw the Disney film, Frozen. I love the core messages behind the film:

Jen OlsonFebruary 10, 2014Comment

A Primer on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equality: From the Profitability of Diversity to Unconscious Bias to its Impact on Our Country

I discuss the profitability of diversity in an article, “Disregard Diversity at Your Financial Peril: Diversity as a Competitive Financial Advantage,” that was published nationally in the May / June 2013 issue of Diversity & the Bar, the magazine distributed by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. You can read the full piece at: http://www.theaxelrodfirm.com/mailChimpNewsletters.php?ID=12.[1]

ParitySheryl L. AxelrodFebruary 7, 2014discrimination, diversity, parity, Women and Power Comments

Do You Enjoy the Journey?

It’s all about the journey. Phoenix Shaker and seasoned television journalist, Lin Sue Cooney, shares her thoughts on her career, raising a family, and whether she would do it all again. In Interview Forward’s second episode, Cooney answers the new web serie’s signature question—What Would You Tell Your Younger Self?—as she shares her sage advice with a recent broadcast journalism graduate beginning her own career. It’s insight and inspiration for all generations.

Jen OlsonFebruary 4, 2014 Comment

My House, My Friends, My Launch

Take the Lead and its mission, parity in women’s leadership by 2025, is of keen interest to me. As an advocate of women’s issues, I look to support such efforts wholeheartedly, regionally, nationally, and around the globe.

Take The Lead Events, Take The Lead LaunchJen OlsonJanuary 30, 2014 Comment

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