When you hear the word vision, what do you think of? Probably of going to the optometrist and getting your eyes checked – 20/20 and so forth. But vision is much, much more than that. It is a very hefty term, for it deals with your dreams and your future. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as “an experience of seeing someone or something in a dream or trance, or as a supernatural apparition.” That is the vision I am referring to, the ability to transform your dreams and your future into an almost-physical thing. For many, that is an impossible task. Given the state of the world, “visions” are often chucked out the window of the moving car of life. We just don’t have time for them. This is no good for our lives, personally and professionally. What to do then?
At Authentic Leadership International, a Leadership Development firm specializing in Executive Coaching and Leadership Development, our over eleven years of experience have helped us get clear on exactly how to harness someone’s vision and enhance their leadership so they are able to better impact the world around them. Whether you are one person, a small business or a Fortune 500 company that puts Wall Street on notice, Authentic Leadership International will take anyone to that next level. In particular, we are passionate about women in business spheres all over the world and we want them to grow as leaders. This depends on opportunity and equality.
Opportunity and equality – two things that should be expected in a forward-thinking nation and, for the most part, a forward-thinking world. That is sadly not the case. If anything, 2013 has showed that we as a society still have a long way to go in terms of providing equal opportunity for all. Because of this unfavorable atmosphere, many of us cannot develop proper leadership skills; our growth clearly suffers on all fronts – emotionally, mentally and spiritually. So, where does that leave the vast majority of us, who struggle with control in our lives, who struggle with leadership in our work? Without opportunity and equality, many cannot develop into leaders.
The business sector, for example, is still predominantly male. Since it is unequal, the opportunity just isn’t there. In the article, “The Top 5 Ways Firms Can Advance Women,” Cheryl Carleton of Villanova School of Business writes, “Why are there so few women as we look up the rungs of the job ladder? How do we stop talented and successful women from the highest levels in their careers from leaving the labor force?” Carleton is asking some serious questions here. After a while in the labor force, great women hit a ceiling and can’t move forward. With no other alternative, they leave that industry altogether. This creates a dearth of senior female leadership.
In Carleton’s eyes, this can be fixed in five different ways: accountability, measuring and rewarding valuable yet invisible work, rethinking scheduling, addressing workplace culture and being an example. Would this solve the draught of senior female leadership? Perhaps. It would make women happier in the workplace. But what Carleton doesn’t address is vision, how it must be cultivated so women are able to transform their dreams and future into an almost-physical thing, something tangible that they can touch. That is where we come in, Authentic Leadership International.
Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-top-5-ways-firms-can-advance-women-2013-12
Colleen Slaughter, Proud Executive Coach to the UN World Food Program, the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
As an Executive Coach for Women in Leadership and Transformational Facilitator, my intention is to help leaders in positions of high influence to understand their worth at a profound level.
Supporting women leaders to truly thrive and step into their greatness, while succeeding in male-dominated industries and spaces is my native genius.
My technique and approach show you how to achieve incredible career success without compromising any part of who you are and what makes you magnificent.