June is LGBTQ Pride month in the United States, when we honor the bravery of the Stonewall patrons who started the modern LGBTQ rights movement. Led by African-American trans activist Marsha P. Johnson, these heroes took a stand against public humiliation and police brutality. Fifty years later, LGBTQ people still struggle to be seen and…
I often ask my audiences, “What perspectives does your network IGGNORE?” If you’ve read Network Beyond Bias or attended one of my programs, you know that “IGGNORE” is an acronym that represents different aspects of diversity. One great way to learn from different perspectives is to seek out media from non-traditional sources. You can even think…
Network as Broadly as Possible In my programs on networking, I stress the importance of diversifying your professional network. This includes expanding your network beyond your current industry. The first step in assembling your CHAMP network, after all, is to build a relationship with your customer. And customers almost always work in a different industry.…
Just last week, I announced that Lead at Any Level LLC has achieved national and regional recognition as a WBENC-Certified Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE). [blog post contains link to press release] This week, I’m pleased to be recognized by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) as a Certified Diverse Supplier / LGBT Business Enterprise®. I’ve…
Do You Aspire to Be a Leader? If you aspire to be a leader, you’re not alone. So many corporate employees aspire to leadership roles in their organizations. They seek out high-profile projects, promotions, and executive sponsors. To really stand out in a company, though, you need to stand for something other than your own…
Author’s note: This article is adapted from my book, Network Beyond Bias. There are 7 billion altruistic reasons to be a mentor: one for each person on the planet. In case you’re not motivated by do-gooderism, I’ve compiled more than a dozen completely selfish reasons to sign up to be a mentor. Why Be a Mentor?…
It’s a much-debated topic and a growing trend, but most companies still don’t seem to take a deliberate approach to flexible work arrangements. Instead, they just offer a vague middle ground of “flexible work arrangements” on a case by case basis. There are strong arguments for encouraging remote working and, conversely, arguments for bringing everyone…
I recently connected with Executive Coach Andre Boykin of Capital Idea. The first question he asked me was, “What are you creating in the world?” I loved the way he phrased the question. And I hope he doesn’t mind that I will be using it in the future. Later that day, I had an equally…
You probably already know that organizations with a culture focused on learning & development are more profitable, more innovative, and have greater market share. But how can leaders create an environment where learning is valued and rewarded? Align with Strategic Goals Your organization’s success depends not only on your current capabilities, but also on your…
The whole philosophy behind my business is that leaders can be anywhere and should be everywhere. Sometimes it’s the “de facto” leader on a team, rather than the appointed leader, who sets the pace or raises the bar. So, if you read my article on how leaders can build a learning culture, you may have wondered, “Yeah,…
