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Over the past few weeks, I have had some women engage with me
concerning their leadership development. I could hear the hands wringing
and stomachs turning at the thought of investing time and money on
their development. Heaven forbid!
Why should a woman invest in herself; more importantly, why should
the company invest in a woman's development? Let me quote Ms. Ursula
Burns, CEO of Xerox.
"As I've progressed in my career,
I've come to appreciate — and really value — the other attributes that
define a company's success beyond the P&L: great leadership,
long-term financial strength, ethical business practices, evolving
business strategies, sound governance, powerful brands, values-based
decision-making."
— Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO
Note the first attribute she commented on was great leadership.
Ladies, there is no such thing as a born leader. All have to learn to
lead. The first thing every leader learns is how to lead oneself. That
means having a personal vision and develop ethical standards, also
mentioned in Ms. Burns' statement.
Ladies and Gentlemen, women, make the best leaders. Ladies, take the
time and invest in you. Gentlemen and Ladies in supervisory positions
spend the money and time to develop your high-potential women. It is
right for your business. If you don't have any high-potential women, you
may need a new head of HR.
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