Happy International Women’s Day! This year’s theme for IWD and beyond, is to fully #EmbraceEquity.
Equity isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a must-have.
A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society’s DNA.
And it’s critical to understand the difference between equity and equality.
Equal opportunities aren’t enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action.
We can all challenge gender stereotypes, call out discrimination, draw attention to bias, and seek out inclusion. Forging gender equity isn’t limited to women solely fighting the good fight. Allies are incredibly important for the social, economic, cultural, and political advancement of women.
Source: International Women’s Day
In honor of International Women’s Day, I have curated a list of the top 5 episodes of Inspirational Leadership that focus on empowering women in leadership. I’m deeply passionate about creating gender equity in our workplaces and communities. I know you will thoroughly enjoy and learn a lot from the wisdom shared in these interviews! Let me know which ideas resonate most for you and as always please share these episodes with others so we can amplify the voices of female leaders!
#1. Women’s Leadership and Gender Equity with Areva Martin
Areva Martin, is one of America’s leading voices in the media. An award-winning attorney, advocate, legal and social issues commentator, talk show host, and producer, she is a CNN/HLN legal analyst, former co-host of The Doctors and Face the Truth, and a regular contributor on Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, and Dr. Phil and a Harvard Law School graduate. In this episode we discuss the five lies told by society that have held women back for years, how our system actively works against women to keep them “the inferior sex”, why small-scale strategies to enact change ultimately fail and simple tips to help men become powerful partners, rather than passive allies, in creating a more equitable world.
#2. How to Speak with More Ease and Confidence – Alexia Vernon
Alexia Vernon, is the Founder and President of Step into Your Moxie – a WBE and DOBE that shows business leaders, and the coaches and consultants who support them, how to find their voice and master using it. Alexia is a sought-after advisor to executives, corporate teams, and fellow entrepreneurs who want to speak with an unshakeable presence, sell their ideas, navigate daring conversations, advance their thought leadership, and elevate marginalized voices. In this episode we discuss the systemic, institutional and cultural factors that have played a role in making people not feel safe, comfortable and valued when they speak up, the power of role playing to help create awareness and practice new skills, and embracing your inner cheetah when communicating instead of going into bunny or dragon mode.
#3. Unleashing the Potential of Women with Morna MacGillivray
Morna MacGillivray is the CEO and Founder of Revolutionary Woman™ Global, she’s a leader in designing and holding spaces for transformation and has created hundreds of transformational learning events for thousands of diverse groups of female leaders and entrepreneurs around the world. She designs powerful spaces and learning journeys that cut through the noise so women can tune into their highest purpose, fully show up, take effective, courageous and sane action and make the difference in the world we need now. In this episode we discuss what happens when women are empowered to lead change in their own lives, families, communities and organizations, understanding your own leadership capacity and how to leverage it to solve complex issues and why it’s urgent and imperative that we have women’s voices at the table.
#4. How to Lead Like a Girl and Humanize the Workplace with Dalia Feldheim
Dalia Feldheim is a marketing executive, the author of Dare to Lead Like a Girl, and an adjunct professor at the Singapore Management University, where she teaches The Science of Happiness. After 21 years in the corporate world, Dalia has pivoted her career back to her roots in psychology with a mission to help organizations find purpose and joy at work. In this episode we discuss the five Ps of building holistic elements of leadership; purpose, perseverance, power up, people/relationships, and positivity, the importance of taking time from work to reflect on your ideas and find a balance and how to rotate between positive feminine and positive masculine traits.
#5. Managing Up and Mastering Assertiveness with Kim Boudreau Smith
Kim Boudreau Smith is passionate about helping women find (and use!) their bold voices. A born entrepreneur with 25-years as a leader in Corporate America, Kim rocks at showing female entrepreneurs and high-performing professional women how to develop their speaking confidence, level up their presence, and increase their profitability. In this episode we discuss how to boldly own your voice, understanding imposter syndrome, asserting from a place of confidence and compassion, how to have more impactful conversations and improving your negotiation skills.
Inspirational Quote for International Women’s Day:
“I want to build a community where women of all races can communicate and … continue to support and take care of each other. I want to give women a space to feel their own strength and tell their stories. That is power.” – Beyoncé
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