How Talented Women Thrive

"Centered Leadership" - a new approach to leadership being explored by McKinsey.

The hypothesis? That today's leaders can become even more effective through the model of centered leadership- which is exactly what it sounds like... bringing together the physical, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual strength that drives personal achievement and inspiring others to follow.

Below is a summary of the 12-page article. *The ideas below are taken directly from the McKinsey Quarterly article.

After interviewing more than 85 women leaders from around the world (and a few men), their research team came up with a leadership model made up of 5 dimensions:

1. MEANING- finding your strengths and putting them to work in the service of inspiring purpose
2. MANAGING ENERGY- knowing where your energy comes from, where it goes, and what you can do to manage it
3. POSITIVE FRAMING- adopting a more constructive way to view your world, expand your horizons, and gain the resilience to move ahead even when bad things happen
4. CONNECTING - identifying who can help you grow, building stronger relationships, and increasing your sense of belonging
5. ENGAGING- finding your voice, becoming self-reliant and confident by accepting opportunities and the inherent risks they bring, and collaborating with others.

The McKinsey research team calls this "centered leadership" and, although it also works for men, has focused most on the ways women can actively build the skills to become more self-confident and effective leaders.

The concept emphasizes the role of positive emotions, and focuses on some of the characteristics that tend to distinguish women from men in the workplace, including:

• Women tend "opt-out" of work more than men do
• Women tend to take on a "double-burden" (motherhood and management), that drains energy in a particularly challenging way
• Women tend to experience emotional ups & downs more often and intensely than most men do.

Fun fact: Apparently, after concentrating on women participants, the team was approached by many men who wanted "what the women were having."

I like this study already.


***all information above was taken from the article in the McKinsey Quarterly.

DOWNLOAD the entire article HERE.

Women for Women International

Ramadan Kareem and Mubarak to all my friends- I have an interesting organization for you to look into during this time of reflection.

Women in wartime have always been in critical need of support, as women are often the lynch pin of a stable community. In wartime, when the social fabric of society is destroyed, women typically find themselves more vulnerable than ever.

Women for Women International is changing that.

According to their website:

Women for Women International "provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies."

They help women recover from the emotional (and sometimes physical) scars of war, and provide them with financial aid, job training, and leadership education.

Women for Women International has been recognized for their work by:

-Charity Navigator

-CBS 60 minutes (great video)

-BBC

-CNN

-Bill Clinton

They have also received the 2006 Conrad Hilton Humanitarian Prize.

And keeping with the Ramadan spirit, you can even SPONSOR a woman- LEARN MORE HERE.

Women and Philathropy... "The Power of the Purse"

Another fantastic New York Times article from the New York Times Magazine Special Edition on women's issues around the world:

The Power of the Purse

The article briefly chronicles the history of women's philanthropy and recent trends in the way women give.

Read it HERE

"Half the Sky" - Pulling Women Out of Poverty.

"There’s a growing recognition among everyone from the World Bank to the U.S. military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff to aid organizations like CARE that focusing on women and girls is the most effective way to fight global poverty and extremism. That’s why foreign aid is increasingly directed to women. The world is awakening to a powerful truth: Women and girls aren’t the problem; they’re the solution."

The above quote is from a New York Times Magazine special, featuring an essay adapted from the book "Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide".

Most of the examples of success that are given in the essay, include a dimension of business or small microloans being used to change the life of a woman and her family... and, eventually, her community.

Read more HERE.

Women and Leadership: Learning from the Social Sector

From the McKinsey Quarterly website:

As a venture philanthropist, Acumen Fund’s Jacqueline Novogratz leads entrepreneurial projects across the globe—many of which put women at the helm of emerging local businesses. In this video interview, she discusses her experience developing other women leaders, the way they have shaped her own approach to leadership, and the different leadership cultures she sees at play in the public and private sectors.

This interview was conducted by Bill Javetski, an editor with the McKinsey Quarterly, in February 2009. It was recorded in the New York office of Acumen Fund.



One of my favorite quotes from the interview:

"... the more stressed I got, the less anything worked... but the more we laughed, the more we got done."

Lingerie Lessons in Jeddah

A group of 26 mostly Saudi women completed a course on how to fit, stock and sell underwear, in hopes that this type of training would help boost a campaign to lift the ban on women selling lingerie in the kingdom.

After 40 hours of instruction, using bras donated by Victoria's Secret, the women held a ceremony at Dar Al Hekma College in Jeddah on Tuesday. How did Victoria's Secret find out about this push in Saudi Arabia? Facebook. Once again, smart use of open-source tools can build networks that were previously near impossible to build.

The 10-day training course occured just three months after the launch of a campaign to boycott lingerie stores until they employ women. The aim of the boycott? Simply the implementation of an existing law (passed in 2006) which says only female staff can be employed in women's colthing stores.

According to Reem Asaad (a finance lecturer at the college and the main force behind the boycott campaign) the course was the idea of Dr. Suhair al-Qurashi, Dean of Dar al-Hekma College.

"She wanted the training to be a part of the solution because the industry was complaining that there's a lack of qualified (women) in the market who can run and manage lingerie stores," said Asaad. "So we covered fitting and technical issues, we covered selling and handling customer complaints."

British consul-general of Jeddah, Kate Rudd, attended the ceremony to show her support.

Obama's speech, in case you missed it...

On social entrepreneurship...

"On economic development, we will create a new corps of business volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim-majority countries. And I will host a Summit on Entrepreneurship this year to identify how we can deepen ties between business leaders, foundations and social entrepreneurs in the United States and Muslim communities around the world."

On women...

"Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity – men and women – to reach their full potential. I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. That is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams."

Let Her Get Fat!

"Let her get fat!" is the new cry from the women of Saudi Arabia who are challenging a a recent clampdown on female-only gyms.

Following a recent increase in unlicensed female gyms, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs recently closed two in Jeddah and one in Dammam for not having a license.

Why? Female gyms have no official authority overseeing them, so while male gyms get licenced by the government, female gyms are technically illegal.

In a religious opinion published in Okaz newspaper, Sheikh Abdullah al-Maneea (member of the official Supreme Council of Religious Scholars) explained that "Football and basketball are sports that require a lot of movement and jumping," and suggested that such excessive movement may harm girls who are still virgins, possibly causing them to lose their virginity.

According to an article from Reuters, "women's gyms can only exist inside hospitals as 'health centres' supervised by the Ministry of Health but prices are so high, at least 1,000 riyals ($266) a month, that only the affluent can afford membership. Cheaper versions have sprung up under name 'beauty salon' or 'studio' but now their future is in doubt."

Madawi Al-Hassoun of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce said the chamber has been trying for three years to find a government body prepared to take on board licensing female gyms.

Considering the high rates of diabetes and even bone frailty among women, and the fact that the Ministry of Health says it does want to combat these issues, is there any way to solve this issue without upsetting religious clerics or government entities?

Women and "Wasta"

"Wasta", an Arabic expression that loosely translates into ‘who you know’ or 'clout', refers to using influence or connections to get things done (such as quick renewal of a passport, waiving fines/tickets, and acquiring sought-after jobs).

While "wasta" is deeply ingrained in Middle East culture, it is not unique to Middle Eastern culture- dare I say... a global phenomenon... or perhaps even a global tradition?

AmericanBedu (a blog by an American expat living in Saudi Arabia) discussed the issue on her blog this week. She says:

I know of several western women who are married to Saudis and have been in the Kingdom for more than 25 years. They not only are married to prominent Saudis but they also are successful and influential in their own rights. These women certainly do have their own WASTA network. They have shared that they do need to be watchful of who approaches them. It is not unusual for others (men and women) to seek such women out not for who they are as an individual but due to the perception that association with such women raises their own status in the Kingdom and falsely ensures them of having WASTA as well. Examples of how foreign women are approached and asked to exert WASTA include in finding jobs for others; facilitating healthcare and getting appointments with doctors who are usually booked up; assisting in marriage approvals; assistance with transferring iqamas or receiving no-objections; assist with getting children admitted to specific international schools.

Thoughts?

While I understand how this phenomenon works in other parts of the world, I am less familiar with the way it works in the Arab world- and more specifically in Saudi Arabia. I am curious:

• how do women develop "wasta"?
• is it passed via marriage?
• what about non-Saudis?
• what about those who were not born into priviledge?

Photo courtesy of Springglobe's photostream

The Power of Powerful Women

Donating time and resources to improve the world is an important tenent in many traditions and cultures, including Islam (Zakat). The collective power of a group of people to make a difference is astounding. To leverage donations to women and girls throughout the world, a group of visionary female donors created Women Moving Millions.

Partnering with the Women's Fund Network, Women Moving Millions invests in strategic, sustainable approaches that will improve the quality of life for females in the world, and bring safety, equality, and justice around the globe.

Projects include eradicating poverty, improving literacy, increasing access to health care, youth empowerment -- the same issues our Seminar students covered in the Vision Poster Session!

Women Moving Millions is currently in Africa, Asia and Oceana, Europe, Latin America, and North America.

Some food-for-thought:

• How can women in the Middle East become part of this movement?

• Or, how can women in the Middle East adapt this best practice of pooling funds together to invest in common concerns for women and girls?

I dare you.

I have been so moved by the "Girl Effect" campaign, that I did some research. Apparently, the Girl Effect is rooted in the NIKE Foundation, which has linked up with the NoVo Foundation in a "shared mission to create opportunities for girls..." The campaign is implemented in collaboration with:

The UN Foundation
The International Center for Research on Women
The Population Council
CARE
The Center for Global Development
Plan
BRAC


And here's the data:

• FACT SHEET
• A GLOBAL INVESTMENT & ACTION AGENDA
  

Bridging stereotypes- Obama's latest appointee

Dalia Mogahed, a veiled Egyptian American, was appointed this month to Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, where she will advise President Obama on prejudices and problems faced by Muslims.

Dalia Mogahed is a senior analyst and executive director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies.

A commentator on Al Masry al Youm website said: "Dalia Mogahed is the best example of a successful Muslim woman. She proves that the Muslim should be successful in all fields, at least in [her] area of specialization."

Al Arabiya satellite news channel quoted the Ms. Mogahed as saying:

"... I should tell the president about their problems and needs, especially that lately Muslims have been perceived as a source of problems and as incapable of taking part in solving international problems and that they should work on themselves. Now we want to say that Muslims are capable of providing solutions."

Image courtesy of: LA Times

The Girl Effect...

And in case that wasn't enough... here's a quick clip from a girl at the crossroads:




Visit the website to learn more

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Pink Collars in a Global World

In the U.S.-Saudi Women's Forum on Social Entrepreneurship, we are learning a lot of new terms and concepts, and how to apply them to improving the community. Here are a few more from female social entrepreneur Leila Chirayath Janah to add to your list:

• Pink Collar jobs refers to employing women in responsible ways
  
• Shelancers refers to women sharing their knowledge online, especially in areas with barriers to employment.

Leila uses these terms to refer to employing women in remote areas through technology training and access. How do these concepts transfer to Jeddah's urban environment? Can we apply these to address a community opportunity or need? If so, how? What do you think?

Happy International Women's Day!

Happy International Women's Day!

Since 1911, International Women's Day has celebrated the economic, political, and social achievements of women: past, present and future.

The progress women have made world-wide, and the critical contribution of women to the betterment of their societies in every corner of the world are indisputable.

IWD events are being held all over the world- check them out.