Powerful Women

By Susan O’Halloran, MPH

A “Powerful Women” Roundtable was hosted today by The College of New Rochelle and Westfair Business Publications.  Women on the panel included: Cindi Bigelow, President of Bigelow Tea; Judith Huntington, President of The College of New Rochelle;  Kay Koplovitz, Founder of USA Network; Michelle Koury, MD, COO at Crystal Run Healthcare; and Jennifer Tombaugh, President of Tauck.  The venue was filled to capacity and discussion topics ranged from what it takes for a woman to get ahead in the working world, the importance of understanding your key values to achieve work/life balance and how we can help young women close the leadership gap between reality TV and real life. Some of my key take-aways follow:

• People treat you the way you treat yourself.
• It is critical to know how to present your case.  Messaging is key and you must always deliver with confidence.
• Women, especially young women, must learn to accept themselves.  Mentoring is key and it is important to keep the dialogue going with young girls.
• Communication skills are essential to getting ahead and perseverance is an important mindset.
• With regard to salaries, women tend to undervalue themselves.  Men are comfortable asking for more.  There was consensus that:  If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
• When making your case, do your homework, know your values and what you really want, anticipate different scenarios and your responses to them and go for it.
• Be true to yourself, know your risk tolerance and you will be a better leader.

The moderator, Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson, a partner at Thompson & Bender, asked each panelist for a single word to describe what it takes to be a “powerful woman”.  According to these women, it takes flexibility, drive, curiosity, tenacity and motivation to enter the realm of the powerful.  Let us know your thoughts on what it takes to be a powerful woman.

Written by:  Susan O’Halloran, MPH.  Susan is Founder and President of Here’s to Life Now! a healthy living company that works with companies and individuals to build sustainable health habits that cut health care costs and improve quality of life.  In addition, Here’s to Life Now! has an online network of traditional and complementary health care practitioners that provide expert advice and services locally and nationally.

Tagged: attitude , careers , empowerment , mindset , women , women and work , work/life balance