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Be The Leader of Your Life
Sage advice for women business owners, executives, and professionals
Women business owners, execs, and professionals will get sage advice from Leslie Grossman, cofounder of the Women's Leadership Exchange® (WLE) , a social entrepreneurship organization founded by and for successful businesswomen. Leslie has been an entrepreneur for 25 years, and is a leader and advocate for women's business success for more than 20 years. She heads WLE’s leadership development program, LEXCI, is an expert in marketing to women in business, and the author of SELLsation: How Companies Can Capture Today's Hottest Market: Women Business Owners and Executives. Her articles focus on building connections that will facilitate your success in business and in life.
Recent Articles
Connection Matters: Connect Your Way to Success
As we move into the new year, it’s important to envision what we want to accomplish in business and in our personal lives. We have a much better chance to get what we want, when we take the time to write down our goals, and place in a prominent place, where we can see it every day. It’s also important to take time to be grateful for the positive events in our lives during the past year. We can learn so much when we focus on the positive experiences, rather than the bad news and the fears and worries that may surrounded us. I’m grateful for the wonderful connections I have made. Have you taken time to think of who has introduced you to other people in the past year and how that has made a difference in your life and business? To help jog your memory, let me share one of my experiences.
One of my best memories of 2011 is the amazing trip my daughter Sari and I took to Japan in October. What could be better than exploring one of the most interesting countries of world with one’s daughter? The trip was made possible through an invitation for me to speak on the power of social capital at a symposium for corporate women hosted by GOLD - Global Organization for Leadership and Diversity.
How did I get this opportunity? Through a connection, which became a supportive friendship. I met Hiroko Tatebe, founder of GOLD about 8 years ago at a Women’s Leadership Exchange conference in Los Angeles, just before she launched her organization. Every year we made time to meet or speak on the phone to share what was going on in our businesses and our lives. We built a relationship in which we both contributed knowledge and connections to each other. Hiroko’s goal was to help women rise up in the corporate world in Japan. No easy task – due to cultural limitations. Over the years, Hiroko has succeeded in creating an influential organization that benefits not only women, but also Japanese corporations. And slowly but surely, Japanese business culture is changing, promoting more women to higher positions, thanks to Hiroko’s work.
This beautiful travel experience with my daughter was due to the power of connections. The collaborative relationship that Hiroko and I built over the years helped us both. When she learned about the passion I have for teaching people how to build longstanding relationships that make a difference in their lives, she realized that this was a critical ingredient to help women succeed in business in Japan. That lead to her inviting me to Tokyo to speak on the power of social capital. That’s what connections are all about and why they are so important. We can help each other make our visions reality. When one connection is made, many more are spawned. By my speaking at this symposium, my web of connections has expanded internationally. If I stay in touch with the people I met, and look for ways to support them, more possibilities will open up.
Look for the opportunities you have to truly connect with people. Look for common bonds and ways that you can support them. Have conversations that matter, with people not yet in your circle. Step out of your comfort zone, invite interesting people you meet to share a cup of coffee or a glass a wine. Take time to meet them face-to-face. Social Media is an exciting way to connect. However, it is relationships from which real business gets done, and referrals flow. Live connections open doors to possibilities that may have once seemed impossible. Due to the relationship I share with Hiroko, I’m returning to Japan this spring for a 4-city speaking tour, thanks to a great introduction that occurred at Hiroko’s Symposium. And in this global world, who knows where those connections may take you. Like me, it could take you to the other side of the world, or wherever you want to go.
Visit www.lesliegrossmanleadeship.com for more information on how you can build powerful connections or contact Leslie at lesliegrossmanconnect@gmail.com
