Tag: inspiring

growth mindset

Don’t spoil a good story by telling the truth

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I often wondered where the quote “don’t let the truth, spoil a good story” came from. The quote comes from a lady called Isabelle Stewart Gardener. She was a millionaire Boston Bohemienne” described by a reporter as “She is the leader of the smart set, but she often leads where none dare follow… She imitates nobody; everything she does is novel and original.” Isabella began collecting rare books and manuscripts, beginning with early editions of Dante’s works. In 1899 she began building an arts museum.

“Years ago, I decided the greatest need in our country was art. So, I determined to make it my life’s work if I could.”

For 20 years, Isabella spent her time acquiring work of art and get dedicating her time to building a museum. She died in 1924, leaving a museum “for the education and enjoyment of the public forever.” She provided an endowment to operate the museum, stipulating in her will that nothing in the galleries should be changed, and no items be acquired or sold from the collection.

It is interesting that as a leader of her time and probably one of the most authentic,it was Isabella who came up with the quote above.

So what is authentic leadership?

Authentic leadership is a style of leadership that emphasizes being genuine and transparent in order to build trust and collaboration with those you lead. It involves having self-awareness and understanding of your own motivations, strengths, and weaknesses, as well as the ability to recognize the same in others. An authentic leader is someone who takes responsibility for their own actions and decisions, while also demonstrating an openness to new ideas and diverse perspectives. They have a clear vision for the future that they’re able to communicate effectively to those around them.

To be an effective authentic leader, it’s important to first focus on developing your own sense of self-awareness. This means taking time to understand how you think and feel about yourself both internally and externally. What are your values? How do you want people to perceive you? What drives your decisions? Answering these questions can help you better determine what type of leader you want to be by giving yourself an opportunity to reflect on what makes you unique.

It’s also important that an authentic leader foster an environment of open communication between themselves and their followers or team members. When everyone feels comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions, it allows for creativity and innovation within the group which in turn leads to better results overall. Additionally, by being consistent in their behavior an authenticity leader can demonstrate consistency which further builds trust among their followers.

When it comes down to it, being an authentic leader requires courage because it requires leaders step outside of their comfort zones from time-to-time when faced with difficult decisions or situations that aren’t popular with everyone involved. Authenticity also allows leaders to stay true to themselves even when faced with adversity – something that’s essential for effective leadership over time.

The importance lies in how authenticity can help foster collaboration amongst teams as well as inspire others through example; it helps create a more united front against challenges instead of one where each individual is competing against each other for power or recognition. By being genuine about one’s motives and intentions, leaders are also more likely gain respect from their team members leading them towards greater success in achieving goals together rather than separately.

Isabella is certainly a leader of her time and authentic though for the time she was described as eccentric,” “original,” the “leader of the smart set,” and “one of the seven wonders of Boston” — not at all what was expected of a proper Victorian Boston lady. She stepped out of her comfort zone.

She had a very clear vision bring art to Boston. She dedicated her own time to developing a legacy for the people of Boston.

Her motto through life, which appears above the central portal of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, was “C’est mon plaisir” (it is my pleasure). and indeed it has been my pleasure to read about this fascinating female leader and share with you this blog.

Author: Ciara Moore

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career

Women in tech – the future is female

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Women in technology are often under-represented due to the fact that a lack of access to education and resources, gender stereotyping, and the historical dominance of men in this field. Women often face the challenge of having to prove themselves even more than their male counterparts; they may also experience unconscious biases within the industry. This can be discouraging and demotivating for young women considering careers in technology or digital change.

How do we ensure women are involved?

To ensure that women are involved in digital fields, it is essential to make sure that there is equal access to educational resources, mentorship programs, internships and job opportunities. Additionally, companies should develop protocols to monitor hiring practices for gender bias, create a safe environment free from harassment with clear support systems in place, and offer flexible working arrangements that allow female employees to juggle their roles as mothers or caregivers while still pursuing successful career growth. Training programs could also be created specifically targeting female professionals looking to enter digital fields; these would provide technical skills training along with an introduction into understanding the industry dynamics and culture.

We can further encourage young women’s involvement by creating awareness about the many opportunities available through campaigns that highlight successful female tech professionals as role models and mentors. How many can you name in your company? Are you in contact with them? Are they visible? Offering scholarships or grants specifically targeted towards women entering technological fields would also be beneficial. Furthermore, organizations such as STEM clubs could be utilized to give young girls exposure and hands-on experience with coding or other related technologies which could help spark interests in pursuing digital change or tech careers.

Staying ahead of the curve

In order for women in digital change stay ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation, it is important for them to stay informed and updated on new advancements by attending events like conferences or hackathons which can provide networking opportunities as well as valuable insights into current trends within their chosen field. Joining online communities such as online forums or groups is another helpful way for women in tech stay connected with other like-minded individuals who share similar interests while maintaining an active presence on social media networks is also a great way for them to build visibility among tech professionals both locally and internationally.

Keeping it personal

In addition to keeping up with industry developments and trends, it’s important that female professionals continue honing their personal skills by engaging in self-development activities such as reading books related topics or taking courses aimed at helping them improve their understanding of technical concepts.

Finally, seeking out mentors who can provide guidance from within the same profession can help increase knowledge base through sharing personal experiences within specific industries whilst providing valuable advice on career development journey.

Ciara Moore

Ciara Moore is a Digital Change & Engagement Director working in the NHS. she also is the founder of Female Leaders at 50

New thinking

Mentorship Programmes for Female Leaders over 50

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Mentorship is an essential part of professional development. Whether you’re in the early stages of your career or an experienced leader, having someone to provide guidance and advice can be invaluable in helping you reach your goals. For women over 50, mentorship programmes can be especially beneficial, offering insight and experiences I from a more mature perspective.

Here are five tips on how to set up a successful mentoring programme for women over 50.

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels.com

Tips for setting up a programme

  1. Identify Your Resources
    The first step in setting up a mentoring programme is to identify the resources available to you. Look at who you know that could be potential mentors—people who have experience and expertise in the areas you’re interested in learning about or working in. This could include people within your organization, alumni of your university or college, or members of professional associations related to the industry you’re interested in joining or advancing in.
  2. Establish Your Goals
    Once you identify potential mentors, it’s important to establish your goals for the programme. What do you want to achieve through this relationship? Are there specific skills or knowledge that you want to gain? Is there something specific that you want to accomplish? Having a clear understanding of what your goals are will help ensure that both mentor and mentee get the most out of their time together.
  3. Develop an Agenda
    Once your goals are established, develop an agenda for each meeting with potential mentors. This should include topics that will be covered during each session as well as any materials that need to be shared ahead of time (such as articles or reports). It’s also important to include break times throughout the meeting so that everyone has a chance to take a breath and process what has been discussed before moving on to the next topic.
  4. Set Boundaries
    It’s also important to establish boundaries between yourself and your mentor before beginning the programme. This includes agreeing upon expectations around commitment levels, communication frequency, confidentiality, and other issues that may arise throughout the course of the relationship such as fees (if applicable). Setting these boundaries ahead of time helps ensure both parties are comfortable with the process and expectations are clearly outlined from day one.
    5. Create Time for Reflection Finally, make sure there is time built into each session for self-reflection so that both parties can take stock of what was discussed during their meetings and think about how it applies in their own lives going forward. Reflection helps ensure progress is being made towards achieving objectives set forth at the beginning of each session as well as providing an opportunity for feedback from both sides on how things can be improved going forward if necessary .

Conclusion: Setting up a successful mentoring programme is not easy but it can be incredibly rewarding if done correctly! By following these five steps—identifying resources available; establishing clear goals; developing agendas; setting boundaries; creating reflection time—you can create a safe space where both mentor and mentee feel comfortable sharing ideas, knowledge, and experiences with each other while making progress towards reaching common objectives together! With these tips in mind, why not start building your own mentoring network today?

In fact why not contact us as we start our mentoring programme this year.