Learn: Leadership Lessons from a Philanthropist

In the March 2009 issue of The McKinsey Quarterly, Jacqueline Novogratz, CEO of Acumen Fund, shares leadership lessons from her experience in venture philanthropy in Africa. The video is embedded above - you can also view the transcript of her interview here:

http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/Organization/Talent/Women_and_leadership_Learning_from_the_social_sector_2336
Key leadership lessons from Jacqueline include:

• "I had to learn to have the humility myself to really listen to their perspectives, and yet not stop there; to have the audaciousness to say, “It’s a good starting point, but we want to get you to this other place.”
• "The real lesson for me was how that dignity is so much more important to the human spirit than wealth"
• "[...] leadership as a way of inspiring, listening, and letting people [...] grow themselves in their own way.
• "I’m a big optimist. I really believe in setting impossible goals and then making them possible."

Share: Photos from the 2009 Mentoring Kick-Off Breakfast

Check out the below link to view photos from the Mentoring Breakfast on 3/10/09:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/7517401@N04/

Thanks again to the 75 attendees who made this event a success!

Share: Mary & Amy's Top 5 Tips on How to Be a Good Mentee/Mentor

Thanks to everyone for coming to the Mentoring Breakfast at Yahoo! this past Tuesday. We had a great turnout with 75 mentees/mentors in attendance!

Here are the top 5 tips on how to be a good mentee/mentor that Mary Riley and Amy Lam presented at the breakfast. Enjoy!

1) Set a goal: what do you want to get out of the mentoring relationship? What area(s) do you want to work on? Are you seeking more industry knowledge? Do you want to learn/refine a skill?

2) Listen: What is the person really saying? How does one's body language emphasize their thoughts and ideas?

3) Be honest & open: The more honest and open you are, the more information the other person has to understand you, your point or your situation. Be honest with yourself. Have you been faced with a certain challenge time and time again because you are afraid to pursue a certain action?

4) Give feedback: Especially for mentees, are your mentors' suggestions helpful? What happened when you took action? How are you learning from your mentoring experience?

5) Know that you are not alone: The Mentoring Committee is here to help you. Each pair is assigned to a committee representative that is there to make sure things are going smoothly. Mentees can reach out to the Young Executives committee. There are great resources available.

Grow: Inspirational Quotes

"A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could."

- Unknown

Share: Where to Meet

Did you have a great first mentoring get-together? Looking for meeting inspiration? Trying to decide if you would benefit from a more structured mentoring relationship?

Comment on this post to share your ideas or pose questions regarding effective mentoring meetings.

Grow: Think Big

A great mentor encourages her mentee to "think big," inspiring the exploration of business without any upward boundaries.

Many mentees are inspired by the stories of successful women - whether listening to the method with which their mentor solved a complicated strategic challenge, or reading the stories of successful leaders .

Even if you've seen this already, you can help but be inspired by Fortune's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women In Business:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostpowerfulwomen/2008/full_list/

Think big. Then, get there.

Share: What to Discuss

Mentoring Idea: Attend an industry event with your mentee/mentor and set up some time to discuss the implications of the topic over coffee. If time doesn't permit a second meeting, catch up via phone or email.


Here are some upcoming AWNY events to consider for your next meeting:
March 11: 2008 Advertising Woman of the Year
March 24: Networking Clinic
April 1: Impact Awards
April 9: Boardroom Breakfast with Geralyn R. Breig
April 16: What's Your Next Move? - Trasferring Your Skill Set
April 23: Changing the Game Awards Luncheon
April 28: Nothing Happens Until You Learn How To Sell Yourself
May 27: Boardroom Breakfast with Sally Susman


Purchase tickets and see full details here:
http://www.awny.org/EventsCalendar.html