Are You a Spanning Leader?

According to Wanda Wallace, a spanning leader is a manager who, rather than leading from deep expertise, are adept at managing outside of boundaries.

Ms. Wallace has learned that specialist employees can resist a boss who knows less than they do. But working through a pain point can turn things around.

For example, maybe you are a sharp finance CEO working with a team of creatives.  Or, perhaps your strength is marketing but you must manage a group of engineers to get a client project off the ground.

So when employees cry out for expert leadership but you as spanning leader know you can’t provide it, how can you make things work?

Read on to find out.

REMINDER: 16th Annual WPO Chicago Summit 9/12/19

16th Annual WPO Chicago Summit 2019

Please join us for our exciting 16th Annual WPO Chicago Summit on Thursday, September 12 on "Artificial Intelligence (AI):  What It Is and Why It Matters for Your Business" and hosted at IBM (71 S. Wacker Drive) from 1:30-7:30 p.m. Central Time.  This event is a private event for members and sponsors only.  We have a great lineup of outstanding speakers:  Sue Hallen, IBM, Ann Yeung, Northwestern Mutual, and Dale Miller, Visionati.com.

Special thanks to our dynamic Steering Committee members highlighted in the graphic for their assistance on this program and to our wonderful sponsors to WPO!

To find out whether your business qualifies for WPO membership, visit here.  If you are interested in becoming a WPO Chicago chapter member, send me [Laurel Delaney] a LinkedIn invite and we'll get the dialog and process going.

Mia Allen Moves the World and Helps Others

Rose Pallets Vice president and co-owner Mia Allen (pictured) joined the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO Chicago) and the International Association of Women (IAW) because she felt a need to connect with growth-oriented women execs and business owners. Through her involvement, she is able to share business expertise and learn from fellow women business leaders.

She recently sat down with Guy Gruenberg to discuss her participation in these organizations and how it has benefited the company, her employees, and her customers.

Read the interview:  How Women Executives Move the World and Each Other

Fav program through WPO Chicago?

"I really enjoyed the Women Presidents’ Organization Chicago Summit last fall at Radio Flyer’s home office on Chicago’s west side. The program was focused on building a great company culture. All of the women in attendance were there with the same purpose—to learn from each other and gain ideas to foster employee happiness for better company performance.  And, I must admit, it was pretty cool to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the making of one of childhood’s most beloved icons—the Little Red Wagon."