Blog of Interest: Leaders In The Know

A fellow WPO member, Anne Pauker Kreitzberg, has started a blog, Leaders In the Know: Reinventing the Practice of Leadership. Anne, who is a New Jersey chapter member, encourages all WPO members (and prospects!) to participate as a guest author, share links to informative content, post comments, and maybe even begin your own blog!

Event of Interest: WPO Chicago Summit (8/9)

Please join us for our "4th Annual WPO Chicago Summit and No-Host Dinner" on Thursday, August 9 from 11:00 a.m - 9:00 p.m. at the IBM Innovation Center. The purpose of the Summit is to learn, grow and celebrate (10-year anniversary) together!

Our special guest speaker will be Cindy Solomon who rocked our world with so many insights at our recent WPO 10th Anniversary Conference in Scottsdale, AZ, that we decided to have her speak again at our private event which brings together WPO members from all three Chicago chapters.

To attend, you must be a WPO Chicago member in good standing. For further information or to register, please contact Laurel Delaney at 773-381-1700 or email her at ldelaney@globetrade.com. You need a special password to access our WPO Chicago Wiki where registration takes place.

Interview of Interest: Two of the Luckiest Guys on the Planet ...

... because they found what they love to do.

What's this? Talking up men on the Women Presidents' Organization Chicago blog? You bet. In case you missed it, this weekend (6/2) the WSJ ran a great interview with Steve Jobs and Bill Gates about how they paved the way for the personal computer revolution. Here's the question that was asked by the audience that I learned the most from:

You approached the same opportunity so very differently. What did you learn about running your own business that you wished you had thought of sooner or thought of first by watching the other guy?

Mr. Gates: I'd give a lot to have Steve's taste -- in terms of intuitive taste, both for people and products. We sat in Mac product reviews where there were questions about software choices, how things would be done, that I viewed as an engineering question -- that's just how my my mind works. And I'd see Steve make the decision based on a sense of people and product that is even hard for me to explain. The way he does things is just different, and I think it's magical.

Mr. Jobs: Because Woz and I started the company based on doing the whole banana, we weren't so good at partnering with people. And, you know, actually, the funny thing is, Microsoft's one of the few companies we were able to partner with that actually worked for both companies. And we weren't so good at that, where Bill and Microsoft were really good at it because they didn't make the whole thing in the early days, and they learned how to partner with people really well.

And I think if Apple could have had a little more of that in its DNA, it would have served it extremely well. And I don't think Apple learned that until a few decades later.

In looking back, what do you wish that you would have thought of sooner and taken action on? Do you feel like the luckiest gal on the planet?

Read more here including another interview, a podcast, other blog entries and transcripts from their talk.

Shortcut: Straight to The Wall Street Journal's D: All Things Digital executive conference.

Sound Advice: Venture Capital Forms

In case you are wondering what is involved when you receive venture capital, these documents are free and created using the “best of breed practices” and, in addition to the Venture Capital community, can be used by entrepreneurs to prepare themselves for the onslaught of due diligence and general paperwork required for almost any financing.

Sound Advice: Pitfalls To Avoid When Operating a Family-Run Business

Family-owned businesses face unique issues—succession planning, marriages and divorces, complicated relationships—as well as routine issues that emerge around turf battles, shareholder control, compensation structures, and processes for strategic decision-making.

Without proper documentation in place to help address these and other issues when they arise, the family-owned business is at risk from an operational, management and financial perspective. Regardless of its legal structure (e.g., corporation, limited liability company, or partnership), the family-owned business can avoid many problems down the line and better position itself for success if relationships between business owners are carefully documented.

Find out more here.

Sound Advice: The Semantics of "Work"

Here's the author's lead:

Workforce Crisis had just been published; my coauthors and I had dedicated the book to our five teenage children.

“Hey, Mom! Do you want to hear something funny?” my then-16-year-old daughter asked. “You guys have just dedicated a book on the workforce to people who never plan to be in it!”

Now, despite what it sounds like, I’m (reasonably) confident that she is not planning a life of leisure. She’s an energetic and ambitious young woman. But whatever the word “workforce” triggers in her mind, it does not describe a club she wants to join.

The ways young people respond to the language of work give us some interesting clues on the preferences of our newest adults.

Read more here. Hint: The most enlightening part is the comment area. What's your reaction?

Sound Advice: How Global Is Your Business?

How global is your business, really? Put your company to the test with Pankaj Ghemawat's Globalization Survey, and after completing it, download a free PDF of his 2006 McKinsey Award-winning article, "Regional Strategies for Global Leadership."

I completed the test and it takes about 8-10 minutes. Very substantial and well-thought out. Make sure you answer all the questions -- otherwise it won't take -- and include an email address (at the beginning) to receive the free PDF article!

The Race To Creativity. Will You Win?

As you know, companies simply can't survive, let alone grow, without ingenuity and originality. UPS (who happens to be a WPO national sponsor!) understands this and today kicked off a program that seeks the best small businesses across the globe -- from Alabama to Argentina and from Zimbabwe to New Zealand.

Dubbed the UPS Best “Out-of-the-Box” Small Business Contest, the program is designed for companies with annual 2006 revenues of at least $250,000 but not more than $10 million -- you do not have to be a WPO member to register -- and is a way for UPS to reward small businesses using creative, innovative ideas and concepts.

Prizes for the winners range from $5,000 to $25,000 in cash, plus an IBM (also a WPO national sponsor) small business package. This is the first year that small businesses from around the world -- not just those in the United States -- are eligible to participate.

I participated in this event last year as a global small business expert panelist and it was a mind-liberating experience. I met so many innovative small business owners and still wear the decorative pin that one of the winners made at her small business.

First, you must register. And there is a special registration area set up for small business owners operating in different parts of the world. For example, if you are located in Canada, register here where all the information is provided in French. If you are selected as a winner, let's plan to connect at the award ceremony. I am always eager to meet the best and brightest idea generators!

Better hurry because contest application period ends September 1. In case you skipped the previous links, begin the online registration process here.

P.S. Just in (5/9) ... I have been asked to be a judge on the program and it's official:

The entries will be judged by an international panel of renowned small business experts, including: Laurel Delaney, President and Founder, Global TradeSource, Ltd.; Joshua Lau, Founder and CEO of YesAsia; Juan Antonio "Oso" Oseguera, editor of Entrepreneur en Español and Hayden Bradshaw, publisher and editor of Enterprise Magazine.

Read the press release here. I am honored and cannot wait. See you there!

Sound Advice: Book of Interest

Ever wonder where successful people get their ideas from and how startups are really created? Well this book, Founders At Work: Stories of Startups' Early Days, by Jessica Livingston will give you the answers you've been searching for and is a must-read. I could not put it down. Out of 32 founders profiled, three are women: Caterina Fake of Flickr, Mena Trott co-founder of Six Apart and Ann Winblad of Open Systems, and Hummer Winblad.

Jessica is a founding partner of Y Combinator, a seed-stage venture firm based in Cambridge, MA, and Mountain View, CA.

If you want to understand business, go buy yourself a copy.

Article of Interest: A Nation of Entrepreneurs

30 years ago, huge corporations dominated the business world. Read about the seismic shifts that turned America into a nation of entrepreneurs.

The late 1970s were a time of bright miniskirts, mirrored disco balls and platform shoes. But the wild changes taking place 30 years ago weren't all in music and fashion.

Inside office suites, workers were learning to type memos into their Altair personal computers while hoping to become an important cog in a big, corporate wheel. But as the 1980s arrived, career goals were shifting for those who found cubicle life stifling and who were bold enough to take risks.

An entrepreneurial age was coming, fueled by social change, new sources of capital and new technologies. While some jumped at the chance to start a business, others were pushed by mass corporate layoffs, mergers and growing anxiety about job security.

Whatever the reason, entrepreneurship has become a popular aspiration.

Donald F. Kuratko, executive director of the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Indiana University in Bloomington, perhaps summed it up best in the Baylor study: Entrepreneurship, he wrote, has emerged over the last two decades as arguably the most potent economic force the world has ever experienced.

Read more of Carol Tice's article here.

Sound Advice: Is Innovation Everything?

In case you missed it, Harvard Business Review announced the 2006 McKinsey Award winners and our keynote speaker at last year's WPO conference in Chicago -- Gary Hamel -- is a winner! Read more here and then visit John Hagel's blog for a commentary on Gary's contribution.

Gary's article in HBR, "The Why, What, and How of Management Innovation," is a available for purchase online.

Event of Interest: WPO 10th Anniversary Conference

More testimonials from our conference in Scottsdale, AZ April 19-21, 2007:

I have to second it. The speakers and workshops were outstanding. My head is still reeling and I am once again reviewing all of my notes. They also did a great job with the food and logistics.

All the speakers were so terrific that I can't really say one was better than another! I'm really glad I did take notes!! And, the sequence of the speakers was terrific ... all the way to the end for banging the drums!

Event of Interest: WPO 10th Anniversary Conference

The first testimonial from a Chicago member regarding last week's conference in Scottsdale, AZ:

Hi all,

I am still reeling from all of the wonderful information the conference offered. It has been such a great decision to join WPO and the conference was well worth the trip. I met so many outstanding ladies – especially those from our three (3) chapters in Chicago!

Some of the things I was most impressed about were:

1. As a former speech teacher, I was so impressed with the common thread of the sessions. In every session I was in, the speaker mentioned another previous speaker’s words whether agreeing or disagreeing and added many good thoughts in as well. Out of all the conferences I have been to, I thought this was a special added bonus that spoke to our group and the enthusiasm the speaker’s clearly felt as well.

2. The quality of the speakers. I have been to conferences where I am reading a book because the sessions are so boring. This was definitely not the case.

3. How warmly I was welcomed and how warmly my mother, who is also my associate, was welcomed. In the opening session we were asked to stand with other mother/daughter teams and I thought that was just great. My mother, all teary-eyed, told me how much that meant to her!

Anyway, thanks to all who met me and I look forward to next year’s conference in Boston!

Kim

Kim Kleeman
President
Shakespeare Squared

More to follow. Stay tuned.

Event of Interest: WPO 10th Anniversary Conference

This week we take off to attend our WPO annual conference in sunny Scottsdale, Arizona (April 19-21) to celebrate ten phenomenal years of learning, growth and success. We hope to see you there!

Read more about the conference here and learn what our founder, Dr. Marsha Firestone, has to say about this special point in time.

News of Interest: President of WPO Receives Signature Award

Marsha Firestone, Ph.D., president and founder of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), has received the 2007 Social Entrepreneur Award by the National Association of Women Business Owners New York City Chapter. The Social Entrepreneur Award recognizes the innovation, resourcefulness and the successful impact made by women in the nonprofit sector who use business methods to find practical solutions to social problems or needs related to their nonprofit organization. Firestone was honored for her dedication and support of the small business community.

Read more here.

Sound Advice: What Your Direct Reports Expect of You

Larry Bossidy, one of my personal favorite leaders (and author of a book I devoured, Execution: The Discipline of Getting Things Done), penned a great article in the current Harvard Business Review entitled, What Your Leader Expects of You. You can download the electronic PDF file for U.S. $6.00 here.

The essence of the article is that success of an executive team depends heavily on the relationships the boss has with his or her direct reports. Yet the leadership literature has had little to say about what is expected in those relationships -- on either side.

Larry Bossidy, formerly the chairman and CEO of Honeywell, and before that of AlliedSignal, shares what he calls "the CEO compact," detailing the behaviors a leader should look for in subordinates and what they should be able to expect in return. A CEO's best people, he says, know these eight points:

1. When a situation calls for them to get involved.
2. They generate ideas -- remembering that some of the best ones may sound crazy at first.
3. They are willing to collaborate, putting the long-term good of the company above short-term goals of their divisions.
4. They step up to lead initiatives, even if the outcome is uncertain.
5. They develop leaders among their people, especially through direct involvement in performance appraisals.
6. They stay current on world events and anticipate how those events may affect the company and its competition.
7. They drive their own growth by exposing themselves to new people and ideas and by accepting demanding assignments.
8. And they sustain these behaviors in bad times as well as good.

On the other side of the compact, the boss should:

a. Provide clarity of direction; set goals and objectives;
b. Give frequent, specific, and immediate feedback;
c. Be decisive and timely;
d. Demonstrate honesty and candor; and ...
e. Offer an equitable compensation plan.

Executives who aren't lucky enough to have such a boss can create a compact with their own subordinates, Bossidy says, and demonstrate by example. The result will be to improve team and company performance and accelerate individual growth.

Are you a leader? Are you grooming your direct reports for leadership?

Commentary of Interest: Female CEOs still rare sight

My colleague Judith Dobrzynski wrote a fabulous commentary -- Female CEOs still rare sight -- that's published in the Chicago Tribune today (3/28).

Find out what's happening in Corporate Chicago with businesswomen and be glad you run a business!

Sound Advice: Entrepreneurship for Everyone

Since entrepreneurs are such significant contributors to our nation’s fiscal health, it is an economic imperative that anyone and everyone seeking to start and grow their own business be given the utmost opportunities to succeed. But in the current environment, minorities and women do not keep pace with the general entrepreneurial population.

The Kauffman Foundation is working to better understand these gaps and to develop programs to help ensure minority and women entrepreneurs are successful. Find out where women stand on entrepreneurial activity, angel investing and capital access here.

Podcast of Interest: CEO of Google Talks About Leading Innovation

Listen to what Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, has to say about leading innovation, entrepreneurship (how you can tell when someone is an entrepreneur!) and career advice.

Interview of Interest: Men Dominate, Women Orchestrate

Author Margaret Heffernan explains how women entrepreneurs are altering the course, and the culture, of business today.

By every conceivable measurement, women continue to comprise one of the fastest growing segments in entrepreneurship. According to the Center for Women's Business Research, between 1997 and 2004, privately held, woman-owned businesses grew at three times the rate of all U.S. privately held firms, and woman-owned businesses created jobs at twice the rate of all other firms.

Furthermore, women did all of this with less than 1% of the venture capital that's invested in small businesses.

Margaret Heffernan, having run five different businesses in the U.S. and Britain, including Icast, Infomation, and Marlin Gas and Trading, has some thoughts on why women are altering the course of business today. In How She Does It: How Women Entrepreneurs Are Changing the Rules of Business (Viking 2007) Heffernan has compiled not only her own wisdom on the subject, but the collective experiences of such successful businesswomen as Geraldine Laybourne of the Oxygen Network and Mona Eliassen of the Eliassen Group to describe what she calls one of the most profound developments in the business world today—the female entrepreneur.

Recently, BusinessWeek.com staff writer Stacy Perman spoke with Heffernan, who is also a visiting professor of entrepreneurship at the Simmons College School of Managemen in Boston. Edited excerpts of their conversation can be found here.

Also noteworthy is that Margaret is one of our keynote speakers at our upcoming WPO conference in Scottsdale April 19-21. Further, I am just finishing up her book and will be talking it up here next week.

News of Interest: Office Depot Businesswoman of the Year is a WPO Chicago Member!

WPO member Francine Manilow, of Manilow Suites, wins Office Depot Businesswoman of the Year in our region. We are very proud of her. This is such a prestigious honor.

Here's what some of her peers had to say after hearing the news:

That is so wonderful and you certainly deserve it! 1000 Congratulations!

You are so deserving! God bless you!

I’m so happy for you! Congratulations!

Congratulations Francine ... WAY TO GO GIRL!

The recognition could not go to anyone who deserves it more than you!

Congratulations! Well deserved!

News release:

Office Depot Awards Francine Manilow, CEO and Founder of Manilow Suites, 2007 Chicago Businesswoman of the Year

Office Depot is proud to honor the Francine Manilow, CEO and Founder of Manilow Suites, as Chicago's 2007 Businesswoman of the Year. Francine was nominated by Office Depot's supporting professional women's association, Women Presidents' Organization, in recognition of her exceptional leadership, entrepreneurial spirit and support for women in business.

Francine was the first person in the United States to offer upscale short-term housing incorporating hotel services, numerous amenities and flexibility with arrival and departure dates. Manilow Suites offers beautiful apartments in 12 luxury high-rise buildings within the downtown Chicago area. In March 2007, the company will celebrate its 27th anniversary.

When she was 15 years old, Francine began her career with the formation of the International Van Cliburn Music Club to promote classical music among young adults. There were 15 chapters in the U.S. and numerous chapters throughout the world including Japan, Bangkok, London and Paris. In 1966, she formed her first corporation, employing stewardesses to work exhibit booths at trade shows in 16 different cities. She was also the first to offer secretarial services for the exhibitors at the trade shows with only the help of her little desk, two chairs, a typewriter and a small copy machine. Today, exhibit halls offer elaborate business centers.

From there, she was the first in Chicago to offer 24-hour film developing and then same-day film developing through various retail outlets. Francine also formed the largest company which provided housewives to offer food tasting in supermarkets on the weekends. Along the way, she acquired a stock photo company called "Piles and Files of Photos."

The award will be presented to Francine at Office Depot's Success Strategies for Businesswomen Conference in Chicago on Wednesday, March 20, 2007 at the Wyndham O'Hare. For more information or to register, visit www.officedepotsuccess.com

###

Please join us in celebrating Francine's award on March 20th at the Office Depot Conference in Chicago. WPO will be represented by Sheila Liao of Pointe International. Please look for the WPO table, Sheila and of course, Francine! See you there.

Sound Advice: Books to Build Your Business

Here's what we are reading:

Made to Stick (featured and it's my absolute favorite this year!)

The Long Tail

The Definitive Drucker (a must-read)

The Three Tensions

Cut to the Chase: and 99 Other Rules to Liberate Yourself and Gain Back the Gift of Time

Article of Interest: Catfight in the Boardroom

I was reading the latest edition of Psychology Today last night and stumbled upon the article "Catfight in the Boardroom." Whether it's reality or perception, says Judith Sills, Ph.D., office pressures can make women uncooperative.

While digesting the information, I could not help but think how different the author's perspective is versus what we experience day-to-day at WPO. For example, the article begins with:

A gentleman complained recently that, though his private club had committed itself to increasing female membership, the admissions committee had thus far been unsuccessful. "No matter which woman is proposed," he said, "some other woman blackballs her."

Let me ask you this: Do you think a woman's worst workplace enemy is another woman? Do you think women hold other women back?

I don't. And at WPO, we are all about helping other businesswomen succeed. But read the article yourself and let us know what you think.

News of Interest: Enterprising Women of the Year Awards

And two of the winners are Chicago members! Congratulations to Linda and Shelly! Read more about the winners here.

Event of Interest: Affiliates Reception

Please join us at the National Association of Women Business Owners Chicago Area for their Affiliates Reception, February 22, 2007 from 5:30-8:00 p.m.


Details as follows:

Maggiano's Little Italy
516 N. Clark Street
Chicago

Participating Organization Members: $40
General Public: $55

Register online here or call 312-609-1300.

See you there and look for the Women Presidents' Organization (WPO) table!

Speech of Interest: Women on the World Symposium

Today, women are uniquely positioned to benefit from the strength of our country's economy, which is the envy of the world.

We are contributing to our nation's economy in so many ways. Women-owned businesses are growing at twice the rate of businesses owned by men. And small businesses are very important to workers and to the U.S. economy. Two-thirds of the new jobs created in this country in the last decade have been created by small businesses.

And women are playing an increasingly important role in public life. Over the past six years, President George W. Bush has appointed a record number of women to high level positions in his Administration, including five women to his current Cabinet. Today, the U.S. Senate has 16 women and the U.S. House of Representatives has 71 women. And to date, women have been elected statewide to executive offices in 49 out of our nation's 50 states. And there are 1,734 women state legislators.

This Administration supports many initiatives to help women succeed and balance work and family life. All of us have something in common, regardless of which position we hold. In any survey of working women, one of the most sought-after benefits is time: time to care for a child, or a loved one, or other important family matters.

Read more of this speech given by Secretary Elaine L. Chao, here.

Blog Post of Interest: Love Thine Enemy?

Do you want your competitors to thrive? Do you welcome their presence at industry trade shows, social situations or even in the reception area calling on the same customer? Read this provocative blog entry posted by Tom Peters. See what 56 other people had to say about it. While you're there, add your own opinion. Maybe you will reconsider the power of love, especially with your competitors.

Illustration courtesy of GapingVoid.

Event of Interest: Linking Professionals to Nonprofit Boards (3/8)

Join The University of Chicago Women's Business Group -- a WPO partner -- for an evening of networking on March 8 with representatives of Chicago-area and national nonprofit organizations and other Chicago professionals. Explore how your skills and interests will satisfy the needs of these organizations.

The speaker this year is Deborah R. Card, President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

In the past they’ve had over 300 participants at this event and dozens of nonprofit organizations represented.

UCWBG Members: $60, Non-Members $80

For more information and to register, go here.

Article of Interest: Cross-Cultural Study of Entrepreneurs Has Surprising Findings

Do you think gender affects the revenues, growth, and profits of new ventures?

Find out here. Surprise. Surprise.

And I emailed the author, Corydon Ireland, to let him know about the Women Presidents' Organization. I also don't agree with all his findings. See what you think and let us know.

Article of Interest: The Best Boss For These Women? Themselves!

Ambitious young women (such as Emily Fitzgerald pictured) today are striking out on their own by starting their own businesses (and eventually joining WPO I might add!), and each day, a few more join their ranks.

They make up a good portion of the economic pie that embodies young, energetic entrepreneurs in this 21st century. In fact, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration, 10.6 million businesses across the United States are women-owned. These small businesses employ a large number of workers and contribute $2.3 trillion dollars in sales annually.

According to a study by UCLA's Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, one out of every 11 women in the nation is a business owner, and they account for almost half of all privately held firms.

While women-owned businesses have become a major economic force, their creation and growth can be bittersweet to the women running them. Passion and hard work are just two elements necessary for a business' success, but there are myriad other reasons some women-owned businesses succeed and others fail.

The Midwest (that's us!) is no stranger to women-owned businesses.

Read more, here.

IdeaCast: Brought To You By Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School Publishing’s online editorial director Paul Michelman sits down with Chris Trimble, co-author, with Vijay Govindarajan, of Ten Rules for Strategic Innovators: From Idea to Execution. As Trimble explains, even world-class companies, with powerful and proven business models, eventually discover limits to their growth. That’s what makes the ongoing process of strategic innovation so important.

But constructing tomorrow’s businesses while simultaneously sustaining excellence in today’s competitive environment demands a delicate balance. Trimble helps us understand the barriers faced by strategic innovators and how to get around them.

Listen here.

Report of Interest: Intuit Future of Small Business Report

The face of small business will dramatically change in 2017 as seasoned baby boomers, kids fresh out of high school, mid-career women, "mompreneurs" and new immigrants come together to create the most diverse pool of entrepreneurs ever. Those are among the key findings of the groundbreaking Intuit Future of Small Business Report(TM), a unique study that looks forward 10 years and examines the prospects, influences and profiles of small business.

Press release is here.

BusinessWeek article here.

Download report here.

Sound Advice: Can Focusing Too Much on the Competition Harm Profitability?

It is a common practice of many companies to focus their attention on grabbing market share from their competitors. But such efforts can actually be detrimental to the firm's profitability, according to Wharton marketing professor J. Scott Armstrong.

For years, Armstrong has been conducting research showing that competitor-oriented objectives, such as setting market-share targets, are counterproductive. After co-authoring a paper in 1996 that reached this conclusion, he and a different co-author, Kesten C. Green of Monash University in Australia, have written another paper summarizing 12 new studies that add additional weight to the original conclusion. Their study is titled, "Competitor-oriented Objectives: The Myth of Market Share."

Read more here and then ask yourself, "Has your objective always been to beat your competitor?"

Article of Interest: Smart Startup Ideas for '07

It's never too late to be where the action is. Check out this article where experts pinpoint emerging trends and tell entrepreneurs planning their next ventures which opportunities to consider.

If it's too much to digest at once, skip to the part at the end that reads: Click here for a slide show on nine-promising small-business opportunities on and off the Web. That will get you where you need to be.

Article of Interest: Women Entrepreneurs and Risk

Do you think women lack ambition?

Read the article, see what you think and weigh-in with your comments.

Article of Interest: Growing A Business Is Difficult, But Satisfying

Women face substantial handicaps, even self-imposed ones, and some advantages when they own businesses. Here's a snapshot from the article:

Of the roughly 23 million privately owned businesses in the U.S., just more than 1 million of them generate $1 million in sales or more, says Erin Fuller, executive director of the National Association of Women Business Owners. Of those companies, something like 850,000 are owned by men, and around 250,000 are owned by women, she said.

Learn more, here.

What Is Your Dream?

We know Dr. Martin Luther King's:
I Have A Dream.

Does your dream embrace courage? Have hope in the face of despair? Live up to your ideals?

If not, then start over to build a better you, a better business and better life for all.

Sound Advice: Management Innovation

Gary Hamel, our keynote speaker for the WPO Chicago Conference 2006, is back bigger and bolder than ever.

Here he talks about twelve noteworthy management innovations from 1900 - 2000. You'll also find a PowerPoint slide toolkit that you can download. If that's not enough, order his recent HBR article that was considered one of the must reads in 2006. And while you are at it, ask yourself this: Are you applying any of the innovation techniques he mentions to your business?

Report of Interest: Global Entrepreneurship Monitor

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor is the largest and longest-standing globally focused entrepreneurship research. Researchers from Babson College, the London Business School, and a university team for each participating country, explore the role of entrepreneurship in national economic growth. More than 200 scholars and researchers are currently participating in the GEM project. The results of GEM data analysis are used as a key benchmarking indicator by a number of distinguished regional, national and supranational authorities around the world.

GEM’s unique ability to provide information on the entrepreneurial landscape of countries in a global context makes its data a necessary resource for any serious attempt to study and track entrepreneurial behavior worldwide. GEM’s renewed vision will allow researchers to further increase their ability to educate policy makers and make a difference in our economies.

Click here to download the report.

Blog Post of Interest: Tom Peters Sounds Off

A great post by our friend Tom Peters. Bottom line: "Put women leaders in charge!" And one of the authors he mentions is Marti Barletta who will be speaking at our annual conference in Scottsdale, AZ in April! Read more here on Tom telling it like it is.

Sound Advice: Einstein Is Right

May 2007 be disciplined, committed, and focused on fearless growth.

Best wishes from all of us at the Women Presidents' Organization!

Article of Interest: New Small-Biz Agendas in Congress

Seven incoming members of Congress with entrepreneurial experience, and the presumptive chair of the House Small Business Committee, Nydia Velázquez, discuss what to expect. Read all about it here.

Season's Greetings

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season
with happiness and prosperity
throughout the new year.

Books of Interest: Recommended Reading on the Secrets of Success

It's becoming a rite of passage for retired or ousted chief executives to publish their memoirs, touting their leadership acumen and detailing their rise to the corner office. Here's a review of eight books that will challenge the way you think about leadership, risk-taking and self-knowledge -- and how those themes shape success and failure later in life.

What are you currently reading to clear your path for success?

Books That Analyze Secrets of Success

Article of Interest: Evaluating and Selecting a Strategic Partner

For effective strategic partner recruitment, the author recommends an eight-step plan, which includes identifying your target market, developing partner selection criteria, and developing an alliance plan with a selected partner.

Step One: Clearly define and validate your market.

Read more here.

Article of Interest: Gratitude At Work

Gratitude is not just a "feel good" emotion when it comes to organizational life. When an employee believes his or her superiors are grateful for his or her work, the employee will benefit by having an improved sense of worth to the organization. This improved sense of worth can lead to performance improvement, thereby benefiting the organization.

Hint: A person expressing gratitude benefits from that expression, which also may positively impact the organization. For instance, research has shown that persons who are genuinely grateful may be more optimistic, experience improved health, and perhaps even have extended life spans.

Gratefulness matters. Find out why here.

Books of Interest: Best Business Books 2006

Taken as a whole, the Best Business Books of 2006, assembled into eleven categories by the folks at strategy+business (Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.), reflect the political, social, technological, and economic churn that is reshaping the way business is done. Find out why here and start reading. Requires brief registration but it's worth it.

Sneak peek at the "future" category:

Yochai Benkler,
The Wealth of Networks: How Social Production Transforms Markets and Freedom
(Yale University Press, 2006)

Henry Jenkins,
Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide
(New York University Press, 2006)

Robert Neuwirth,
Shadow Cities: A Billion Squatters, A New Urban World
(Routledge, 2005)

AnnaLee Saxenian,
The New Argonauts: Regional Advantage in a Global Economy
(Harvard University Press, 2006)

Tim Flannery,
The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth
(Atlantic Monthly Press, 2005)

Sound Advice: Opinions Can Be Powerful Sales Tools

When online gardening retailer Burpee.com began asking customers to post reviews of the products they purchased, company management imagined it would take several months to collect enough reviews to help boost the site's business. But they reaped some positive results much sooner than they expected. Find out how here.

Opinions Can Be Powerful Sales Tools.

It only seems fitting to now ask you ... how we are doing? Take one-minute to let us know.

Report of Interest: Ladies First

This is the first special report from SmartMoney.com on eleven successful women business owners, including Bobbi Brown (pictured) who offer advice to women looking to start a business. They highlight their accomplishments, while underscoring some of the obstacles they've faced. Their compelling stories offer all entrepreneurs inspiration and a road map to success.

Worth the read. Advice from some of America's most successful female entrepreneurs.

News: Marsha Firestone Finalist for E&Y Award

Marsha Firestone, Ph.D. (pictured), president of our Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), was recognized as a national finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2006 awards in the Supporter of Entrepreneurship category. Marsha was among three finalists selected from approximately 300 regional award winners by an independent panel of judges.

She was cited for her work as president and founder of the WPO, which connects top women entrepreneurs at the million and multimillion-dollar level ($2 million in gross annual sales or $1 million for service-based business) for greater personal and professional success.

Read more here.

Survey of Interest: Small Biz Spirits High

Entrepreneurs are increasingly exuberant about the U.S. economy, according to a monthly survey released this morning from credit card outfit Discover, a unit of Morgan Stanley.

According to the survey, called the Discover Small Business Watch, owners' confidence in the economy rose for the fourth straight month (see results below). Because small businesses represent such a large chunk of the economy, their owners' sentiments can signal good or bad things to come.

To take entrepreneurs' collective pulse, Discover -- with the help of Rasmussen Reports -- polled 1,000 randomly selected small businesses, each with no more than five employees. The result is a confidence index, calculated by assigning weights to the answers to the following six consistent questions. In November, the index jumped ten points, to 130.

1. Are economic conditions for your business better or worse?

2. Have you had temporary cash flow problems in the last 90 days?

3. Next few months, will you be hiring more, laying off or no change?

4. How would you rate the economy these days?

5. Generally, are economic conditions getting better or worse?

6. Over the next six months, will your company increase or decrease spending on business development activities?

Find out whether you are keeping the holiday biz blahs at bay here.

A Word From WPO Headquarter Office

What we're thankful for.

And a special thank you to those of you who have so generously supported us on a local level in Chicago. Happy Thanksgiving!

Video of Interest: Funding Your Dream

Find out what venture capitalists have to say about funding a dream -- from how many deals they have done to how long your business plan should be to what mistakes entrepreneurs make when presenting.

It's all here on video.

Article of Interest: The Art of the Barter

A growing number of Web sites are trying to lure small firms and independent contractors to swap goods and services. Does your firm barter? If so, how?

Online Sites Promote The Art of the Barter.

News: Weekly Informational "Marsha Minutes"

Want a minute with our founder, Dr. Marsha Firestone? Well now you've got it! Find out more here.

News: ATHENA Award Luncheon Recipient (11/6)

I had the honor of serving on the 2006 ATHENA Award Selection Committee and attending the luncheon today. What an amazing group of gifted women. Here's the list of nominees:

• Cheryl Burton, Anchor/Reporter, ABC 7 Chciago, WLS-TV
• Julie Murphy Casserly, Owner, President, JMC Wealth Management
• Eileen Durkn, CEO, Neumann Association
• Janet Froetscher, President and CEO, United Way of Metropolitan Chicago
• Susan Fullman, Corporate Vice President, Director, Consumer Solutions and Innovation, Motorola
• Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, Area Managing Partner, Tax Services, KPMG, LLP
• Judy McCaskey, Board Chairperson, State Treasurer's Advisory Board for Women's Issues
• Sarah Pang, Senior Vice President, CNA Corporate Communications
• Alice Peterson, President, Syrus Global

And the award winner is ... Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, Area Managing Partner, Tax Services, KPMG, LLP! She is shown second from the right on the stage. Click on the picture to get a closer look.

On behalf of the Women Presidents' Organization, congratulations to all the nominess and in particular to Kathy for her well-deserved honor.

For more information on ATHENA International and how to get involved, click here.

Event Reminder: Chicago Athena Award Luncheon (11/6)

ATHENA Award Recipients are individuals who:

• Demonstrate excellence, creativity, and initiative in their business or profession.

• Provide valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community.

• Actively assist women in realizing their full leadership potential.

Find out who becomes the next award recipient on Monday, November 6 at the Palmer House Hilton Hotel. Startup time is 11:30 a.m. For more information visit: Athena International Organization.

The Women Presidents' Organization is a proud partner to ATHENA International. We hope to see you there!