Queen Elizabeth II, who died 9/8/22 at age 96, was the longest-reigning woman in history and a role model for many female leaders. Her work and approach to the role has already influenced many women in politics (and in business), and some of the politicians shared how she has inspired their work throughout the years.
Monday, September 26, 2022
Leading By Example Can Still Be Powerful
Monday, September 19, 2022
How Chicago-based Bluedog Design Made It to the Top, Twice
How did Bluedog do it? What can we all learn from the founder and CEO of Bluedog, Michelle Hayward?
Well she certainly cuts to the chase when she addresses the reporter's first question:
If you had to name one thing as the reason you're a best place to work, what would it be?
Curious? So was I. So glad I read the entire interview.
(Screenshot photo courtesy of Crain's Chicago Business feature article 9/14/22.)
Monday, September 12, 2022
The Ultimate Success: 19th Annual WPO Chicago Summit on 9/8/22!
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| ©2022 Laurel J. Delaney. All rights reserved. |
We appreciate Susan sharing her insights on how to scale a business, take it public, and maintain a company culture.
Special thanks to Foley & Lardner, Ellen Wheeler and Lauren Loew, for their amazing assistance on this program. We could not have done it without their help and their assistant's help. It takes a village to put a successful program on.
Monday, September 05, 2022
Lead With Purpose
Dr. Choi says:
"One way I lead with purpose is—I try very hard when I'm in a leadership role to listen as much as, and actually more than, I talk. That has taken a lot of work and I won't claim to be perfect at it. But, I do feel that is one way I try to lead with purpose because, ultimately, the best leaders care less about the title and position, and care more about being able to support and represent the people for whom they hold a leadership role."
She goes on to say, "You can't support people unless you really understand where they're at and what they're experiencing and going through. Part of leading with purpose, in addition to trying to be as active and supportive a listener as possible, is to take a look around at the table—whether it’s the table one is sitting at, or the figurative table of one’s professional network or thinking about who has preceded me—and identify who hasn’t yet had the chance to have a voice at that table, and determine what I can do to then make sure that people who haven’t yet been represented will be in the future."
Read the full interview – you will appreciate a very sound perspective from Dr. Choi on how we can lead with purpose and achieve equity in our world.
Monday, August 29, 2022
Monday, August 22, 2022
Growing As a Leader: Sandy Marsico, founder and CEO of Sandstorm
"Ten years ago I became a member of the Women Presidents Organization to help scale my agency. Not only has Sandstorm Design gone through explosive growth, but I have personally grown as a leader thanks to Laurel Delaney and this group!
Just this week, fellow WPO board member, Ida Abdalkhani and I interviewed each other on the impact WPO has made on our business and our life.
The team at PNC made the entire day so much fun! And to be on camera with such a great friend made it even more memorable!"
Learn more here.
Monday, August 15, 2022
Chapter Chairs Are the Heart and Soul of WPO
"I always say the chapter chairs are the heart and soul of WPO. I cannot express how wonderful it was for my heart and soul to be in Denver with them at our annual chapter chair training. WPO chairs traveled from all over the US, Canada, South Africa, UK, Mexico, Turkey, Peru and Spain for 3 days of learning, sharing expertise and facilitating greatness in each other.
I am so proud of the work these incredible women do to create a safe space for women business owners to grow and thrive. I have had countless women over the years tell me that WPO changed their life. It is with the utmost gratitude that I acknowledge our chairs for all of the lives and businesses they have changed and will continue to change."
Read her LinkedIn post here.
Monday, August 08, 2022
Policies Your Workers Value
Some of the creative benefits offered by companies on Inc.'s 2022 list of Best Workplaces include, but are not limited to:
- Access to parenting coaches
- Work-life balance specialists
- Handyman services
So what perks do workers want that they don't have today? You will not believe. Read on to learn more.
Monday, August 01, 2022
Great Leaders Are Self Aware
Great leaders are self-aware and able to objectively assess whether they’re setting a good example for the rest of the team to follow. By first modeling the behavior they want to see in their team members, leaders will be that much closer to having a fully engaged team in good times and in bad.
Here are some ways leaders can better connect with their teams, encourage collaborative leadership, and inspire team members to do their very best work.
Monday, July 25, 2022
Building An Inquiry Driven Culture
So, what is it about asking questions that makes leaders spontaneously do so quickly what no carefully designed manual or process manages to do? Go with Pia's train of thought and take a look at the ideas that make up the magical question triangle – and in the process learn about building an inquiry-driven culture.
Monday, July 18, 2022
Luci Creative is Exclusive Design Partner for the New Adams Presidential Center
Luci Creative, the award-winning experiential design studio, is delighted to announce its selection as the exclusive exhibition design partner for the new Adams Presidential Center to be built in Quincy, Massachusetts. Luci Creative has distinguished itself as a developer of award-winning interactive, state-of-the-art, and dynamic exhibitions and spaces that allow visitors to connect to an organization's purpose.
Screenshot source: Luci Creative
Monday, July 11, 2022
Do You Have Consistency of Interest and Perseverance of Effort?
It’s not just about being “resilient in the face of failure, but also about having deep commitments that you remain loyal to over many years,” says Duckworth.
The idea that grit is fundamental to long-term success sounds sensible enough. Keep doing what you’re doing, stay on task, be passionate, don’t give up and you will ultimately be rewarded.
Read on though to see how you can change your life from time to time to achieve a greater chance of success.
Monday, July 04, 2022
Explosive Growth By WPO Chicago Member Shital Daftari
Learn more here and while you are at it, sign up for EW's upcoming conference. An event you won't want to miss.
Monday, June 27, 2022
Friction Sharpens Creative Ideas
My personal favorite is:
1. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE
One thing we talked about is how in big companies, you often get to collaborate with global team members who may bring a very different perspective from your local team. And when you’re working with people from Amsterdam and London and Boston and Bangalore, these varied perspectives can certainly create friction. And friction sharpens creative ideas.
Monday, June 20, 2022
Creating Equity and Sustainability Starts with Deep Work
I am not just a founder of a company working to create equity and sustainability in corporate procurement. I am also someone who grew up in a low-income household with a single biracial mom, and I experienced firsthand a harmful level of competition among people in need.
Further:
Legitimate empowerment starts with deep work—the kind that doesn't come with hashtags. Ensure your organization has the courage to do the work and bring truly viable solutions to your community.
Monday, June 13, 2022
Take a Break to Strategize
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Two years later she is still running her online company and generating more than a $1 million in revenue.
How did things change? Instead of giving up, she took a break to strategize. This she did by watching several videos of entrepreneurs and reading business articles. Had she found WPO, she would have grown faster but nevertheless, she made it to a million.
Read on to discover how she won the hearts and mind of total strangers to grow her business.
Monday, June 06, 2022
Pay Your Employees to Quit?
Monday, May 30, 2022
Peer Coaching At Your Business
Amid the current challenges, there are steps organizations can take to facilitate and encourage the formation of work relationships. One of the key methods for empowerment is peer coaching, a process in which two colleagues help each other reflect on experiences, offer support, build skills, and match their work to their sense of purpose.
It has been reported that the loss of work friendships is likely one reason so many people are choosing to leave their jobs.
To build the kinds of relationships that strengthen an organization—especially in an era of remote and hybrid work—businesses must be proactive. As the authors of the article for strategy+business says, "By giving employees the tools to develop relationships on their own, businesses can reap tremendous benefits—and build a stronger long-term future."
Monday, May 23, 2022
Own Your Power
As women entrepreneurs, don't we at least want to be successful? Don't we also want to achieve our goals? Having some power sounds good, too. Isn't that why we became entrepreneurs — to have success, be empowered and achieve our goals — just like our male counterparts?
Here's some powerful advice for new women entrepreneurs desire to become multimillion dollar business owners.
Monday, May 16, 2022
How Leaders Can Navigate Difficult Situations
So who can help executives navigate these difficult situations? The author, Brad Broken, says:
I’ve come to the conclusion that having a second-in-command on a team, no matter the team’s size, was a defining feature of a mission’s success.





















