Women's Leadership Forum 2011

I thought I would kick off my first post with a reflection on the Women's Leadership Forum 2011 that occurred today, November 3rd, at the Microsoft NERD Center in Cambridge, MA. I'll start off by admitting that I really didn't know how much this event would impact me. As a technology staffing consultant, I've been to tons and tons and tons of networking events and panel events in and around Boston over the last couple of years, and so far I can only think of one or two that have exceeded my expectations. On the other hand, I always give everything and everyone a fair chance before making my judgements so let's just say that my attitude was cautiously optimistic. I want to say that this event was AWESOME. And by AWESOME, I mean AWESOME. From the speakers to the event hosts to the attendees, every single person I met was confidant, eager, graceful, and overflowing with "oomph". It certainly left me wanting more.

The event highlighted various women thought leaders in the community who have impacted and inspired the younger generations around them. These thought leaders included Suzanne Bates, CEO of Bates Communications, Jennifer Hayes, Managing Director of Microsoft Research New England, and Jill Becker, CEO of Cambridge NanoTech. The panels and breakout sessions addressed relevant issues that women face today which included how we encourage women to enter the science and technology fields; how to rise to the top by building powerful relationships, courtesy of Suzanne Bates; and finally how we can distinguish ourselves in the community by following our passions. It was a room filled with powerful women who want nothing more but to pass the torch and inspire the next generation to continue on their path.

The event concluded with a "fireside chat" with Carol Fulp, SVP of Corporate Responsibility from John Hancock. This by far was the icing on a very delicious and rich cake. Simply put: Carol is an ambassador of the community. Not just the Boston community, but the world. She was appointed by President Obama to serve at the United Nations, has built an all girls school in Rwanda, and traveled to Louisiana to help Hurricane Katrina victims. She's also won several awards for her transformational leadership ability. But at the end of the day, Carol was authentic and down to earth and furthermore, inspirational. Carol focused her talk on following your passion and becoming a leader through the community. She believes that one cannot be a CEO or just a leader in general without intimately knowing and embracing the community around you. Carol also emphasized the importance of diversity within companies. She quoted Hillary Clinton twice, "Empowering women is not the right thing to do; it's the smart thing to do." Her point was that having a company or a board or executive level leadership that is multi-dimensional will only allow your organization to stay relevant and at its intellectual and evolutionary peak. Beyond anything else, she challenged everyone in the audience to take our abilities and pass it on to the next generation. She said we are not true leaders unless we pass the torch; we must inspire those around us to be curious, seek guidance from mentors, and take risks. We are not doing our job as leaders unless we empower these younger up and coming women.

As I reflect on the day, I can once again say it left me wanting more. I have never left a conference or a networking event or a panel feeling so energetic or inspired to go out and do more. It got me thinking about all the things I've thought about doing but maybe have never pursued. It got me thinking about how much more value I can be adding to the community whether it's volunteering at a local school or a local shelter or simply "connecting people" through my job. I can certainly say that I've had several people in my life who have "passed the torch" to me and have given me all the tools and the wisdom to be successful. Now, for me, it's about giving back to someone else. As a leader in the community, I owe that to the younger generations as well as all the mentors who have inspired me to be bold, and to take risks, and beyond anything else, follow my heart.

I hope this post leaves you thinking and evaluating what you do every day or every week to inspire someone around you.