News of Interest: Next Level Learning

More often than not during WPO chapter sessions members claim when running their businesses that they just need to get out of their own way to move the company ahead.

Is that you, too? If it is, you might find the new initiatives offered by the Women's Entrepreneurship Institute (WEI) and the New York Times Knowledge Network of value.

For more information, read the press release here.

Article of Interest: New Breed of Business Gurus Rises

On May 6th, we sent out the following message privately to all WPO Chicago members:

Many of you participated in the WPO annual conference in Chicago 2006 when we had Gary Hamel as our keynote speaker. According to yesterday's WSJ article he continues to be ranked No. 1 as an author, consultant and key influential business thinker.

And for those who had the opportunity to attend this year's conference in Boston with Malcolm Gladwell, he's featured as No. 4 on the list.

The question becomes and the article points this out ... where are the women?

Afterwards, I followed up with the author of the article, Erin White, and mentioned how I had the great privilege of listening to Gary Hamel, Jim Collins and Malcolm Gladwell at WPO annual conferences over the past three years and that I am glad she asked the question, where are the women? I ended my message with "please remember my name" for perhaps some day I might be a part of the list (gutsy, I know).

I think we should all strive to make the A-list of business gurus, don't you?

This morning (5/10), I received an email from the top publicist at Babson College asking me if I care to comment on a professor's post regarding the same article.

Anyone else care to weigh in?

P.S. Rosabeth M. Kanter (pictured) is the only woman who made the list in 2003.

NOTE: Added 5/19/08:
The Dearth of Female "Management Gurus"

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

More, more, more on our fabulous Boston conference.

Pictured is Marc Lautenbach, General Manager of the Americas, IBM, addressing attendees in the America Ballroom at the Westin Copley Place on the changing nature of innovation for a globalized economy. He sees new technologies leading to the connectedness of everything.

My notes from one of his presentation slides indicates:

"Global integration is the new playing field ... and innovation is the way you win the game."

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

Speaker, blogger, author and entrepreneur-extraordinaire Marilynn Mobley, Senior Vice President, Strategic Counsel at Edelman, considered the absolute best public relations firm on the face of the earth, gave a knock'm dead presentation at our conference on how to generate great ideas that drive innovation.

Marilynn continues to achieve standing-room only audiences (this is her third talk for WPO) because she has a way of captivating the audience with her knowledge and presentation skills. People arrive early to ensure they get in and they never seem to get enough of her despite the fact she's usually on for a good hour or two. Even I return to hear her presentations not once but twice (hence the very poor photo I took of her) because I know I will always miss a golden nugget of wisdom from her.

She really WOW'd us. Here's a post from Kristin Chessman at WomenEntrepreneur.com telling all about Marilynn's talk (scan to: Innovative Ideas to Reach Your Audience) and take a glimpse at some of the marvelous things Marilynn had to say (much nicer picture of her here I might add) about her WPO experience.

And rest assure that I am going to do everything in my power to see that Marilynn gets a main stage act at our 2009 conference in San Diego April 23-25th so everyone can be comfortably seated and experience her brilliance. She's worth it.

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

Were it not for our WPO founder, Dr. Marsha Firestone (pictured), none of this would be made possible.

Our thanks to Marsha and her team for putting on an absolutely amazing conference.

Read about the chat WomenEntrepreneur.com blogger Kristen Chessman had with Marsha under the title of Chatting With Marsha Firestone.

Stay tuned ... more still coming on our WPO conference in Boston!

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

We have returned from an exhilarating conference and will continue to blog about it.

Ms. Sung-Joo Kim (pictured), Chairperson & CEO, Sungjoo Group/MCM Group (provider of our fashionable conference bag), gave a very inspiring keynote on "Women's Strengths: 21st Century Competitiveness."

Her success is largely attributed to her ability to innovate -- as a designer, as a businesswoman, and as the re-inventor of world-renowned brands including Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel and Marks & Spencer.

We learned her secrets on how to think and innovate in the midst of our ever-changing and highly competitive global marketplace in order to build a successful empire.

News of Interest: WPO Boston Conference Update

Yesterday was magnificent listening to Malcolm Gladwell's presentation on, "Learning From Picasso and Cezanne: Ways of Understanding Creativity," covering two great creative geniuses who may seem similar but are really quite different in terms of how long it took them (approach) to become great masters of work.

Gladwell described conceptual innovators as individuals with one BIG, bold revolutionary idea, offering a brand new way of doing something and who are more than capable of executing on it. These innovators, as Gladwell pointed out, "know how to express something easily. BOOM! They are a success."

What a wonderful presentation -- giving us much to think about in terms of how we grow our businesses.

Read more about our conference here.

News of Interest: In Boston Attending WPO Conference!

Our conference is set to begin shortly with our founder, Dr. Marsha Firestone, giving opening remarks and keynote speaker Malcolm Gladwell (pictured) is up first to address a crowd that is expected to be more than 600 members, sponsors, supporters and facilitators of the Women Presidents' Organization.

Will be reporting more, later. Stay tuned. And check out WomenEntrepreneur.com who is reporting (blogging) live about our conference.