Working to Be a Leader

It is truly an honor to be able to be part of programs targeted to audiences that span the career cycle.  Last week, I moderated a panel during the “Pearls of Wisdom” Women in Business Conference at Baruch College where I teach.  On Tuesday, March 23, I moderated a panel of outstanding women in their fields for the Employee Assistance Professional Association (EAPA)-NYC monthly meeting.  Since March is Women’s History Month, the EAPA-Women’s Issues Committee is invited to develop the program and take center stage.  Lynda Johnson, my Co-Chair of the Committee, and I came up with the topic, “It’s Not Over Yet!  You Still Have a Chance:  Resilience and Reinvention in the Older Worker.”

The panelists addressed how to remain relevant, successful, and satisfied in an evolving career; investments in nips and tucks to stay looking young; and the legal implications of aging in the workplace.  And we had just the right professionals  on our panel to talk about these topics:  Jane Cranston, Managing Director, Executive Coach NY and Great Job in Tough Times; Wendy Lewis, President, Wendy Lewis & Co., a global aesthetics consultant who is popularly known in the media at “The Knife Coach” and is founder of a the popular website called BeautyintheBag.com; and Doris Traub, of Traub & Traub PC, Esquire, who has devoted her thirty-year career as a lawyer to advocating on behalf of employees who have faced workplace discrimination.

Leigh, Wendy Lewis, Jane Cranston, Doris Traub, Lynda Johnson

Before asking questions, I offered some background information on the need for this program.  As an Adjunct Lecturer in the Management Department at the Zicklin School of Business and an older worker, I am able to take the pulse of different groups and serve as a bridge to communicate effectively across the ages.   My “Pearls of Wisdom” to the group of around 40—only one woman was in her 20’s and one in her 30’s— served as a good introduction.

1.  Be Precise with Terminology:  This semester, one of my students wrote a paper on “The Elderly in the Workplace.”  Yipes!  Was my first reaction.  Wasn’t he in class the evening I gave “the lecture” that the term to use is “older” not ”elderly.”   The first request I had of Doris was to define the difference between “elderly” and “older.”  She was very definite in stating that the term elderly is not appropriate for any workplace, that the connotations are negative, and that the assumptions that go along with the word elderly are possibly discriminatory.   Jane gave a wonderful example of a woman who sought out her coaching services.  Her client was 80-years-old and wanted help to define her next career.  Some might call this woman “elderly.”  I’d call her resilient and resourceful.

2.  Understand the Statistics:  There has been a 134 percent increase in the number of workers over the age of 55 who are looking for work since December 2007.  Today, about 7% are over 55 and working.  Over 20% of the workforce is expected to be 55 and over by the year 2015.  Older workers want and, in many cases, need to work since many of their retirement investments disappeared during the worst economy since the Great Depression.   Workers 40 and older (even younger ones) are seeking some form of image enhancement to keep a youthful appearance.  Wendy said that though her business slacked off last year, she is doing better in 2010 in part because of the men who were formerly on Wall St.  Now looking for work, they want to look and feel younger to compete for positions that they used to have in the financial services industry.  The most popular enhancement for both women and men is to get rid of crows feet around the eyes.

3.  Performance Perception:  The number one consistent complaint I hear from my 20 something students is that the older worker is resistant to change.  And that they are reluctant and outright refuse to learn how to use computer programs.  In some cultures, older men and women are seen as wise because of their age.  In our culture, wisdom is to be acquired by learning how to navigate a keyboard to help them  send e-mails and manipulate databases.  Wendy is very well connected on LinkedIn, Facebook, etc. and Jane is a great example of someone who knew that technology was part of building her business and has successfully taught herself.

After the program, one of the attendees came up and told me it was an excellent panel.  In fact, she told a lot of people she was so inspired to be, at 69, opened up to growing in new ways.  She wrote on her evaluation that she would no longer refer to herself as “this old gal” and that she would push herself to ask for and get training on the computer. 

Staying relevant and open to growth, it’s definitely not over for those 40…50…60…70…80!

On Thursday, March 18, I had the honor of being the moderator for the Women in Business (WIB) Fourth Annual Pearls of Wisdom Women’s Leadership Conference at Baruch College.  “Envision, Empower, Succeed” was the theme for the evening when close to 200 young women and men spent time listening to and interacting with inspiring speakers.

Sufia Farha, President of WIB,  and her team of dedicated, organized, and helpful students made the evening an enjoyable one for everyone.  I did not want to turn down the opportunity to be the moderator for the third year in a row but I also had a class in “Organizational Behavior” to teach during the exact time of the panel.  A resolution was to assign “Women in Leadership” as my students’ next written assignment, require my class to attend, and give these achievement oriented students the opportunity to be part of an event that evening students do not often get the chance to attend.

Leigh, Virginia McNeil Montague, Lenore Janis, Heather Maloney, Dr. Barbara Lawrence, Diane Garnick

One of my students came up to me at the close of the program and said, “I’m grateful that you required us to attend.”  Later that evening, another student wrote me an e-mail in which she said, “Thank you for inviting us to such an invigorating event.  It was way better than I thought it would be.”

Why was it ”way better”?  The inspirationalprofessional  knowledge the guests offered. 

The keynote address by Diane Garnick brought audience members—and panelists—to tears when hearing of the adversities she overcame and how she challenged herself to enter the world of finance.   One “Pearl of Wisdom” Diane shared was, ”If your palms aren’t sweating enough, your game isn’t big enough.”  Today, after sweating a lot, she is an investment strategist at Invesco, an investment management company.  To read more about Diane and her volunteer work, here’s a link to her facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Diane-Garnick/188133090053?v=info 

The WIB committee had developed a series of questions for the panelists and I had the opportunity to ask these inquiries (with a little embellishment) on behalf of the young women just starting their careers.

Panelists included Heather Maloney, Executive Director, Hope & Heroes Children’s Cancer Fund; Lenore Janis, President, Professional Women in Construction National; and Virginia McNeil Montague, President of The New York Coalition of One Hundred Black Women.

Each response from the panel brought helpful insights into the lives of women who hold executive leadership positions.  One particular question from the audience brought this series of replies:  “Do whatever scares you.”  “Life is a series of trials and tests.”  “Go to the gym.”  What was the question?  I don’t remember.  What I do know is that the answers represent the ways that these women faced, managed, and overcame the obstacles in their careers.

Near the end of the question and answer period from the audience, I noted that about one-quarter to one-third of the audience were males.  Yet, not one male asked a question.  “Okay,” I said.  “It’s time for a man to ask a question.”  One of my students raised his asked and asked the panel, “What can men do to help women succeed?”  The overall answer from the panelists was, “Men need to talk to women to hear what they need.  And men need to talk to talk other men about what women need.  They also need to work with women so that they can understand and help women get the respect and acknowledgement they have earned in the workplace.”

Leigh with the wonderful Women in Business team

It was a great evening for so many reasons.  One of which is that after stepping off the dias at the end of the panel, I was invited to be the moderator for the Fifth Annual Pearls of Wisdom Women’s Leadership Conference.  I’m looking forward to the event already.