We’ve been anticipating a fascinating evening on April 29—and the bar just went up: we’re thrilled that Judith Wright will guide the MENG Evening Leadership event. Judith brings a long-standing career of business and leadership coaching experience, with a depth of material specifically on the subject of “brain sex,” the cognitive differences between men and women.
Join us on April 29, 2010, for an exploration of how gender affects leadership in top marketing roles. We know from popular books and media that men and women approach many things differently and we can often learn from the opposite sex. How does this also apply to leadership in the workplace?
Judith will lead the event in a discussion about these questions and more:
• Do men and women lead differently?
• Every leader develops their own style. How is that style informed by a person’s gender?
• Has political correctness created perfect gender blindness in today’s workplace?
Whatever your experience has been, participating in our conversation will get you to think about leadership differently—and give you ideas to apply to your particular leadership situation or challenge.
Come network, share, and learn. Program details are below, and registration is open at http://bit.ly/agvbUS
See you there!
April 29, 2010
Location: Information Resources Inc., 150 N. Clinton St, Chicago
Refreshments: Yes!—drinks and a hearty hors d’oeuvre buffet
5.30p – 6.30p networking
6.30p – 8p program
8p-8.30p networking
Admission: $30 members, $40 non-members
Register: http://bit.ly/agvbUS
MENG thanks SymphonyIRI for generously providing the facility for this event.
2 Comments
This looks like an excellent program; discussing that the men from Mars and the women from Venus do have different leadership styles.
Women managers bring uniquely feminine styles, motivations and skills to professional life and have learned to use some of their strengths — like empathy, adaptability and strong verbal skills — to their advantage.
Co-existing with male executives in the C-suite, however, can be difficult for female leaders. The Wall Street Journal reported that women are at a disadvantage when they communicate “like a woman” in a male-shaped corporate culture, and 81 percent of women are now “adopting a style with which male managers are comfortable.”
Communication styles rooted in childhood training or unconscious beliefs can be tough to change. A first step is becoming aware of how you talk at work. An executive coach can help you to be heard by those you want to influence.
John, thanks for your insight on this. Over fifty people attended the talk, and many men and women shared experiences such as you describe. Some felt they had learned to succeed and even thrive, while others were still grappling with how to overcome differences in gender communication and leadership styles. Of the many comments about the future of gender intelligence and leadership, Daniel A. Pink was quoted on the direction of business, particularly in the US. As we evolve into the conceptual age, beyond the historically more tangible industries and manufacturing economies, the skills needed will include relationship-nurturing, pattern recognition and meaning-making. both Pink and Dr. Wright described these as feminine energies and sensibilities. They are also prominent qualities in marketing professionals. All of this would seem to imply to exciting opportunity for both women and marketing professionals to have increasingly critical roles in leading business, and to your point, well-worth developing fully.