Articles and Essays on Women’s Leadership

In this section you will find a variety of articles that examine leadership from the feminine perspective. They explore what it means to lead in a collaborative, inclusive way, drawing out the wisdom and creativity of diverse perspectives and facilitating collective action. Many of these were developed as papers presented at Global Leadership Conferences.

Click any title to download and read the article.

Getting through . . . ? ? ? OR Getting TO . . . :  Whether we’re dealing with a number of inconveniences, or the loss of a beloved family member, or the loss of income, our first reaction may be to sort of “hunker down” and try to “get through it.” This article is an invitation to explore a different response. It specifically invites you to reflect on what you consider your “former normal.” And ~ it invites you to reflect on your deep values, access your highest vision ~ and to let your imagination loose to envision a “new normal!”

Three “Voices:” Women’s Empowerment—The Journey to Full Partnership: Women ARE leaders, already. While sometimes more is accomplished by “behind the scenes influence,” than by “out front” leadership, women’s voices and leadership are needed in every part of our society – in the family and in the community, in our organizations and corporations, in our government at every level, and in our educational systems.

Nourishing Self Esteem ~ this article by Betty Kagoro provides insight and practical strategies for helping the children in our lives develop healthy self-esteem. High self-esteem means we trust ourselves to be able to influence our future, that we “bounce back” from disappointments, and that we appreciate diverse perspectives.

A New Story in the Making ~ a group of men and women at the November 2010 Global Perspectives event at Antioch University Seattle explore the question, “What is the Role of Women in Global Leadership?”

Las Mujeres Sostienen La Mitad del Cielo (Women Hold up Half the Sky) ~ Enjoy this Spanish translation of Women Hold up Half the Sky, translated by Ananda Zeas of the WAAPONI Foundation.

Women Hold up Half the Sky ~ explores the distinctions and the complimentarity of Yin and Yang energy and contemplates the rich meaning of this ancient Chinese proverb.

Women Hold up Half the Sky:  That’s Hard to Do When Your Feet are Bound ~ examines the pervasiveness of the silencing of Yin energy, and how deeply embedded this silencing is in our history and in our current reality.  It highlights inspiring examples of women leaders who reveal ways of moving beyond the constraints and restraints our cultures may impose.

Diverse Thinking ~ Harmonious Action ~ probes the paradox of diversity and harmony and examines the shift in thinking and acting that is required for leading in an interdependent world.  Examples of Social Technologies for facilitating large group conversation and decision-making are described.

Harmonizing Human Energy for Successful Transitions ~ Developing effective ways to influence individual and organizational transition strengthens our ability to engage fully in our continually emerging world.

The Power of Action Learning for Global Leadership ~ Theory and practical examples reveal the value of Action Learning, a process for collaborative social problem-solving.

Diverse Thinking ~ Collective Action ~  How do we lead as our world becomes more diverse, interdependent, dynamic and emergent?  Perspectives and methodologies are examined that enable us to be effective leaders in the uncertainty and ambiguity of our current reality.

South African Treasure – This example of a Single Session Conversation reveals a conversation among young African women in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Women’s Wisdom – Beijing Reflections – This example of a Single Session Conversation included a small group of women in Beijing who represented diverse professional backgrounds.