Have you ever wondered what it takes to land a promotion?

Do you count yourself among the many women who feel ready to take on a higher-level role but are waiting for the opportunity to present itself?

Join an exclusive group coaching teleclass and discover what it really takes to get promoted!

Perhaps you have asked yourself:

• What is the best way to market myself as an ideal candidate for promotion?
• What is holding me back from being considered?
• What are key elements of a successful personal PR campaign?
• How do I prepare to have a difficult conversation with my management?
• How do I show that I am qualified for a higher-level job than the one I am in today?
• How do I communicate what’s in it for my company?

Would you like to learn about what other women have done to advance their careers?

Join us beginning Tuesday, March 29, for our 8-week group coaching teleclass and learn what it takes to break into leadership. Learn more and register now

Coming to Dallas on May 6: Poised for Leadership workshop

Are you in Dallas? Wondering what it really takes to break into leadership?

If so, you are invited to join me on May 6 at Poised For Leadership, a one-day workshop for women who want to create a roadmap into positions of responsibility, influence and leadership in business. Learn more and register



Jo Miller is CEO of Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc. Through leadership workshops, coaching programs and webinars, Jo helps women create their roadmap into leadership positions in business.

Ask Jo: Should I go to leadership training?

Question: My manager has recommended that I attend leadership training, however, I am happy in my existing job and not sure if I want to move into management. Should I go to the training?

Jo Miller answers:

Years ago, I was preparing to deliver a leadership workshop for thirty women in a large telecommunications company. They had been selected by management, who had identified them as “high potential” and told they were required to go to training. Needless to say, not all were happy to be told they had to take two days out for yet another soft-skills training when they were understaffed and had a mountain of work to get through.

A few days before the class, I was reviewing their answers to a pre-workshop questionnaire. One of the questions I asked them to answer was “Why is being a leader important to you?”. Reading the responses, I felt dispirited because apparently being a leader was not that important to them. They just wanted to make the biggest difference they could at work every day.

What is the definition of Leader?

Then came my ‘Aha’ moment! In their answers, they had defined what it means to be a leader. Being a leader does not mean having a management job title or a team of employees reporting to you, or climbing the ladder to a certain grade level . A leader is someone who is committed to making a difference that is greater than one person could make alone.

Regardless of your job title, do you aspire to make a positive impact? Do you want to make the greatest difference you can? If so, you will surely reach a point in your career where you want to make something happen that is bigger than you are able to accomplish through your own effort. You will need skills like the ability to effectively articulate your idea, and get collaborators on board. You will need to know ways to help everyone stay focused and motivated while they work toward a common goal.

Leadership skills are also life skills

Whether your future career path as an individual contributor, technical leader or people leader, will there be times when you need to work with others to complete something that not one of the players could accomplish through solo effort? If so, I encourage you to take the class.

As we celebrate International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, I reflect on how our world will benefit from having more strong women leaders in industry, government and community organizations. Even if you never use the skills professionally, you will have many opportunities in your life outside work to make a difference by collaborating with others. Leadership skills are essential life skills for anyone who hopes to make a positive impact in their work, family, community, or any area of life.

As CEO of Women's Leadership Coaching, Inc., Jo Miller helps women create their roadmap into leadership positions in business, and offers low-cost leadership webinars for executives and emerging leaders.

To read more of her career advice, visit the Ask Jo archives.

From the article archive: Working through Tough Salary Negotiations

Question: I have been interviewing for a position for which I meet all qualifications. They gave a salary range and asked what my salary expectations are, and I successfully avoided answering. However in my last interview, they asked what I am currently paid, which is below the market rate. How can I negotiate to be paid what I am worth?

Jo Miller answers:

You have done well to delay speaking about salary.

When you get to salary negotiations, ask for the highest salary in their range, and explain, “I believe I am uniquely qualified for the position because…” Then, give three or four brief bullet points explaining why you are highly qualified, and the best match for the position.

If they then offer you less, say, “Hmmm. Is that your best offer?” Then go silent, let them do the talking. If they put the ball back in your court, say, “I believe I am worth top of your range because…” and repeat your previously mentioned bullet points. Then go silent and let them talk.

If they ask what you currently make, continue deflecting their question. A savvy and diplomatic answer is, “I expect that if we decide this is the right match, we will come to a mutual agreement on my salary.” If they persist, explain that among your reasons for leaving your current position is the below-market salary. Remind the employer that you expect your qualifications to be rewarded at a fair-market rate.


Jo Miller is CEO of Women's Leadership Coaching, Inc. Through leadership workshops, coaching programs and webinars, Jo helps women create their roadmap into leadership positions in business.

Last days to register: Emerging Women Leaders webinars begin February 22

Have you created a plan for your leadership development this year?

Join the Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series, which begins next Tuesday, February 22.

Make this your year to:

• Advance your career while remaining true to yourself
• Lead others effectively across varying time zones, cultures, and generations
• Ask for and get the resources you need to be successful in your job
• Learn what defines your personal brand, and how to communicate it in every interaction
• Cultivate leadership presence, exude confidence, and command respect from others
• Engage audiences and get your message across in meetings, teleconferences and webinars

In this year-long, six-part webinar series, learn practical leadership skills you can apply immediately. Each webinar features a 'rock star' woman leader who will share her top tips for career success, and real-world leadership advice.

Cost: $169 for the full year of six webinars (or $2,495 for a corporate package of 100 log-ins).

Register now

The speakers and topics are:

2/22 Advancing Authentically
Guest Speaker: Michelle Johnston
General Manager, Channel Platforms & Strategy Division, Intel

4/26 Communicating Across Boundaries
Guest Speaker: Dr. Patricia Fletcher
Software Executive, SAP

6/28 The Art of Asking
Guest Speaker: Diane Gonzalez
Vice President, Product Development, Intuit

8/23 Communicating Your Personal Brand
Guest Speaker: Dr. Neeli Bendapudi
Professor of Marketing, Director, Institute for Managing Services, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University

10/25 Leadership Presence
Guest Speaker: Kelly Easterling
Principal, Rothstein Kass

12/13 Persuasive Presentations
Guest Speaker: Bank of America Executive


This series is ideal for early-career and mid-level women in corporations, and corporate women's network meetings.

Register now for $169

Read the lastest edition of Women's Leadership News

In the February edition of our E-Newletter, Women's Leadership News, you will find:

• What characteristics do senior executive women have that up-and-coming women can emulate?



• 2011 Webinar Series' start soon, don't miss out!



• Poised For Leadership Workshop- April 8, in Minneapolis, MN



• From the article archive: Steps to earning equal compensation

Read it here and subscribe:

Last chance to register! Executive Women Leaders Webinar Series begins February 15

Don't miss out! Our Executive Women Leaders Webinar Series begins February 15.

In this year-long, six part webinar series, learn proven strategies for leading change, strengthening your emotional intelligence, fostering peak engagement, and advancing your career as an executive. This program is ideal for women leaders who are managing people, teams and organizations.

In every webinar, Kim Zilliox, MA, MBA, Vice President with Women's Leadership Coaching Inc, teaches leadership skills, and invites a senior executive leader to share her experiences, and weigh in with real-world leadership advice. The guest speakers are outstanding women from industry who will share their top tips for career success.

The webinar topics are:

1. Creating Peak Employee Engagement
2. Leading Across Multiple Generations
3. Executive Career Paths
4. Roadmap to the Boardroom
5. Change Leadership
6. Emotional Intelligence

Don't miss out: reserve your place now, for $397 for the full year of 6 webinars.

Register now >>

What characteristics do senior executive women have that up-and-coming women can emulate?

Question: What characteristics do senior executive women have that up-and-coming women can emulate in order to be more effective?

Answer: Dr. Patricia Fletcher is a technology executive at SAP who has studied the common factors and competencies associated with women who are directors on corporate boards. Dr. Fletcher and I compared notes to identify characteristics that are common among the senior-level women leaders she interviewed for her dissertation. These are characteristics that the rest of us can learn from in order to be more effective and successful in our careers. They relate to alignment, barriers, networking, pragmatism, and execution.

Alignment
Do you know what your most important goals are?

Dr. Fletcher says that senior-level women executives do and ensure that everything they do each day is aligned with what they want to achieve.

“The overall principle is alignment. Align your energy and focus with how you spend your day,” she advised. “Don’t say ‘yes’ to everything. You cannot succeed if you have too many number one priorities. You do not want to put yourself in a position to over-commit and under-deliver. Nor do you want to constantly have an imbalance in your life created by signing on for too much. Sure, that happens sometimes; that should be the exception and not the rule. Don’t always take on the hard project—unless it aligns with what you want to achieve.”

Barriers
How do you react when you face a barrier to achieving your goals?

According to Dr. Fletcher, we can learn a lot from successful women leaders and how they view barriers differently. “Adjust your attitude to focus on what you want to achieve and to understand that there will be barriers between you and what you want to do. You can choose to let a barrier stand in your way or stall you, or instead you could consider it to simply be a data point. Be flexible and be resourceful. Most of all, adjust your attitude. The only person stopping you is you.”

Networking
An important way that these women maintain alignment with their goals is cultivating a network of relationships with collaborators: people who help them stay focused and achieve what they set out to do.

“These women define their networks and networking differently,” says Dr Fletcher, referring to how women on corporate boards don’t buy into the superficial concept of networking that is schmoozing. “They don’t like cocktail parties as a means for building a network,” she added. “They establish very deep, meaningful relationships that are mutually beneficial and are based on common bonds and shared experiences.”

They also create their own board of directors. Dr Fletcher found it remarkable that many of the women she interviewed had established a personal board of directors, without realizing it, for every stage of their life. She noted, “They create a strong foundation of support, taking an ad-hoc but deliberate approach to achieving their goals, and not taking on the journey alone. They have people there to support them.”

Pragmatism and Execution
Dr Fletcher describes how senior women leaders have the ability to execute their plans.

“The most important piece is they do it. Senior level women ‘just do it;’ over, and over, and over again. When it comes to execution, they take a pragmatic approach.”

To any woman wishing to become better at execution, Dr. Fletcher recommends: “Create a business plan in your head, then work backwards. Understand how to get from there to here. Then be purpose-driven.”

Jo Miller is CEO of Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc, and she spoke to Dr. Patricia Fletcher, PhD, technology executive with SAP.

Hear Dr. Fletcher discuss the career path to the corporate boardroom in the Executive Women Leaders Webinar Series which begins February 15.

2011 Women's Leadership Webinars

Are you looking for affordable leadership development for yourself or for a group of women?

Whether you are an aspiring leader or a seasoned one, our webinar programs give you access to low-cost leadership development training and inspiring guest speakers, in a webinar format that is ideal for women's network group gatherings.

Read on, to select the webinar series that will help you on the way to achieving your career and leadership goals in 2011.

Do you aspire to become a leader? Join us for:
Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series

Starts February 22

Learn ways to cultivate leadership presence, build your leadership brand, and communicate with confidence and credibility. This series is ideal for early-career and mid-level women in corporations. Webinar topics in the series include:

Advancing Authentically

Guest Speaker: Michelle Johnston

General Manager, Channel Platforms & Strategy Division

Intel Corporation

Communicating Your Personal Brand
Guest Speaker: Dr. Neeli Bendapudi

Professor of Marketing and Director, Institute for Managing Services

Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University

. . . and four more topics to help you upgrade your leadership communication toolkit, lead effectively, and make a greater impact in business.

Cost $169 for the full year of six webinars (or $2,495 for a corporate package of 100 log-ins).

Register now or learn more

Are you an established leader? Join us for:
Executive Women Leaders Webinar Series

Starts February 15

Learn proven strategies for leading change, strengthening your emotional intelligence, fostering peak engagement, and advancing your career as a leader or executive. This series is designed for women who are currently managing people, teams or organizations. Webinars in the series inlcude:

Creating Peak Employee Engagement
Guest Speaker: Emily Drenis

Vice President, Global NPI & ODS Services

Alcatel-Lucent

Change Leadership
Guest Speaker: Kristin Russell

Vice President - Global IT Service Operations

Oracle Corporation

. . . and four more topics to help you to succeed as a dynamic, inspiring leader.

Cost: $397 for the full year of six webinars (or $2,495 for a corporation package of 25 log-ins).

Register now or learn more