Why More Women Don’t Lead and Innovate - Transforming Your STEM Career Through Leadership and Innovation - page 59

on the power you have to see your goals realized. As female leaders of the
21 st century we have tremendous opportunities before us and a global society
yearning to benefit from our leadership and creativity. In the process, however,
we may deal with many challenges, but it is the management of these chal-
lenges that can bring rewards and a very satisfying career. If you are willing
to deal with all of these things, then you are capable of being a leader. I have
always agreed with this inspirational quote from Marianne Williamson's
A Return to Love :
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who
are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world.
When we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the
same. [24]
Although this quote flies in the face of everything I was taught over the
course of my “good Baptist” upbringing, I say this with all due respect: the for-
mer attitude that was encouraged in me does not serve me or the world. There
is no need to play it small in painting your goals and visions. Your dreams can
impact the future and the lives of so many. It is time for us to accept the great-
ness within us and move forward into the exciting and challenging careers that
we are so very capable of having today. You are a leader. You are an innovator.
Let us go forth and conquer; go forth and prosper as the leaders and innovators
we are destined to become in our personal and professional lives.
ACTIONS FOR THE READER
1. Assess my current or future organization for the level of community to lead-
ership development and innovation.
2. Take a cultural and personal inventory of my perspectives and perceptions of
myself as a leader and innovator.
3. Take a cultural and personal inventory of my perspectives and perceptions of
women as leaders and innovators.
4. Determine a list of my mentor needs and commit to identifying at least one
mentor or mentoring resource in the next 30 days.
5. Create a Biblio-MEntor Collage (BMEC).
6. Identify three networking-related actions to implement in the next 90 days.
CHAPTER RESOURCES
1. Recognizing when you're being stereotyped
2. Factors to guide in the assessment of your organization
3. Mentor Development Resource
4. Biblio-MEntor-Collage (BMEC)
5. Cross Cultural Model for Family and Career Leadership Success