When you let women be women in the business world, they do better. That’s according to a recent report from the Harvard Business Review, which makes the case that traditional thinking – that women should be treated no differently than men in corporate settings – is simply flawed and regressive.

A major point the post makes is that only about 20 percent of businesswomen make partner. By expecting from women what you would expect from men, the corporate world is consciously and unconsciously excluding female leadership. That’s a very bad thing, according to many. For example, Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank” fame says that of his 27 companies, only the ones with female CEOS make him money.

“Women are good for business, so it follows that what’s good for your best women will be good for your bottom line,” says Debora McLaughlin, CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching and Consulting Group (www.TheRenegadeLeader.com), and author of “Running in High Heels: How to Lead with Influence, Impact & Ingenuity.” 

“I’ve long advocated this position, and that symbols of female business identity, like high heels, are signs of a businesswoman’s ability to elevate business results, consistently providing a better return for stakeholders.”

McLaughlin discusses why women will be essential for leading businesses into a new paradigm this century.

• The old way doesn’t work. Since 1955, more than 90 percent of the companies on the Fortune 500 list have gone bankrupt, shrunk in size, become inconsequential, been mopped up by their rivals or closed their doors. Sixty percent of CEOs think their current business model is only sustainable for another three years. Sticking too closely to your old guns, including discouraging a woman’s nature in the corporate world, will likely involve your company in that 90-plus percent failure rate.

• The business world has already changed. While technology continues to revolutionize how we do business, it has also changed the workforce. Today’s employees are smarter, more innovative, more creative and full of potential – and it’s not only due to technology. As Generations X and Y emerge as tomorrow’s leaders, Millennials are proving to be very resourceful workers. Old models like “command-and-control” don’t fit with a company’s most precious resource, its people.

• Women are more social and excel in collaboration. We shouldn’t generalize to strictly regarding gender norms. However, it’s probably fair to say that women are more nurturing for in-group members. Much of the traditional management method centralized authority; a woman’s leadership is more prone to sharing influence and, perhaps, fostering a creative culture of collaboration.

“Of course, this is not a strict gender rule,” McLaughlin says. “But I think it’s the experience of many that women are, in the aggregate, more nurturing.

• Momentum will continue to build for women leadership. Momentum tends to build upon itself, and that includes social change. While that change has been slower in the corporate world, we’re already seeing signs and opinions of change, as exemplified by Kevin O’Leary.

“More importantly, if the Harvard Business Review’s post is an indicator, women in business will feel more comfortable being themselves in a professional environment,” she says. “Unlocking those invisible shackles from a woman’s high heels will be a game-changer.”

About Debora McLaughlin

Debora McLaughlin is the best-selling author of “The Renegade Leader: 9 Success Strategies Driven Leaders Use to Ignite People, Performance and Profits.” Her new book, “Running in High Heels: How to Lead with Influence, Impact & Ingenuity,” is a how-to leadership companion for women in business. She is CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching and Consulting Group (www.TheRenegadeLeader.com). As a certified executive coach, McLaughlin helps business owners, executives and managers nationwide ignite their inner renegade leader to unleash their full potential, drive their visions and yield positive results, both in business and in life.

When you think of what matters most to you and your family, there’s nothing more important than health and well-being, says Kirk Cassidy, a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) who emphasizes the importance of the holistic approach to personal finances.

“ ‘Holistic’ usually has the medical connotation of overall physical well-being, but I’d like to co-opt the term to highlight the importance of an individual’s economic welfare, which so often requires professional attention and a comprehensive financial strategy,” says Cassidy, co-president of Senior Planning Advisors (www.seniorplanningadvisors.com).

“Healthy eating, stress-relieving vacations and many other activities that keep one engaged in a fulfilling lifestyle – all of these things can add up, and it’s not greedy to want these things.”

Having a well-balanced, holistic financial plan is equally important, especially as individuals approach retirement, Cassidy says. Such a blueprint should cover guaranteed income planning, wealth management, tax minimization strategies, long-term care planning and legacy planning.

“You’ll want a model that integrates all of those criteria, but a truly holistic approach is resource-laden and hard work,” he says. “Most financial professionals are narrowly focused and aren’t interested in harmonizing the big-picture perspective. That’s why it’s worth cross-checking the qualifications of a professional who is planning your financial destiny.”

Cassidy reviews some criteria you’ll want to consider in selecting a financial advisor.

•  RIA. This became an important acronym in 1940 with the Investment Advisers Act. An RIA is, in part, defined as a “person or firm that, for compensation, is engaged in the act of providing advice, making recommendations, issuing reports or furnishing analyses on securities, either directly or through publications.” In other words, a person or firm with the RIA designation is always guided by the best interest of the client, and not the advisor or firm itself.

•  Veiled salesperson. “There is a huge debate going on in our industry regarding the standards that guide our practice,” he says. “Unfortunately, the bar is fairly low if you want to be a financial professional.” Currently, most financial advisors are not fiduciaries, obligated to do what is in the best interest of the client. However, there is a push to raise the bar. You’ll want an advisor who actually cares about your financial well-being, who is more than simply transactional and only selling products.

•  Education. Unfortunately, most middle-income Americans who are 50 or older never have been educated on the essential components of a holistic financial plan associated with retirement.

“We offer a course titled ‘Retirement Elevated,’ held at the University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School and Eastern Michigan University, which educates seniors on the essential aspects of retirement,” Cassidy says. “Having an advisor you can trust and being better educated yourself can make the difference between working through retirement and enjoying years that are truly golden.”

•  Time. For some folks in any industry, customer service can be as shallow as a smiling face and a “Thanks, have a nice day!” Real customer service, on the other hand, involves putting in the time, utilizing professional resources and being honest about a client’s well-being.

“We’re all clients of someone, and I know how I’d like to be treated,” Cassidy says. “Putting in the time and effort is important. We put in at least 30 hours designing and implementing a holistic retirement plan.”

About Kirk Cassidy

Kirk Cassidy is president of Senior Planning Advisors and Strategic Investment Advisors (www.seniorplanningadvisors.com) and is among the prestigious financial advisors who have attained the level of “Top of the Table” for the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT).  This positions Cassidy into the top one quarter to one percent of all Financial Advisors in the country. These individuals are committed to providing exemplary client services while displaying the highest standards of ethics and professional knowledge.  He holds a series 65 securities license and an insurance license in Michigan and other states. Cassidy developed an asset allocation model that integrates guaranteed income planning, wealth management, tax minimization strategies, long-term care planning and legacy planning. He is involved in a number of charitable causes, including the leukemia and lymphoma society where he heads a planned giving program.

It’s no secret that adolescence is a time of high stress for many teens.

Although some young people navigate these difficult years with reasonable aplomb, many struggle and are unable to cope as they run into troubles in school, at home or in their neighborhoods.

That’s where adults can step in and aid them in cultivating the mental tools they need to bounce back from life’s most trying moments.

“It’s our job as parents and educators to help our young people develop the flexibility and resiliency to withstand the challenges they face on their path to adulthood,” says Linda Mornell (www.Lindamornell.com), an adolescent therapist and author of the book “Forever Changed: How Summer Programs and Insight Mentoring Challenge Adolescents and Transform Lives.”

Mornell has worked with teenagers for almost 45 years, both through her private counseling practice and as founder of the highly effective nonprofit organization Summer Search, which provides disadvantaged young people with challenging and even life changing mentoring and summer opportunities.

She says that encouraging the following five behaviors can help teens learn to bounce back rather than fold under the stresses of the adolescent years.

• Reach out rather than retreat. Recent research tells us that the adolescent brain is flexible and highly sensitive to stress, Mornell says. “Many teens withdraw into themselves when they are stressed, rather than reaching out to others,” she says. “When they do that, they miss out on learning different ways of handling and relieving those stresses, as well as diffusing intense feeling in more positive ways.” As parents try to address this, they need to understand that adolescents routinely say the opposite of what they feel. “‘Go away’ often means ‘please stay,’ ” Mornell says. “Parents should not leave but sit down and wait.”

• Tell their story. The ability to put their story into coherent words gives teens the chance to see it from a distance and gain perspective, Mornell says. They also can compare their story to the stories of others, and that creates a sense of community. She says parents should avoid interrupting and be willing to listen when an adolescent feels like talking.

• Separate from home and parents. For adolescents to gain autonomy and confidence, it’s essential that they sometimes separate themselves physically and psychologically from their parents, Mornell says. That’s becoming harder and harder to do in today’s world where cell phones give people instant and constant communication. “For teenagers, this over communication reinforces the idea that the world is a challenging and even dangerous place, and that they aren’t capable of learning to handle those challenges and dangers on their own.” Mornell suggests that parents avoid constant texting and connection, and give their teens room to make their own decisions.”

• Engage in exploration and positive risk-taking. It’s hard for teens to learn how to bounce back from challenges if they’ve been protected from encountering any significant difficulties to bounce back from. “Parents should encourage teens to reach out of their familiar and safe comfort zones and take positive risks like meeting new people, exploring different activities and participating in scary sounding summer opportunities like wilderness expeditions,” Mornell says.

• Take responsibility for others. Caretaking is one of the best ways to increase resiliency, whether you are babysitting, volunteering in a home for elders, or standing up for kids who are bullied, Mornell says. “When teens lend a hand to help others, they experience and support eternal values and enhance the sense of their own worth. Parents should spend time talking with teens about their family values for helping others.”

About Linda Mornell

Linda Mornell (www.Lindamornell.com) is the founder of Summer Search, a nonprofit organization that provides disadvantaged young people with challenging summer opportunities and life-changing mentoring. She is also the author of the book “Forever Changed: How Summer Programs and Insight Mentoring Challenge Adolescents and Transform Lives.” Mornell was born on a farm in Muncie, Ind. After getting her RN and bachelor’s degrees from Methodist Hospital and DePauw University, she headed west on a Greyhound bus. She received psychiatric training from Langley Porter at the University of California in San Francisco and married a psychiatric resident, Pierre Mornell. She has three adult children and seven grandchildren. Mornell divides her time among family, writing and consulting. In 2014, she was blessed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama for her efforts to empower disadvantaged youth.

Whether it’s a presidential candidate, a corporate executive or an NFL coach, people admire a leader with vision.

They like someone with a clear idea of where he or she is headed, and who knows how to motivate others to accomplish the goal.

But as much as people might like to say someone is a “born visionary,” in truth, vision is something we develop, not something we arrive in the world with, says Rob-Jan de Jong, a behavioral strategist and author of “Anticipate: The Art of Leading By Looking Ahead” (www.robjandejong.com).

“One thing that visionaries have in common is that they have an ability to notice things early,” de Jong says. “They recognize some sort of significant change is happening and they make use of the opportunities it presents.”

Just identifying that a major change is afoot isn’t enough, though, he says. The visionary needs to connect the dots into a coherent picture that takes into account future developments.

“That’s easier said than done, but it’s an ability leaders can develop if they are willing to work on it,” de Jong says.

Growing a leader’s visionary side therefore boils down to sharpening both the ability to notice things early and the ability to create coherence. In combination, the abilities suggest four archetypes of leaders.

• The Follower. This is someone who is neither good at noticing things early, nor skilled at creating and communicating a coherent story from insights about what the future might bring. The follower may be an excellent manager, but don’t expect this person to inspire others or drive innovation.

“Being a follower isn’t necessarily a bad thing,” de Jong says. “These people are often careful about their decisions and good at critical thinking, and in the short term that can work well. But their preoccupation with today keeps them from anticipating what comes next.”

• The Trend Hopper. On the upside, a trend hopper has a well-developed ability to see things early and is willing to embrace changing realities. These are people who are quick to adopt new technology and among the first to fantasize about how things can be different – even radically different– real soon, de Jong says.

On the downside, trend hoppers aren’t adept at turning their early insights into a coherent story that justifies an active strategic pursuit. After seeing them chase several flavor-of-the-month ideas, other people start to tune them out.

• The Historian. These leaders are adept at connecting the dots and spinning a story that makes sense. They cite patterns, facts and figures and make everything that’s happened so far look coherent and intentional. “When you listen to them, it all makes sense,” de Jong says. “But they have their eyes trained on the factually true past, not the imaginative uncertain future.”

Certainly, it’s valuable to have some historical perspective, he says, but you can’t let history cripple your ability to engage the future. Historians also often are cynics, ready to explain why things are they way they are and why your unconventional idea won’t work.

• The Visionary. This is the one to strive to be. A visionary isn’t quick to hop on every fad, but also isn’t a naysayer about how things might be done differently. Instead, says de Jong, the visionary takes a mindful, future-oriented perspective, balancing the need for a compelling future with the awareness of the dangers of becoming dogmatic and overly optimistic. Visionaries are able to explain an imagined future in a way that fills people with energy and engages their imagination.

“A powerful vision isn’t just nice to have,” de Jong says. “It’s the most important tool in the transformational leader’s toolbox. A leader’s personal imagination, inspiration and dedication are what will ignite the excitement in the people they lead.”

About Rob-Jan de Jong

Rob-Jan de Jong, author of “Anticipate: The Art of Leading By Looking Ahead” (www.robjandejong.com), is an international speaker, writer and consultant on strategy and leadership themes. He serves as an expert lecturer at various leading business schools such as the Wharton Business School (USA), Thunderbird School of Global Management (USA), Nyenrode Business University (The Netherlands), and Sabanci Business University (Turkey).

As a behavioral strategist, he speaks, teaches and consults on executive subjects such as visionary leadership, influence, strategic decision-making, and innovation.

What an amazing world we live in nowadays. You can quite easily promote yourself and your business without leaving your couch. This gives introverts a worldwide audience, no matter where you’re starting from. No need for forced interaction, small talk, or gregarious chatter. The Internet is the great equalizer. You don’t need to be the master networking champion of the office, or the center of the company cocktail party. If you’re an introvert and want to promote yourself or a product, all you need is an Internet connection and a plan.

Here’s how.

Get a Storefront

Just as it is for businesses inside a traditional shopping mall, your online market is a fluid and ever-changing stream of old and new customers. When they’re ready to buy whatever it is you’re selling, you want them to recall you and your business ahead of all the others. In the world of advertising, sales, and marketing, this is known as creating top-of-mind awareness.

Some of the traditional ways that businesses create top-of-mind awareness are to place regular ads on television, radio, and billboards, or in print media outlets such as magazines and newspapers. Repetition is the key to success in any advertising campaign, and this can get pretty expensive. We’re talking hundreds, maybe even thousands, of dollars per month to run enough ads to achieve top-of-mind awareness with the general public, depending on how large a trading area you’re trying to reach. Luckily, there’s a more sensible, modern option: Get yourself a website. Don’t shirk at the cost or try to sidestep around it. Websites are the new storefronts, and it’s not as hard as you think.

• With enough comparative shopping, you can find someone to build your website at a reasonable cost—unless you’re savvy enough to build your own through a free or low-cost service like WordPress. If you’ve got something to sell, a website is worth the investment. To find the best company for you, dig around online (as an introvert, you’re probably good at that). Read testimonials. Ask for referrals.
• Make sure your website looks professional. It doesn’t need a lot of bells and whistles, but it does need to look polished, even if the template is simple.
• Most sure the site is easy for you to maintain.

Get Blogging (But Do It Right)

Blogging and social media marketing combined is word-of-mouth advertising on steroids—which is great news for introverts. You can talk about yourself without talking about yourself.

Some of your keywords, like your business name, might have a fairly high search engine ranking, depending on the nature of your business. Blogging can help to improve that. The idea is to write several short, effective posts—think of them as 500-word essays that contain the phrases that your customers type into a search engine when they are looking for your particular product—and then share those articles with others via email and social media websites. The ultimate goal is for your articles to show up in the top five search results on page one of a search engine because this will dramatically improve the chances of being seen. Obviously, the more articles that are posted online, and the more often they’re shared by others on a regular basis, the better it will work.

What makes for an effective blog post? It needs to be useful to your reader, true to your business or product, and something that can go viral. Make your language clear, concise, and consistent.

Get Social

Now that you’ve got your storefront and your blogging underway, you also have the benefit of free social media websites to super-charge both. We can talk about Twitter and Facebook, but if you’re in it for business and networking, LinkedIn is still a safe bet. Here’s a few tips on the smart way to get “linked in”:

• Build your audience gradually by posting relevant and informative blog entries twice a week to groups that are interested in your topic matter, and only occasionally as status updates directly from your profile page.
• Once you have connections and an audience, don’t push people too hard. Don’t, for example, send people unsolicited email requests to buy your products.
• Engage in conversations with those who post comments to your blog entries and status updates. Let your audience get to know you by replying to their posts and answering their questions. Again, this is gold for the introvert. You can have meaningful conversations in a controlled environment, all while wearing your pajamas.

About Kim Staflund

Kim Staflund is founder and publisher of Polished Publishing Group (PPG) and the author of Successful Selling Tips for Introverted Authors. She’s also the bestselling author of How to Publish a Bestselling Book…and Sell it Worldwide Based on Value, Not Price! and How to Publish a Book in Canada…and Sell Enough Copies to Make a Profit!

In addition to her book publishing background, Staflund has a substantial sales and sales management history that includes new business development, account and personnel management and leadership experience. Connect with Kim Staflund on Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn,Facebook, and at www.polishedpublishinggroup.com.

Successful Selling Tips for Introverted Authors is available at Barnes and Noble and Kobo.

(StatePoint) Cooler weather and seasonal fall colors means it’s almost time for trick-or-treaters! Getting ready for all the fun the season has to offer can add up fast. Don’t let this Halloween give your budget a scare.

With some helpful money saving tips, you will be ready to have a spooktacular Halloween.

Decorations

Bring the colors of fall into your home with seasonal decorations. From pumpkin kitchen towels to owl décor and festive candle holders, you can accent your home in style.

Adorn your front door with an autumn wreath. Warm your home with pumpkin scented candles and fall themed tablecloths and runners.

For a scary theme guaranteed to thrill your trick-or-treaters, stock up on Halloween décor like skeletons, jack-o-lanterns, bats and cobwebs!

Candy and Treats

Whether you’re planning for a crowd or just a few, don’t forget to stock up on the candy and treats that make Halloween so sweet. Try your hand at homemade goodies like scrumptious monster cupcakes or homemade popcorn balls. Make a Halloween trail mix with chocolate candies, pretzels, candy corn, rice cereal and pumpkin seeds. Visit www.dollargeneral.com/easymeals for quick, festive snack ideas to feed your hungry monsters.

Use a fun decorated candy bowl and fill it with Halloween favorites to hand out to costumed visitors. Make sure to stock up on Halloween themed napkins and paper plates to add festive flair to your table spread.

Costumes

Above all, Halloween planning includes having a great costume. Check out your closet and use clothing items you already have to create a fun DIY look. Use bold make-up and fun hair styles to create your own unique costume. For the trick-or-treater who likes to accessorize, check out Halloween selections at your local discount retailer, like Dollar General. A variety of costume essentials and accessories are available starting at $1.

Halloween comes once a year, but it doesn’t mean that you have to break the bank to have a great time. With quick tips and money saving ideas, you can have fun affordably.

(StatePoint) At a time when there’s widespread concern that U.S. students are not prepared for a changing economy that relies on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), many parents are sharing some good news about how afterschool programming is getting their children prepared in these crucial areas.

Parents of nearly seven in 10 children who participate in afterschool programming report that their child’s program offers such learning opportunities, according to a new household survey commissioned by the Afterschool Alliance.

The special report, “Full STEM Ahead: Afterschool Programs Step Up as Key Partners in STEM Education,” found broad support among parents for providing STEM learning after school, and high satisfaction with these offerings among parents of children in programs that provide STEM education. Indeed, more than half of parents with children in afterschool programming say this was an important factor in choosing their child’s program, the new report finds.

“Afterschool is a dynamic, effective setting for innovative STEM education,” says Afterschool Alliance executive director Jodi Grant. “With their focus on hands-on learning and youth development, and the time they can give students to experiment, afterschool programs are well positioned to increase STEM skills in this country.”

Here are some key findings from the report, which is based on “America After 3PM,” the most comprehensive survey ever to ask parents about their children’s participation in afterschool STEM programs:

• A majority of parents say afterschool programs can not only help students gain STEM skills, but also that they should be offering STEM opportunities.

• Low-income, African-American and Hispanic parents are more likely than others to report that their child’s afterschool program offers STEM learning and strongly support such opportunities.

• Most afterschool students have STEM learning opportunities at least once per week.

• Parents whose children learn STEM subjects in afterschool report that math is offered most often.

• STEM activities are offered more often in urban than in rural and suburban programs.

National and state results from that report are available at afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM.

The report recommends engaging and educating parents about the important role afterschool programs can play in supporting STEM learning and increasing programming and investment.

“Afterschool programs can help teach the skills that will help the next generation thrive in the global workforce, particularly populations traditionally underrepresented in STEM, because girls attend these programs at similar rates as boys, and African-American and Hispanic children are more likely to participate in afterschool than Caucasian children,” says Afterschool Alliance vice president for STEM policy Anita Krishnamurthi.

With one in five students in the United States unsupervised after the school day ends, challenges remain, experts say, and more afterschool programs that provide robust STEM education offerings are needed.