Do Women Dare Play in the Leadership Sandbox?

Fort Lauderdale, FL (BlackNews.com) – Leadership is a mysterious blend of science and art, and women leaders are blazing their own paths, discovering their leadership potential, while seeking to create greater personal and career fulfillment. In a groundbreaking new book, Follow Her Lead: Leadership Lessons For Women as They Journey From the Backroom to the Boardroom, business thought and personal development coach, Dr. Anita Davis-DeFoe, has penned ten compelling leadership fables which unlike ever before ignite a lively discussion about the competencies and practices essential for today’s emerging and seasoned leaders, who just happen to be female.

A social entrepreneur, CARIBVOICE Radio host, dynamic motivational teacher and knowledge facilitator, Davis-DeFoe has blended years of pedagogical and practical experience to fashion this informational resource which teaches both women and girls the technical and humanistic competencies essential for leading. Featured as a career and workforce expert in Essence Magazine (September 2008 and April 2009), as well as in Black Enterprise Magazine (March 2009), Dr. DeFoe is a sought after keynote and conference speaker, trainer and workshop knowledge facilitator across the United States, the Caribbean and Africa. Weekly, her show can be heard on CaribVoiceRadio.org, Wednesdays from 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm, Eastern Standard Time. The show is simulcast on http://www.caribbeanwomentoday.net and http://www.dranitadavisdefoe.com

Suggesting ten pathways to leadership greatness, the inspirational, development visionary shared, “I am excited about this book, as it provides women and young ladies an opportunity to explore the personal and technical competencies critical to becoming an impactful leader. Writing Follow Her Lead allowed me to mesh storytelling, imagination, management and leadership principles thus giving the reader an active learning experience, while reflecting on personal leadership strengths and opportunities for improvement. My aim is to elevate the understanding and practice of leadership among women so that we become more comfortable in acknowledging and unleashing the greatness within. Follow Her Lead is ideal for personal development, as well as for staff development sessions, leadership and organization development training circles, supplemental reading for college courses and management training programs, an insightful resource guide for women at all stages of their career journey.”

The praise for this new book which was launched during the recent Women’s Leadership Conference at St. Johns University in New York, at a book signing sponsored by Target, has been stellar.

Columbus Copeland, an inspirational speaker, and the author of The Art of Overcoming said, “Dr. Anita DeFoe’s latest book is a treasure chest full of insights on key principles of effective leadership. Within these pages, you will find an unlimited amount of wisdom and guidance whether you are at the beginning stages of becoming a leader or you are seeking information to become a better leader. The ideas presented in this book are simple, clear, and easy to grasp…yet profound.”

“Dr. DeFoe brings insight into the world of business, entrepreneurship, business and community development. Her insight into these mediums of empowerment transcend the concepts and takes you into the reality and understanding of what it takes to really develop dreams goals and nourish them to fruition. Her success as a grant writer which has reached a plateau of ten million dollars is a testament to her capability and abilities within the industry she currently serves,” commented CARIBVOICE Radio Network Owner Barbadian Aubry Padmore.

Aldo, an entrepreneur and publisher of Jamaica’s #1 Business Magazine, Businessuite remarked, “Story telling has been an integral part of black history for centuries, used to pass down long held traditions and customs, but equally important to teach. Anita Davis-DeFoe has tapped into this rich tradition allowing readers of Follow Her Lead, to quickly grasp and understand the nuances and intricacies of leadership and how self empowerment is a simple act requiring very little external influences as it draws on the latent power we all have inside. This is a great piece of work and should be a template for learning from primary into business schools for men and women.”

Women’s Radio Host and California-based finance expert Anita Renee’ Johnson said, “This book is just what women need worldwide to assist them in capturing their dreams of becoming great leaders of today and tomorrow. Follow Her Lead is a great template for all women; women who are becoming leaders, as well as those who are already leaders. Thank you for showing us the way.”

From Grand Cayman, Catherine Tyson, Author of I’m Somebody’s Mama stated, “Dr. Davis-Defoe’s story writing prowess coupled with experience and knowledge in the area of human interaction makes for a great story cleverly told from an angle of friendship, conflicts, and colorful characters with messages deep to their core. This booked is filled with wonderful little anecdotes for every day living life on purpose, as well as it is broken into simple lessons and real examples for success that can be achieved without much effort. It makes you not want to put the book down until you have supped the last drop and relearned what to do to achieve your potential. A thoroughly enjoying read right until the finish; and then some.”

St Maarteen Speaker Nerissa Golden, the author of The Making of a Caribbeanpreneur: Strategies for Overcoming Fear and Building Wealth offered, “Dr Anita Davis-DeFoe has captured the fears, dreams and challenges of women worldwide, and created a guide to show the homemaker, the entrepreneur, and the corporate strategist that they already possess the tools needed to lead and be successful in all areas of their lives.”

“Dr. Davis-DeFoe knows what our girls need to be successful. This is a must-have guide for all girls, educators and parents. It will empower our youth and our communities on an international level,” stated Angela Coleman, President and Founder of Sisterhood Agenda, Inc.

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The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Resumes!!

As a globally certified career development facilitator and a nationally certified workforce development professional, I am asked all the time what makes a resume sizzle, what are the resume moves to consider when looking for a job or seeking to advance one’s career……

• The Power of Two – A woman should have at least two resumes, a chronological (shows career progression) and functional (shows range of transferable skills); a functional resume can be easily adapted to highlight skills and achievements for specific jobs in a variety of industries. Remember you are writing a sales document, marketing a product…YOU!!! Your resume provides the answer to the question, why should the employer hire you. Think GIFTS (Goals- Innovation-Focus-Transferability-Strengths)

• Stay Current – Resumes should be updated at least every six months, even quarterly. The resume should be updated at the completion of new projects or assignments which can further demonstrate your range of skills and competencies

• 21st Century Resume Formats – Remove that outdated objective statement and replace it with a headline followed by a skills summary or a profile.
Here is an example headline and profile for a sales and marketing manager: EXPERIENCED SALES & MARKETING MANAGER Results-delivering senior sales and marketing manager with an exemplary record of leading organizations to exceed goals annually. Currently lead $50M sales team for multiple product lines as a Regional Sales Manager for XYZ Corporation. Adept at developing and executing
strategies that increase market share and generate record-breaking sales. Strong teaming and relationship-building skills, known for securing crucial strategic partners.

Examples of keyword phrases for a sales and marketing manager:
• client relationship management
• strategic alliance building
• negotiations and deal structuring
• customer acquisition
• marketing strategies
• key account management and retention
• P&L management
• brand development and management
• collateral design and development.

What Employers/Hiring Managers Look For
• Use Titles That Match The Jobs You Want – Capture an employer’s attention by matching your job titles to the job advertisement you are responding to, and by using a title that best depicts your job responsibilities; for example instead of stating Accounting/Recordkeeping use titles such as Management of A/R and A/P Accounts; or instead of simply listing Administrative write Departmental Administration/Recordkeeping.

• Communicate Your Impact – Organizations are feverously working to identify management strategies and talent which can help them to:
1. make money
2. save money and time
3. make work easier
4. solve specific problems
5. be more competitive within the industry
6. build strategic relationships and collaborative partners
7. expand the business
8. attract and retain customers
so these critical skill sets should be reflected in the resume, and this can also serve one well when it comes to job retention because if company cutbacks become necessary those women performing with a spirit of excellence in these areas will be retained at all cost.

• Wordsmith – Employers initially screen resumes from between 2.5 to 20 seconds looking for each applicant’s skills and achievements in response to the job’s requirements; and also since in many instances this is done by computer, make certain your resume includes industry buzzwords and key phrases in response to the vacancy posting and industry trends.

• Show Me the Numbers – Quantifying your accomplishments is essential in both the corporate and non-profit sectors, in this environment driven by results and accountability metrics matter; work to detail your accomplishments, not merely your duties; in today’s global workplace, employers are seeking individuals who can analyze and solve operational, programmatic, fiscal and process management challenges in this environment of uncertainty; ensure that you detail processes that you improved, programs that you enhanced, cost saving measures that you implemented, and avoid using typical expressions like “duties included, responsibilities included or responsible for”; by focusing on outcomes achieved, this will set you apart from the other job applicants.

• Employer Focused – List items in a manner that meet reader’s interest- your title/position should be first, not the date as was the case in days gone by; then name of employer, city/state of employer, dates of employment.

• Projecting Power – Use power words or verbs that match the level of position that you seek; for example if you are striving to progress into a management position power words may include directed, supervised, trained, created, or reviewed. The world of work is expanding from an information economy to a conceptual one, so every woman from entry-level to executive should be seeking to enhance their skills, and honing skills which are transferable across industry sectors. In addition to core technical, foundational and soft skills, there are four skill clusters that everyone should strive to master as the economy continues to shift from knowledge to conceptual: the first is digital age literacy (scientific, economic, technological, visual, information, cultural and global awareness knowledge); the next is inventive (ability to think critically to identify solutions, being self-directed, curious, and adaptable to change); effective communication (interpersonal and interactive skills, essential to effective participation on work teams) and high personal productivity (planning, prioritizing and managing one’s work, an ability to produce high quality work products)

• Identify and Solve Employer Needs – In today’s world of work, a woman must be keenly aware of all of the skills she possesses and how they are of benefit to organizations in various industries. Constantly conduct ongoing environmental scanning, mentally evaluating “the state of organization development” in your field of expertise, as well as the employer’s needs, always looking to identify gaps in programmatic, tactical or operational capacity. These gaps can offer you opportunities to detail in your resume and cover letter how you can address these needs.

• Bottom Line Basics – Focus on the employer’s bottom line, Think bottom line…How did you contribute to improving a company’s economics? Think goals…. What did you do to further the achievement of organizational goals? Think about ways to exceed expectations? What standards or objectives did you surpass?

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BMEX 2009..Anita Davis DeFoe Joins CaribVoice Radio Visionary Aubry Padmore to Empower Entrepreneurs

Anita Davis DeFoe Joins CaribVoice Radio Visionary Aubry Padmore to Empower Entrepreneurs

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Anita Davis-DeFoe At Florida Conf. for Women

On May 12th, hundreds of women descended upon the Orlando Convention Center for the first annual conference for women.  In partnership with Women for Hire, I got an opportunity to critique resumes, share what I call “The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Resume Writing,” and sign copies of my new book, “Follow Her Lead: Leadership Lessons For Women As They Journey From the Backroom to the Boardroom.” It was a honor to be of service and meet so many extraordinary women traveling on their pathway to personal greatness!!

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