Centered Leadership

November 28, 2011

Joanna Barsh Director at McKinsey & Co. introduces us to the Centered Leadership Model on The Mix TV. She has a compelling narrative for us to learn from.

JOANNA BARSH joined McKinsey & Company in 1981 and is a senior partner. Along with her consulting work, she leads the McKinsey Centered Leadership Project, whose goal is to help develop women leaders. Joanna is a New York City Commissioner of Women’s Issues and received the Girl Scouts Council Woman of Distinction Award and the National Council of Research on Women Award. Joanna is also a trustee of Sesame Workshop. She was a Baker Scholar at Harvard Business School.

The Five Dimensions of Leadership

Meaning. The sense of meaning is what inspires women leaders,
guides their careers, sustains their optimism, generates positive
emotions, and enables them to lead in creative and profound ways.
Framing. To sustain herself on the path to leadership and to function
as a leader, a woman must view situations clearly, avoiding
downward spirals, in order to move ahead and create solutions.
Connecting. Nobody does it alone. Women leaders make meaningful
connections to develop sponsorship and followership, colleagues
and supporters, with warmth and humanity.
Engaging. Successful leaders take ownership for opportunities
along with risks. They have a voice and they use it. They’re also
adaptive and collaborative.
Energizing. To succeed long-term and to accommodate family
and community responsibilities, women leaders learn to manage
their energy reserves and to tap into flow.

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