With the number of devices, apps and websites we use to communicate with each other—in life and in the office—it seems easier than ever to screw up even the most innocuous message. This tech-infused reality seems to go hand-in-hand with complaints about the tech savvy, particularly the millennial...
Dana Theus
May The Force Be With You: An InPower Guide to Real Superpowers
When I was a kid I loved action movies and magic. I sprained my ankle jumping off a roof as a member of the Three Musketeers (not sure which one since we all thought we were D'Artagnan.) I read comic books and even wrote a fantastical story of star voyagers to mars. I had an imagination run wild....
Crying at Work – And Other Emotionally Intelligent Career Advancement Strategies
I’m not a cryer, but that doesn’t mean I’ve never found myself crying at work – or wanting to very, very, very, badly. Harsh judgements, bullies, layoffs, no sleep, big risks gone sideways, bad personal news crashing into our workdays…there are many good reasons that tears are an appropriate...
Mentoring: How to Help Yourself, and Your Team Grow
I have a complicated relationship with mentoring. Though I’d heard that mentoring was important, I never felt I received much mentoring early in my career, certainly not by anyone who looked like me (I only had one female boss, once, for three months). With decades of workforce experience under my...
INSIGHT: Fake It Or Make It
Every time I speak about building confidence I’m asked, “Can I fake it ‘til I figure out how to make it?” I usually ask the crowd their opinion. Vigorous discussion ensues, making my job really easy. Many have experienced the hollow feelings of inauthenticity that faking it brings, and they argue...
Workplace Bias is a Fact: How not to run a meritocracy (and 3 ways to try)
It's counter-intuitive that if we don't think we are biased, we probably are! But when you realize that bias is natural and that we all have it, then it makes sense that being aware of your bias is the best way to counter-act it. We love this advice from Dana on how to think about bias and work to...
How to Prove Yourself Without Working Twice as Hard (for Half the Credit) When You Have Reduced Privilege
It’s both a trope and a truth that working twice as hard will help you get ahead in your career. It’s also, not surprisingly, a key assumption that under-represented leaders assume they must overwork in order to prove themselves in order to advance their careers. Talk to most women, Black people...
The Weakness in Strengths-based Leadership
We love the strength’s-based leadership approach. It challenges us to know what our natural gifts are and build on them. But if we’re not careful it can make us blind to our opportunities to improve. – InPower Editors I recently worked with a Vice President who was an up-and-comer in her firm’s...
What are Long-Term Goals for Your Career and Why You Should Set Them
If you’re focused on achieving your highest potential, you need to set long-term goals for your career. In any situation, goal-setting gives you clarity and direction, which helps you stay focused. In career planning and strategy, however, goals are the critical piece in helping you achieve...
Archetypal Personal Branding: A Woman’s Best Business Friend
Practical experience and research both tell us that women struggle more than men to speak up and promote themselves. Even women who speak up often find it hard to “sell” themselves. If you’re on the corporate ladder this can slow (or stop) your climb; when you’re self-employed, it can kill your...