Dear Dana, What do they mean when they say I should be more "confident"? I recently had a boss tell me that if I want to get ahead I need to express “confidence leadership style.” I think I am confident but I keep getting this advice in order to further my career. My girlfriend says she gets the...
InPower Women Blog
Leadership, the Imposter Syndrome, and Being REAL
Do you ever feel like an imposter? Like someone will figure out you aren't up to the job you have? Guess what? The Imposter Syndrome is a thing. And it's a thing all kinds of leaders learn to deal with and overcome. Women. Men. Even people like you who are in exactly the right place at the right...
6 Things You can Do When You’ve Had Enough Of Sexual Discrimination & Self-Sabotage
Every woman reaches a point at least once in her life (most of us, many more), where the frustration of sexual discrimination, subtle undermining or personal self-sabotage we learned at the knee of the dominant culture smacks us in the face. You know it. It’s that moment of wordless disbelief,...
Is Stress Good For You?
When Stress Can Actually Be a Good Thing “I’m so stressed!”“This is so stressful!”“I don’t need stress in my life right now!” These commonly heard phrases all point to the idea that stress (and the difficult people who cause it) is something negative that needs to be eradicated from your life....
Women’s Empowerment Update: Progress in International Development
When Dana first announced The Woman Effect, which recognizes that gender balanced groups produce better results than gender-dominant groups, we noted that this philosophy was informing efforts to improve conditions for even the poorest countries. That was 5 years ago! We asked Jeff to give us an...
4 Things Women Need To Know About Mentors
Having a well-placed, successful mentor can be the difference between success and failure on the leadership track – but it is definitely more an art than a science for the mentor and the mentee. I recently started hosting a radio show interviewing CEOs of small-to-mid-sized companies. One question...
Trump and Women: Should We Be?
There’s a lot of confusion and anxiety running around the Internet these days, and it feels relentless, like we’re drowning in the next big thing every time a text alert comes in. When I started writing this, I was thinking of the Women’s March on Washington (and every other city center) that...
The Myth of Hard Work: Maybe You’re Really Not Enough
I’m a positive person and the recent election in the U.S. has dealt my positivity a serious blow. But I will do my best to turn it into a lesson we can all learn from. A week ago the world watched as a highly qualified Wellesley and Yale educated public servant, with decades of experience for...
Women Leaders: Communicate With Grit And Grace
“I know what I want to say, but HOW do I say it without getting ignored or killed?” In my experience as an executive coach, this question stymies women leaders as much as any other issue. Why? Because organizations often require women to operate within a painfully narrow stylistic range: nice, but...
The Leadership Effect
What if everyone woke up one day and decided to lead from inside their power? We all can. All you have to do is set your intention. And do it.
Watch this great video more for inspiration on your journey.








