Keep Your Nose Clean

Industry organizations are a great way to learn something new and receive terrific mentoring. Being a leadership advocate and a woman, I love organizations that foster leadership skills and do so for women. As someone who specializes in the media and entertainment industry, I have a deep personal admiration and respect for Women and Cable & Telecommunications (WICT). WICT is a national industry organization which was formed in 1979 and currently has over 7,000 members. It is actually the oldest and largest organization serving women professionals in the cable telecommunications industry. Their mission is to “advance the position and influence of women through proven leadership programs and services at both the national and local level.” Their “Touchstones of Leadership” guide all of their programs and initiatives and they include: know yourself, communicate, listen, connect, be a catalyst, be fearless and inspire.

WICT has made a strong impact through their twenty local chapters including the Southern California Chapter (SOCAL WICT). SOCAL WICT has been providing programs to bolster the leadership of women by such programs as their signature mentoring program, which pairs executive level women with aspiring leaders to foster their growth and development.

A key event and kick off for the mentoring program is their Mentoring Tea, which features several industry experts who rotate between tables of participants offering insights and advice to participants. I was fortunate to be one of those participants sipping tea at the Beverly Hills Hotel (I know, not a bad gig), eating scones with cream and learning about leadership in the media and entertainment industry.

The keynote speaker was Danielle Wade, VP Customer Care and Marketing at Bright House Networks. She was poised, elegant, eloquent, relatable and best yet...funny. I have met Danielle several times and what I admire most about her is her honesty and directness mixed with grace and humor.

Danielle shared several invaluable points about being a leader and succeeding. They are so great they are noted below. I hope you will enjoy these tips and put them into action:

1) Understand what you need to do to relate and be relatable

2) Find out who are the players - who has managed the "waters well"; what are their secrets

3) Have a personal Board of Directors - have varied members who deliver honest and forthright advice and feedback

4) Avoid the appearance of impropriety - keep your nose clean!

5) Represent yourself honestly

6) Test your limits - try it all before you assume you can't do it

7) Pick the things most important to you and just be them

8) Be authentic

9) Be resilient

10) Be daring

11) Be ready - you never know who is watching you at any given time

12) Pick something new to learn every year

13) Write down a roadmap of where you want to go - plan A, B and C

14)Write down three key goals you want to achieve by the end of 2010


One item Danielle didn't mention that I'll add in...be a mentor. Share your learning. Remember, great leaders pass on the learning and you too can be standing in front of a crowded room enjoying tea and scones and sharing your invaluable lessons.