After reading the profiles for SFBW’s Prestigious Women Awards, my first reaction is “Wow.” Our region is truly fortunate to have this amazing, talented collection of female leaders. It further reinforces what I experienced during the recent SFBW CEO Connect, “On the Heels of Success,” which is in the May issue of the magazine. The panel had four confident strong leaders, who are fully capable at handling the slights and attitudes of anybody standing in their way.
In reading through the awards profiles, it is gratifying to see women leading the way in fields that were traditionally male dominated. There are still profiles where women can point out, though, that they are a small minority in their chosen profession. It’s a slow steady grind to make change happen and I’m sure the journey isn’t done yet.
I think to my youth when Diahann Carroll played “Julia.” I had no idea that it was groundbreaking in showing an African American woman in a non-stereotypical lead role. (I just liked the show.) I loved Bea Arthur’s character “Maude,” as a strong woman who was not afraid to offer her opinions. I enjoyed watching Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes,” because he just seemed like a jerk. He got what was coming to him.
A slogan from an advertising commercial also popped in my head after reading the profiles, “You’ve come a long way, baby!” A VOA article describes it this way, “The ad campaign successfully captured the zeitgeist of the United States at that time with an image of a confident, tall, slender, pants suit-wearing woman on the go, mirroring the country’s mainstream awareness of the women’s rights movement, led by feminist Gloria Steinem, Bella Abzug, Betty Friedan and many other activists.”
If the journey of women leaders is a marathon, I’m not sure how many miles they have to go, but they have come a long way.
Women have been busy rewriting career narratives and charting pathways that were uncommon just a few decades ago. (I think about the largely stereotypical occupations women had when I was growing up in a small Midwestern city.) Moreover, the great women leaders I know are more than just about empowering themselves and women. They are about empowering everyone in their organizations, their children and, well, everyone they touch.
I’ve seen during my career how the best women leaders carry on with intelligence, street smarts, savviness, wit, grit, determination and grace. They not only inspire women, but guys like me. I would not be the man I am without the key female mentors in my life.
In these times of divisiveness, great women leaders still find a way to project diversity and inclusivity. There’s an openness in their approach.
I am fortunate at Lifestyle Media Group to work with an amazing group of female leaders. Brandi, Monica, Mel, Michelle and Kim, here’s to you!
Thanks to all of the honorees for being the leaders that you are and for making South Florida a better place!
Make sure to check out a video recap of the event and all the photos from the luncheon.
