As I go about my day, I wear a hat or two or three. I’m a Mom, a wife, a non-profit executive, a CEO, a board member, an investor and a few other things. Across them all, it it all ties back to one thing. I need the help and support of others to get the job done. This week, at one of my many meetings, a fellow board member shared a thought that has really stayed with me. “We need to provide value BEFORE we ask for support.” As I have continued through my week, that message kept coming back to me. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Joan Koerber-Walker
What’s Your CorePurpose? How will you achieve it?
This week, Tuesday in fact, I have my first BIG meeting as the President and CEO of AZBIO, the Arizona BioIndustry Association. It’s probably the most important meeting we will have all year – the first phase of our strategic planning process.
There will be other important events and meetings through out the year, but this one lays the foundation for what we will do and who we will do it for.Continue reading
Help! I’m chained to my desk!
We’ve all been there. Those times when we have so much to do that we’re just not sure how it will all get done. Emails are pouring in. Reports are due. The phone won’t stop ringing. New social media communication tools are pinging you from all sides. A new crisis has just popped up and you have not finished dealing with the old one! Each forms a link in a chain that has you attached to your desk. Continue reading
Responsibility, Leadership and Noblesse Oblige
Leadership is a popular word these days. Consultants preach it, journalists either praise it or bemoan it, companies, boards investors and customers demand it.
The days when leaders were anointed at birth, except in a very few cases, are long gone. Today’s leaders may have great power… or none depending on the authority they wield. But whatever level that may be, with leadership comes a corresponding measure of responsibility.Continue reading
Do you have a snowball’s chance in …
When it comes to leading an organization, finding the right fit for both the leader AND the team is critical to success. When the fit is all wrong, you don’t have a snowball’s chance in … well you know what I mean. Continue reading
Are you a class act?
Over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting some pretty amazing people. Some were captains of industry, others were politicians, scientists, professional athletes, engineers, artists, celebrities or brilliant thought leaders.
Each, in their own way, was at the top of their personal game and it showed, not just in their accomplishments, which in some cases are legendary, but in the way they treated people. Each one was a class act.Continue reading
Success Tip: Taking the First Step
If you are like most entrepreneurs, you have BIG plans. The success journey can be a long one and you are eager to take that first step. The question is…which one should it be? Like a toddler who is taking those first tentative steps, some will be met with words of encouragement and applause and others many have you landing on your backside with a thud. Either way, if you don’t pull yourself up and step forward, you will never get anywhere.Continue reading
When change matters, step up, step out and speak up.
We’ve all been there. Sitting with a group in the break room, the boardroom or over lunch when the conversation shifts to what’s wrong with our team, our business, our community or our lives.
It’s so easy to point out what is wrong. Words fly. The passion is inspiring. Each idea builds on another . Then, oops, you look at the clock. Time’s up and you go back to work and keep on doing things the same way you have always done them before.Continue reading
Business and the Writing on the Wall
What does what you say about your business say to your customers? Can they read the writing on the wall? If customers can’t quickly understand just what you are offering them, it’s likely you may never get the chance. No matter what your business is or how big or how small, the way you tell your story is key to success.Continue reading
Success Tip: Lead–Grow–Volunteer
Often when I am speaking with an audience or sharing ideas with leaders and entrepreneurs, I hear a question that starts like this: “How did you get people to give you a chance to …”
It’s a recurring theme. We want to lead. We want to grow. We want to make a a difference. So, how do we get people to give us a chance to do it? In 2010, I had the opportunity to share ideas with the Society of Women Engineers. We we focused on the 5 C’s that build success. One of those C’s is Community. Here is what happens when you get involved in your community and volunteer.Continue reading