What is a “Role Model”? Our trusty dictionary tell us that a role model is: ” a personlooked to by others as an example in a particular role”. Now I was always taught that you can’t use the word you want to define in the definition so, what does it mean “…particular role..”? The first definition refers to the actor playing a part. The second one says: “a person’s or thing’s characteristic or expected function.” OK now we are getting somewhere. Does a woman in business need a role model to function day to day? Or does a woman in business learn by just observing another woman in business? Interesting questions. What is you own criteria for learning by observation?
All of these questions bring up some very interesting items that we as women in business give very little thought to. Think aboutg this one: you are in a femal business organization and you go to the meetings and attend a dinner with a speaker or two as your budget allows, how do you go about determining which one of those (at least 12) events you will attend? What is your criteria? While you sit there and listen and maybe jot a not or two down what are you listening for? Are you looking for a process to implement in your own business? Are you looking for a solution to a problem that you have in your own business and a way to solve it? Are you just there to have a meal and see what other women are accomplishing out there in the world?
Now here comes the kicker; what do you actually know about the person you are listening to? Where did she start, and what has her struggle been, and how in the world did she get “famous enough, sucessful enough, or whatever enough” to stand up there and speak to your group? Just because someone makes it up to the front of the room or sits on the couch next on a famous TV show doesn’t mean that they are worthy of blind following.
We each come to the table with the world as we have experienced it through our own set of colored glasses. That’s how we interpret our world and the events that happen to us through the vision of those glasses.
Let’s look at the three women out there are the US political campaign trail right now. Who of the three most impresses you as a female role model? I didn’t ask anything about policical affliations or who is the best for this job or that job. I just asked who impresses you most as a female role model? If you were doing a high school research paper on the comparsions and contrasts of each woman where would you go for your imformation and it can’t be the media? What would be your characteristics or traits of a female role model that you would like to follow one or two of her leads from?
Each of those three women wear many hats out in the real world, just like you and I do. How are they doing at their many roles? How are you doing? When they are beat down and discouraged and just too tired to put one more step in their day, what do you think they do? How about you?
This Wednesday night at 7:30 pm EST you can listen to a discussion about this very topic of Female Role Models within each of the architypes of the woman we call Eve. Please join me in a lively call. Call the free bridgeline at: 1-712-421-7726 and when prompted enter this pin code: 694962.
Let me know who your role model is and what it is that makes her “the one” for you.