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A renewed direction for humanarts
Integrity is a word that gets
tossed around a lot in the press these days.
Emphasis has been placed on the moral conduct
of leaders and ethical standards have been written
into corporate codes. The word itself is used
in many company mission statements, and if you
visit my revised about
HumanArts' webpage, you'll find that it's
written into mine. We're talking integrity up
- big time! But the integrity I'm talking about
goes far beyond Webster's first definition --
"firm adherence to a code," to the
second, "the quality or state of being complete
or undivided."
Management consultant
James O'Toole believes that the first definition
of integrity alone is not sufficient for leaders.
He states in his book, Leading Change,
"the leader needs that related type of integrity
that has to do with 'selfness,' with the integration
of one's personality. Integrity in this sense
refers to the much admired trait of wholeness
or completeness that is achieved by people who
are said to have healthy self-confidence and
self-esteem. People with integrity 'know who
they are.'"
Knowing "who you
are" takes time. Becoming an authentic, whole
person requires courageous commitment to travel
unfamiliar paths filled with aggravating potholes,
enlivening promises, and all sorts of strange
and wonderful people. And it's the people, most
of all, who help us discover our many "selves,"
all the parts of our personalities that make
us complete.
Now I've been traveling
for almost 50 years (a painful, yet honest confession:^),
but I wouldn't trade my journey toward wholeness
for anything in the world. It's led me out of
an abusive partnership and an unethical company
- relationships I chose to learn from, then
let go of with grace. It led me to risk safety
and security to explore the world on my own.
While traveling, I discovered people I never
imagined I'd meet - a Norwegian "sister" who
mirrored my strength; an Asian angel who nurtured
the helpless side of me; an obstinate Italian
man who challenged me to stand my ground; a
loving Turkish man who opened my heart to pleasure.
Who knew how these
connections would change my life forever. Who
knew they'd serve as catalysts to reach beyond
my comfort zone and expand my inner voice. God
knows, I still have a ways to travel, and you
may as well. But experience has taught me that
the load gets lighter and the path clear once
we choose to lead our lives and organizations
with integrity. Integrity is a choice. Integrity
strengthens when we tell the truth and choose
to act in authentic ways. It builds when we
choose to release judgment and accept others
for who they are, especially those individuals
who push our buttons and drive us to run away
or rebel. Integrity weakens when we deny our
true voice and use pretense to mask feelings,
squelch desire, and hide insecurities. It weakens
when we choose to conform to other's expectations
instead of believing in the person we are meant
to be.
After nearly 50 years,
I've finally become clear of who I'm meant to
be and the purpose of my work. Quite a long
and winding road, but it's been an incredibly
rewarding journey. I now can state without a
doubt that my job is to serve individuals who
want to be true to themselves; to help them
engage in authentic relationships to support
their growth and fulfill their desires; and
to focus the energy and commitment of groups
of people, helping them integrate their talent
and unify their authentic power for a common
purpose.
I'll be writing articles about my work and the people I serve in future additions of the HumanArts Connection. My hope is that you'll continue to journey with me, even though I've left the great artists behind. I've loved writing about them, and I've heard from many of you, that you've enjoyed their inspiration, as well. I promise they'll still show up on the page from time-to-time, for you see, their work has become an integral part of me.
Research has proven that
the higher women climb, the more profitable
companies become. Executive
Women's Connection helps business
increase profits by helping women develop empowering
networks of support that expand their whole
leadership capacity. Using a sustainable model
of learning built on the unique experiences
of women, participants gain deep insight into
the critical choices they must make to deliver
key results and advance their careers with integrity.
This distinctive
process engages small groups of non-competitive
corporate directors and VP's to participate
in a 5-month learning process. We incorporate
a variety of "contextual" learning methods based
on the latest research on women's executive
growth, including: conversational teleforums,
one-on-one coaching, and a residential retreat
in a glorious country setting on the outskirts
of Atlanta -- Serenbe. Program topics and structure help women:
- Shatter their internal glass ceiling by
reframing beliefs that restrict their power
- Challenge conventional wisdom and take
risks to achieve breakthrough results
- Reduce stress by venting frustrations and
practicing self-management strategies
- Create confidence, focus and balance by
clarifying values, vision and priorities
- Integrate what society defines as distinctively
masculine and feminine strengths
- Keep climbing toward the top, knowing they
have real lasting support
To develop a more
comprehensive understanding of Executive
Women's Connection and its value to your
organization, please join me in a virtual roundtable,
Leading Women's Growth: Research
& Relevance, Wednesday, July 20 at 1:00
EDT. To register for this complimentary
forum, email
your name, company name, business phone number,
and number and name of guests attending. I will
email conference information and PowerPoint
internet access to you on July 16.
For details on Executive
Women's Connection, click here.
 We all know that women have the
prerogative to change their minds. And men,
well they're skillful at tuning others out,
especially women who get all wishy-washy on
them! Why is this? Why do women and men think
differently and what impact is this having on
our world today? It all goes back to the cave
people, and to our evolutionary biology. Women
evolved to be "web-thinkers," while men developed
the capacity to think in "steps." Anthropologist,
Helen Fisher, provides a plethora of fascinating
research on the subject in her book, The
First Sex: The Natural Talents of Women and
How They Are Changing the World.
Visit the New York Times Books on the Web to
read chapter one.
Virtual Roundtable: LEADING
WOMEN’S GROWTH: Research & Relevance,
Wednesday, July 20 at 1:00 EDT. Join
Phyllis Carrera and Executive Women's Connection
co-facilitator, Elizabeth B. Loyd, LCSW, to
learn why it's essential for business to invest
in executive women's growth, and how to insure
a maximum return. To register for this complimentary
forum, email
your name, company name, business phone number,
and number and names of guests. Conference call
details, including online PowerPoint access,
will be emailed to you by July 16.
AUTHENTICITY: 3-part Executive
Women's Teleforum. Introductory
rate of $199 through July 31, 2005. Heighten
self-awareness and choose congruence over conflict
in being who you "say" you truly "want to be."
Groups of 5 leaders from non-competitive companies
join together for three conversational learning
forums that help clarify what it means to be
authentic, identify barriers that mask your
truth, and integrate new thought to insure you
lead your life and organization with integrity.
Groups are tailored-made and scheduled to support
the needs of participants. For details and registration
information, call 404-352-0340 or email
Phyllis with subject "Authenticity."
American Society for University Women,
National Convention: PURPOSE, POWER, PROGRESS.
June 24-27, Washington, D.C. Phyllis presents
Integrating Power: A Woman's Journey
of Choice. Visit www.aauw.org
for more information.
THE ART OF RENAISSANCE WOMEN,
Florence, Italy, Oct 2-5, 2005, starting at
$699. Space still available! Learn
the art of independent travel as your inspirational
guide, Phyllis Carrera, gracefully introduces
you to one of the most beautiful and culturally
rich cities in the world. Beginning at a 16th
century villa turned monastery hotel, you'll
imagine yourself a Renaissance woman, using
the her-story, art, and culture of the region
to rebirth your body, mind, and soul. Click
here for details.
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Click here to read an excerpt
Don't compromise yourself. You are all you got.
Janis Joplin
If you cannot find the truth where you are, where else do you expect to find it?
Ralph Waldo Emerson
We cannot deny our connectedness as we build our separateness.
Margaret J. Wheatley
We find genuine female authority within when we become the 'author' of our own identity.
Sue Monk Kidd
Conformity is the enemy of leadership.
Warren Bennis
To learn to speak in an authentic voice, women must 'jump outside' the frames and systems authorities provide and create their own frame.
From the book, Women's Ways of Knowing
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