Blogs

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Leadership Lessons: What Sandra Day O'Connor and Teenagers Taught Cookie Ruiz

Ann Daly
May 15 2012


Austin has no shortage of leaders who are respected, and even revered. But it’s safe to say that, among them all, Cookie Ruiz is our most beloved.

As executive director of Ballet Austin for 13 years, Cookie Ruiz has successfully led the company, alongside artistic director Stephen Mills,  onto the national and international arts scene. Even more than that, her vision, savvy, and soul  have touched almost every part of the Austin...

 
 
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10 Sure-fire Ways to Stop "Clenching"

Ann Daly
May 8 2012


Not unlike many of my high-octane coaching clients, "Maria" faced a constant problem. She got so caught up in the non-stop demands of her professional and personal life that she found herself stressed out to the point of shutdown. Physically exhausted, psychically stuck. It's a sort of extreme protection-reaction I call "clenching."

When we "clench," it becomes impossible for us to move or take action--literally and metaphorically. Like a muscle...

 
 
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4 Questions Politically Savvy Women Ask to Advance Their Careers

Ann Daly
March 26 2012


I love the title of Jane Horan’s book, because it captures my impulse for starting up Women Advance as an online career accelerator for younger women: “I Wish I’d Known That Earlier in My Career.” The subtitle, “The Power of Positive Workplace Politics,” captures one of the five career accelerator skills around which I’m building the site curriculum: social capital, networking, power, politics. Different words, same meaning:...

 
 
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Leadership Lessons from Austin Biz Journal Publisher Heather Ladage

Ann Daly
March 20 2012


When I met Heather Ladage five or six years back, she was circulation and marketing director of the Austin Business Journal, and it was easy to see that she was a rising star. I admired her talent, her energy, and her generous spirit. She’s someone you want to spend time with, and learn from. So I wasn’t surprised last month when Heather was named publisher of ABJ, after the retirement of...

 
 
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7 Lessons from a Power Summit

Ann Daly
February 20 2012


Power isn't complicated: Power is the capacity to get things done. To have impact. To make a difference.

Power isn't a thing that you have or you don't have. Power is fluid. It is constantly circulating and being negotiated. You ignore it at your own peril, your own impotence.

The UT Center for Women in Law just released a comprehensive report summarizing the Power Summit it hosted last...