Last week, The Berger Institute along with The Kravis Leadership Institute and the Robert Day School of Economics hosted the 8th annual Women’s Leadership Workshop at the Athenaeum. Designed to connect 5C students with successful female leaders, the workshop featured alumnae from fields such as law, non-profit, consulting, and education.
The event started with an inspiring talk by Victoria Halsey, author and VP of Applied Learning at The Ken Blanchard Companies. Mrs. Halsey stressed the importance of communication in leadership. She pointed out that what sets a leader apart from others is their ability to overcome the assumed constraint of asking questions without fear. As women, we often believe that we need to do everything on our own when, in truth, leadership emerges from collaboration and extending a helping hand.
Following Mrs. Halsey’s talk, students were given the opportunity to briefly chat with alumnae about their experiences in the workforce. The alumnae I spoke with highlighted the value of combining one’s professional and social goals in order to excel. For instance, after hitting a plateau in her career, one of the alumna quit her job and sought a volunteer position as president of a non-profit organization. Non-profits pursue professionals with extensive leadership experience, but often cannot afford their desired wages. Temporarily moving to a volunteer-based position can enrich your experience and allow you to go back to the corporate world prepared to move up the ladder – all while giving back.