Karen Kibler was raised in a small farming community in Iowa and what many people don’t know about her is that she can weld and operate heavy equipment. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1977, and soon after relocated to Arizona and worked several jobs in the business sector from receptionist to business owner. At age 40, she began working on a PhD which she minted in 1997 from Arizona State University where she now serves as an Assistant Research Professor and the university Biosafety Manager. The focus of her current research is HIV vaccines and treatments. Read Full Story

Jane Austen, the English novelist who wrote romantic fiction was known for her biting social commentary in the 1800s. I believe she would have been an avid blogger if she was alive today and I imagine she would have thousands of connections in her LinkedIn profile. As much as I adore Jane Austen’s work, whenever I re-read her novels or watch a movie or BBC mini-series of her work, it makes me appreciate the modern times in which I live.

Jane’s plots, although often comic, highlight the dependence of women on marriage to secure social standing and economic security. She was a rare bird to be a female published author in her day. Thankfully, times have changed and modern women can make their way in the world with or without a significant other in their lives. We have choices and have been empowered to lead authentic lives and forge careers that are meaningful to us as individuals.

Jane Austen would have been inspired by Tracy Robbins, the highest ranking woman and Executive Vice President of Global Human Resources for Intercontinental Hotels Group, PLC. Tracy shared 4 tips for success in a recent interview that we can all learn from.

1. Stretch Yourself – take on projects that have potential to make a big impact on your career and your life. Make those accomplishments visible and find authentic, effective ways to promote your achievements.
2. Be Yourself – be genuine in your life and career choices. Don’t fake-it to fit in or get ahead on the job. Honoring your values and passions will reap greater rewards in the long run.
3. Have Fun – laughter breaks down boundaries. Add some levity to each day and don’t take yourself too seriously. Develop your sense of humor and enjoy a good hearty laugh – it’s good for your health.
4. Develop Your Team – be relentless, caring, and tenacious about developing your team. Surround yourself with great people who do what you can’t and support them and encourage them to achieve success together.

I dare say that Tracy’s words of wisdom would be applauded by Jane Austen!

Former Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright is paving the way for the future women leaders of the world and unlocking the door to the proverbial good old boys club. At Wellesley College, Ms. Albright’s alma mater, a new Institute for Global Affairs named after her will be offering students around the world access to non-partisan lectures, seminars and internships with topics ranging from political science and economics to religion. The goal is to address the issues at the core of international societies and empower women leaders with an opportunity to make a difference.

Albright believes that women see the human part of issues and pursue power in order to do something with it, not just to have power for the sake of having it. With only 600+ women holding cabinet positions worldwide, Albright is on a mission to groom the next generation of women leaders.

At a recent professional development conference, I participated in a workshop with law and MBA students who described their top competencies for leaders. These women are the leaders of tomorrow in the business and legal arena and here is what they believe is important for leadership success:

• Good leaders should foster the potential of others in an organization.
• Optimistic leaders are more effective.
• Effective leaders learn to be assertive and not aggressive.
• Strong leaders are comfortable in their own skin and lead by being authentic and true to themselves.
• Successful leaders understand human motivation.

These emerging legal and business professionals have some great insight about what makes a leader successful. I’ll be discussing leadership in greater detail in a forthcoming blog post and I will share the wisdom of leadership expert, Deborah C. Stephens, my mentor and colleague. Cheers to Madeleine Albright for her efforts in blazing the leadership trail for women and may her new institute at Wellesley be a valuable resource for the future generation of female leaders.