Amy M. Wilkinson · Leadership Development Expert

With an unprecedented 278 women running in Senate, House, and Governor races this year, 2010 has aptly been dubbed “the year of the woman.” Look closer and you will see that this surge of women is led by a number of businesswomen throwing their hats into the political arena.

In California, Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett Packard is the Republican nominee for Senate, and Meg Whitman, former CEO of eBay, is the Republican nominee for Governor. Across the country, Linda McMahon, former head of World Wrestling Entertainment is the Republican Senate nominee in Connecticut. Alex Sink, who…

Transparency is like a Chanel suit in that it’s always en vogue when it comes to professional endeavors. And while being totally honest and open can have its challenges—pointing out your own foibles is never pleasant—it will ultimately make you more effective in your professional life.

Here’s how:

1) Transparency encourages productivity – Being open with your staff about worries, weaknesses, budget restrictions, and other tensions will make you a more reliable and relatable leader. Authentic leadership creates a tighter, more invested team, ushering in better results. Honesty allows o…

Employing an estimated 40 million people and the subject of business courses in over 30 universities, social entrepreneurship is clearly in vogue. But that’s not to say that it is just a passing trend.

What is it, you ask? Social entrepreneurship is the practice of applying business and entrepreneurial principles to tackle social ills. For social entrepreneurs, success isn’t only measured in dollar signs, return-on-investment is measured by return-on-impact as these innovative leaders build organizations for social good. And with impressive triumphs globally, social entrepreneurship is h…

Whatever your professional goals are for the coming year, here’s a resolution suggestion that will help: Use a digital calendar. I’m not just talking about using a digital calendar to keep track of meetings and birthdays—although, if you’re still using a paper one, you might want to jump into the digital age! I’m talking about organizing yourself to be as effective as possible.

Here are a few ways to enforce your own deadlines and optimize your effectiveness in the coming year.

Set aside time—Use your calendar to block off time for tasks you know you should be doing, but never ge…

With the yuletide season in full swing, holiday get-togethers abound. What’s important to remember as you connect and reconnect is that these occasions provide a unique chance to build on each others’ ideas. The winter holiday season comes only once a year so you should seize it. Boning up on networking skills is a good idea.

The term networking for many has a negative connotation as it conjures up images of those who take. In fact, a person who is able to connect effectively is one who finds ways to unlock shared opportunities. Asking a question, lending a perspective, or providing …