“The world will be saved by the western woman.” – The Dalai Lama, Vancouver Peace Summit, 2009 

As I think about the Dalai Lama’s statement, I’m encouraged by the fact that I come from a long enduring lineage of powerful African American women; Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Oprah Winfrey, Maya Angelou, Iyanla Vanzant, Madam CJ Walker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Rosa Parks, Shirley Chisholm , Ella Baker, Aileen Hernandez, Dorothy Height, Gwendolyn Brooks, Lorraine Hansberry, Alice Walker, Wilma Rudolph, Jackie Joyner-Kersey, Marian Anderson, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Cicely Tyson, Mae Jemison, Barbara (Jordan and Lee), Shonda Rhimes, to name but a very small few…back to antiquity Auset, Queen Hatshepsut and Queen Nzinga.

Other powerful women who’ve made and are making a difference internationally include Mary Magdalene, Joan of Arc,

Mother Teresa, Indira Ghandi, Wangari Mathaai, Sobonfu Some’,

Benazir Bhutto, Ellen Johnson Serleaf, Isabel Allende,

Aung San Suu Kyi, Winona LaDuke, Wilma ManKiller,

Angela Davis, Josephine Baker, Dolores Huerta, Gloria Steinem, Yuri Kochiyama, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Queen Elizabeth II, and Michelle Obama.

Take a moment to think about your sheroes.

• What can you learn from and about women leaders of cultural and social traditions different from your own? 

• Are there one or two women who have been influential role models for you? 

• What qualities do these women have in common? 

• In what ways can you apply the lessons of their trials and tribulations to your life? 

• In what ways can you cultivate greater influence and leadership? 

• Is there a young woman that you could mentor?

Please share your view of the qualities and characteristics of women of influence, power and leadership that have made a difference in your life.

To learn more about your leadership capacity and potential, schedule a complimentary Cultivating Leadership Strategy Session with me. This is a 45-minute phone session to identify current challenges, explore new possibilities and determine next steps to leadership in your life. Schedule at: [email protected]

“Women of every color, ethnicity, spiritual, cultural and educational background around the world are evolving as leaders, visionaries and agents of change to restore balance, peace and justice to heal humanity and the world.” – Harriet Tubman Wright

Finally, Happy Spring!  Buds are opening, flowers are blooming and signs of new life abound!  Something beautiful and exciting is being renewed in my life!  Stay tuned. I’ll share more soon…