My Interview with Gabrielle Bernstein, Founder of HerFuture.com

I had the privilege of sharing my musings on millennial women's leadership with Gabrielle Bernstein, Founder of HerFuture.com this week. I've included highlights from the interview below. To read our entire interview, join the HerFuture.com network as a mentor or mentee.

Gabrielle: How do you define leadership?

Alexia: It's really the mission statement of my company- harnessing your values, strengths, enthusiasms, and resources to lead people towards solutions that are successful, sustainable, and make a positive social impact. Good leadership is authentic leadership. You start with who and what you are, and then you can build a team of people who are ready to go on the journey with you.


G: What is the number one tip you'd give a young woman in this economy?

A: Breathe, and then bulldoze forward. It's so easy to lose one's sense of self with the constant bombardment of crisis messages being fed to us right now. The reality is that perfection is the enemy of progress. There is no such thing as the perfect resume, the perfect cover letter, the perfect LinkedIn profile, or the perfect tweet. Get your networking materials in order. But more importantly, get out there, ask good questions, provide value, and figure out how to share what you know with others in a way that is irresistibly attractive.


G:What are employers saying about Generation Y/Millennial employees?

A: They believe that we have infectious enthusiasm. An insatiable desire to learn and grow. Can multi-task and pitch ideas until we're blue in the face. However, a lot of employers believe that these assets can also be limitations. There's a stereotype that we want it all yesterday, and that when we don't get it, we tune out and under perform. The key to building and sustaining professional success is knowing how to shape our curiosity, eagerness, and desire to produce innovative, valuable results in a way that enables us to solve the short and long-term problems are employers experience. Unfortunately, we can't just align our strengths and interests with our own agenda.


G:What tips would you offer to young women who want to be leaders but have a hard time seeing themselves this way?

A: Make a list of the thoughts, beliefs, feelings, and attitudes you are carrying around with you on a daily basis. Note the ones that are enabling you to get in your own way of being an effective leader (e.g. I get nervous when I speak in front of a crowd or I don't have anything to contribute yet). Re-shape them into statements that unlock possibilities rather than reinforce limitations (e.g. Each time I speak in public, I'm sharing my value or I'm really great at nurturing the talent in others so that's what I'm going to focus on). Then, figure out your strengths- I highly recommend doing the assessment associated with Clifton's StrengthsFinder 2.0- and make sure that you build yourself a career where you are able to play to these strengths the majority of the time. As a culture, we think that we should focus on overcoming our weaknesses. While there's nothing wrong with re-framing these areas as "opportunities for growth," the research has proven that we will always grow the most in our areas of our strength. So that's what we should focus on.


G: Your mantra is "You have to show up at 100% to play at 100%." What are 3 ways you recommend women can be leaders in their everyday life?

A:Because I believe that good leaders are successful, sustainable, and make a positive social impact, I'm going to give you one strategy per category.
1) To be successful- I believe that our greatest successes come when we collaborate with others. Each day, invest in playing at work, at home, and in the community with a power posse behind you. A team thrives when each member fulfills a different role based on his/her unique strengths. Know what you do best, and surround yourself with people who possess a different, complimentary set of strengths.
2) To be sustainable- If you want to grow others, you must grow yourself first. Stress is so last millennia. Work-life balance is the rage now. Lead by example in this area by investing in your self-care. Make sure you schedule at least 30 minutes each day to relaxing and renewing.
3) To make a positive social impact- Recycle the Box. While this can be literal (I challenge all leaders to make choices that are good socially, economically, and environmentally), I also mean this figuratively. We put boxes around what we can achieve all of the time. It's not enough to break down those boxes. We need to throw them up in the air and not hold on to them until we've re-shaped the box into an object that launches us to success.


Discover your future or help a young woman connect with hers. Join HerFuture.com.

Green Jobs: What They Are and Where to Look for Them Part I

Here is an excerpt from Part I of my series for EmploymentBlawg.com on green jobs. To read the entire post, please CLICK HERE.

Take a Look at These Real Job Openings

• Analyst
  Technical Billing/Financial Analyst with 3+ years of experience to support performance based energy conservation program. Requires BS in Engineering or Accounting. Specific experience in analysis of energy savings calculations a plus. LEED or CEM certifications also desired.
  Pay: $28-$33/hour.
• Horticultural Society Community Environmental Educator
  Community environmental educator to engage children and teens of local schools in growing own organic food and exploring important role of plants in our lives. Applicants should have horticulture/science and teaching experience, excellent communication and problem solving skills, and have worked in diverse, community environment.
  Pay: $35,000-$40,000.
• Environmental Engineer Position with Environmental Protection Agency
  Drinking water contaminant control research team leader. Requires engineering degree, at least one year of specialized experience comparable in difficulty and responsibility to federal GS-12 grade level, and successful completion of written test.
  Pay: $83,523.00 to $108,582.00.
• Rising Sun Energy Center Hiring Sustainable Operations and Office Manager
  501 (c)(3) organization provides comprehensive energy-efficiency services and education. Full-time exempt position performing key operational and financial support. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required, with undergraduate coursework in environmental policy/science, finance, non-profit management or business administration a plus.
  Pay: $40,000-$50,000/year.

What Do These Jobs Have in Common? They Can All Be Considered “Green Jobs.”

While there are nearly as many different definitions of a green job as there are new green job opportunities, at its core, a green job is a position that stimulates the economy, makes a positive social impact, and is good for the environment.

Such positions are cropping up in corporations, nonprofits, small businesses, the government, think tanks, elementary and secondary schools, and universities across the country.

They can be found in such seemingly disconnected fields as business and finance, construction, renewable energy, education, marketing, law, city planning, fashion design, and hospitality, among others.

Even if your field has yet to be impacted by our nation’s transition to a green economy, keep reading. For it will.

Presidential Leadership, the Stimulus Act, and Green Jobs

While it may feel easy to get lost in the constant onslaught of green job spin, Kermit the Frog is singing a new tune these days because it’s never been easier bein’ green (and getting paid to do it!)

CLICK HERE to finish this article.