Rethinking Women and Leadership - Adelphi COACH Event Provided Knowledge and Inspiration for Up-And-Coming Women Professionals

Adelphi's Office of Alumni Relations presented a panel discussion on March 23, entitled Women COACHing Women, which discussed how to be an effective woman professional and leader, as well as how to overcome obstacles to achieving this goal. End Quote

New York, NY (1888PressRelease) April 06, 2011 - On March 23, Adelphi University's Office of Alumni Relations hosted a panel discussion through its Count on Alumni for Career Help (C.O.A.C.H.) program titled Women COACHing Women, which focused on how to be an effective woman professional and leader. The panel included Anita D'Amico M.A. '78, Ph.D. '84, director of Secure Decisions, Applied Visions, Inc; Elaine Glottstein '69, owner of Elaine Glottstein Interior Design Ltd; and JoAnn C. O'Hagen M.S. '82, retired market president of JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. Long Island/Queens Middle Market; and was moderated by Teresa Savory M.B.A.'94, diversity officer of Chartis US.

During the course of the evening, the panelists spoke about the obstacles that women must overcome to gain positions of power and how to successfully achieve this goal. They noted that it is easier now more than ever for women to enter the professional world but that challenges and gender barriers do still exist. The three women shared their own experiences of how they climbed the ladder of success, and explained techniques to women of all ages in the audience on how they can create their own success stories in the professional arena.

In order to be an efficient woman leader, one must, "learn to communicate effectively and precisely in any format. It's critical to always be professional: act, dress, and speak professionally. Always be honest, don't compromise you're integrity. Also, work hard and have a good work ethic," said Ms. D'Amico.

The group also discussed qualities that good leaders-both men and women-embody, and how important these are in order to be effective and respected in a powerful position, particularly as a woman. "A hallmark of really good leaders is a genuine interest in people. They don't exercise power, they inspire others," said Ms. O'Hagen.

Finding a balance between work and personal/home life is one of the more difficult challenges for professional women. This portion of the panel began with advice from Ms. O'Hagen, "You have to be realistic. You can have it all, but not all at once. The world today is more of a meritocracy: you have ways to understand actual results so it's easier to find a balance because you have a goal, you know what you have to do. Make your priorities explicit."

In addition, the trio covered how to promote and assert oneself as a woman without seeming overly aggressive, misconceptions about women leaders, and what drives and sustains each of them as leaders. "You have to believe in yourself and that you know what you're doing [as a professional]," said Ms. Glottstein.

Faculty, alumnae, students and aspiring professional women benefited from the panel's knowledge that they will face obstacles, but they too can overcome them. "The panel was very informative, I learned that as a woman, especially in the work place, you will encounter challenges…but it all depends on how you…handle the situation. Also, let yourself be known, and give yourself credit when [its] deserved," said Malika Grayson '11, a physics major at Adelphi and president of Females Of Culture Untied for Success (F.O.C.U.S.).

A "great [piece of] advice was to say at least one comment in whatever meeting you are attending. Another piece of advice is: be curious! We always need to continue our education outside of school [and] take time to self-educate," said Cara Bloncourt '11, a finance student at Adelphi and vice president of the Beta Alpha Psi Honor Society.

C.O.A.C.H. provides alumni of Adelphi University the opportunity to provide industry and career information as well as encouragement to current students and fellow alumni as they enter their chosen field. To learn more about C.O.A.C.H., please contact Associate Director of Alumni Relations Jennifer Boglioli, at (516) 877-3261 or boglioli ( @ ) adelphi dot edu dot Find more upcoming C dot O dot A dot C dot H dot events online dot

About Adelphi University:
Adelphi is a world class, modern university with excellent and highly relevant programs where students prepare for lives of active citizenship and professional careers. Through its schools and programs-The College of Arts and Sciences, Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Honors College, Ruth S. Ammon School of Education, University College, and the Schools of Business, Nursing, and Social Work-the co-educational university offers undergraduate and graduate degrees as well as professional and educational programs for adults. Adelphi University currently enrolls nearly 8,000 students from 41 states and 60 foreign countries. With its main campus in Garden City and centers in Manhattan, Hauppauge, and Poughkeepsie, the University, chartered in 1896, maintains a commitment to liberal studies in tandem with rigorous professional preparation and active citizenship.

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