Women Who Lead

Making Waves in Your Community

The theme for the INSPIRE! Celebrating Women event was set to be “The Ripple Effect.” It examines how one action can create big waves in the community and how one woman can make a difference well beyond those they directly impact. The event is canceled, but McGregor’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Lee Ann O’Brien recently wrote a LinkedIn article giving some more details about the type of women that excel at creating their own ripple effect in their communities.

Among the traits O’Brien recognizes in these extraordinary types of women: 

They wear many different hats.

Life is about transition, on both large and small scales. On a smaller scale, one can wear the hat of one role within an organization in one meeting while leading the discussion in the next. In a grander scope, one might wear the hat of the caregiver in their home as a younger person only to transition to the senior who needs assistance as they get older. Identifying roles and knowing how to adapt and adjust to all of them is a sign of leadership.

They take time to listen.

We never know when a great idea will present itself. We also miss out on many opportunities to address needs because we aren’t listening to them when they are being presented. Someone ready to make an impact is alert and attentive, and the most important way to execute those traits is by listening.

They live life with vigor.

Passion is the cornerstone of a leader making ripples. Ripples in the ocean need motion and force to be created. A passive lifestyle doesn’t lend itself to great change. In order to become an agent of change, one must truly believe in the pursuits they are following and act accordingly.

They dream big.

There is a theme to these last two traits. They involve people living big and dreaming bigger. In order to accomplish great things, you have to envision great things. Start with small actions – ripples become waves over time. But you must begin all actions with the end in mind and see the big picture when you start.

For more of these great and inspiring traits, read Lee Ann O’Brien’s article on LinkedIn.

“