Sandra Rupp's Davos Diary: The Yin & Yang of Leadership

FAVORITE QUOTE: “A hunch is creativity trying to tell you something. ~ FRANK CAPRA

UPDATE Sandra’s Cannes Lions Videos were Top VIDEOS on Twitter for a Search of “Cannes Lions” all week during the Ad Festival for Creativity. THE FEMININE Leader VOICE (also a Top Image on Day One on Twitter)  has arrived at Cannes. Yin/Yang.

ORIGINAL POST: Leaders, I participated in the Mofilm Video Contest for Cannes Lions this year. I submitted videos for three brands. Here I share thoughts on why the Feminine Voice is so important to the Ad & Media industries . I read recently that television viewing can decrease self-esteem in children except for white males via Science Daily. I got to thinking, what if we had stronger Feminine and Diversity Role Models in television programming and in advertising. My father was a pioneer in the Broadcasting business running a company, and one of my first post-MBA jobs years ago was working in Media, so this topic is important to me. I read in Ad Age that just 3% of Creative Directors at Ad Agencies are women, yet women are such a creative group! We have 16% female Board members in the US, so this figure is surprisingly low.  There is even a 3% conference being organized to discuss it (gentlemen, you are invited & to help sponsor it). Did you know up to 85% of the people who make or influence purchasing decisions are the Ladies? I would love to work together with CEOs to get more of a Feminine/Yin Leader Voice in Advertising. Here is an interesting article from Fast Company called “The Case for Girls.” My strong hunch is that we would create a stronger economy and world if everyone had great role models that they could identify with…and yes, you can wear a pretty dress and be a leader!

Leaders, I have a request: if you are putting together a panel of speakers, please make sure the panel is as diverse as the audience. Here are more thoughts. I look forward to your thoughts as well. Yin/Yang. And fingers crossed for more feminine voice winners at Mofilm & Cannes Lions. Best wishes from Sandra. Contact: www.parthenonadvisors.com www.sandrarupp.com

Be sure to check out her next post on on THE CEOs WHO INSPIRE HER.