Don't Let People Sidetrack You...Taylor Swift

“There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success… but if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you, someday when you get where you’re going… you’ll know that it was you and the people who love you that put you there.”

--Taylor Swift, Grammy Award-Winning Musician & Songwriter 

Follow @womenatliberty on Twitter or #WomenMakingHistory on Facebook for resources that help women to live better lives.

Are You Ready To Lead?

Happy #LeadershipTuesday! When fear drives our behavior, we operate from a position of scarcity and exclusion. We devalue people who are different from us because we perceive their uniqueness as a threat. That's not good leadership.

Great leaders build a team of talented players who have different strengths but play in such a way that they maximize the total value of the team. They develop people and help them see both their strengths and weaknesses as opportunities to partner with others. Great leaders recognize a team win is a win for everyone! 

Abuse of Power, Code And System...Frederic Bastiat

"When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men [or women] in a society, over the course of time they create for themselves a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it."  

--Frederic Bastiat

#LeadershipTuesdays: Leading Ethically...Linda Fisher Thornton

Ethical leaders set the tone for an organization. Their example is the levees for team members. How they handle breaches in organizational values will determine how the organization operates both internally and externally.

--Nona O., Founder, Women Making History/womenatliberty.com

Healing Starts On The Inside...Kevin Powell

"Healing starts on the inside, but our healing is affected by our environment. Seek an environment and community that facilitate and support your healing."

--Nona O., Founder, womenatliberty.com 

Stand Up And Do Something...Albert Einstein

"The world will not be destroyed by those who do evil, but by those who watch them without doing anything."

--Albert Einstein

#LeadershipTuesdays: Seizing Opportunity

"If a window of opportunity appears, don't pull down the shade." 

--Tom Peters

On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage and strengthen women leaders. Opportunity. We all want to get good opportunities and no bad ones. Good opportunities are ones that we are happy to receive. Ones where we believe that we can be successful. Bad opportunities invoke fear and dread in us and we believe that the outcome will not be worth our time or effort. We certainly don't believe that they will yield a successful outcome.

But what if we did not let fear or comfortability drive our decision? What if we put more value on how much we will learn, grow and contribute in the situation we are considering. It's easier to shrink away from challenges and situations that make us feel uncomfortable. However, l believe that leaders take on challenges, gain valuable experiences that they can share with others and grow their capacity to lead and function in a multitude of situations. Take the challenge and step out of the shade and your comfort zone. Open the window, pull up the shade and seize a new opportunity.






Follow #LeadershipTuesdays on Twitter, @LeadershipTues, to see daily posts with resources that help you develop and strengthen your leadership skills. Happy #LeadershipTuesday!

REPRESENT!

"You represent a people and culture the world will never know. They lived, toiled, suffered and then worked some more so that you could exist in this moment. So embrace this moment.

And as you go about your day and live your life, remember you represent their sacrifice and achievement. "You are your ancestors' wildest dreams." Now Represent!"

--Nona O.

Shoot Really High...Cori Gauff

"My goal was to play my best. My dream was to win. That's what happened. I think people just kind of limit themselves too much. Once you actually get your goal, then it's like, 'What do you do now?' I like to shoot really high so that way I always have many goals along the road, but that way you have the ultimate goal."

--Cori "Coco" Gauff, 15 year old professional Tennis player (2019) 

Get to know Coco Gauff:

Quote from: Meet Cori “Coco” Gauff, the 15 Year Old Who beat her Idol Venus Williams at Wimbledon Debut https://www.bellanaija.com/2019/07/meet-coco-gauff-the-15-year-old-who-beat-her-idol-venus-williams-at-wimbledon-debut/

Finding Your Passion...Gretchen Rubin

“What I do for my work is exactly what I would do if nobody paid me.” 

--Gretchen Rubin, Author of “The Happiness Project”

Follow @womenatliberty on Twitter or #WomenMakingHistory on Facebook for resources that help women to live better lives.

Servant-hood vs. Servitude...Gina Stewart

Impatience often hijacks servant-hood. There is a difference between servitude and servant-hood.  Servitude is involuntary. Servant-hood is voluntary. It's easier when you just decide, I'm here to help.You'll be surprised at how God will open the doors and the opportunities that God will create.

--Rev. Dr. Gina Stewart, Pastor, Christ Missionary Baptist Church, Memphis Tennessee

Follow @womenatliberty on Twitter or #WomenMakingHistory on Facebook for resources that help women to live better lives.

Now That's Beauty...Lupita Nyong'o

“You can’t eat beauty, it doesn’t sustain you. What is fundamentally beautiful is compassion for yourself and those around you. That kind of beauty inflames the heart and enchants the soul.”

—Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong'o 

Instagram, 2/12/19

Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o is currently starring in Academy award winning director Jordan Peele's latest horror film, "Us" , with Winston Duke (Black Panther), Shahadi Wright Joseph and Evan Alex. Check out the movie trailer below and get your tickets here. "Us" movie opens today, 3/22.

You Can Be...Salma Hayek

“You can be a thousand different women. It’s your choice which one you want to be. It’s about freedom and sovereignty. You celebrate who you are. You say, ‘This is my kingdom.'”
--Salma Hayek

*Follow @womenatliberty here: http://twitter.com/womenatliberty

Believe...Misty Copeland

"Be strong, be fearless, be beautiful. And believe that anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you."

--Misty Copeland

Misty Copeland wearing her Underarmour Signature Collection, MistySignature.

In June 2015, Misty Danielle Copeland made history when she was promoted by the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT) to principal dancer. The Kansas City, Missouri native who was raised in San Pedro, California was the first black principal dancer in the ABT's then 75 year history. Click here, MistyCopeland, for more information on this incredible woman who made history. 

Be Someone Better Each Day...Sidney Poitier

"I always wanted to be someone better the next day than I was the day before."

--Sidney Poitier

African American Film Critics Honor Sidney PoitierFebruary 2017

#LeadershipTuesdays: "Do or Do Not"...Mellody Hobson

"We don’t want to just admire problems, we want to try to find solutions to them. So, you have to truly believe that the world is changing and that you want your customers represented inside of your company, and you want to have different types of people and brains to come up with new and creative ideas. You have to truly believe that leads to a better outcome. ...Yoda said ‘Do or do not, there is no try.'”

--Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments

On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage and strengthen women leaders. Mellody Hobson, President of Ariel Investments, gave a courageous TED talk in March 2014 about an experience she had in 2006 of being mistaken for the "kitchen help" when she showed up with then Congressman Harold Ford for a lunch meeting at the offices of a highly regarded New York publication. Your first reaction is to chuckle and then you give a heavy sigh and side eye because you know that her experience is not funny at all.

Although Mellody has broken the glass ceiling and achieved success, she recognizes that other minorities and women are not being given the same opportunities to excel in their fields and reach the highest echelons of corporate power. With an authentic and courageous voice, she continues to champion diversity even though this is not her main gig. She actually runs an investment firm and sits on the board of a few firms including Starbucks and JP Morgan Chase. She says it’s time for less talk and more action. More of 'this is what we have accomplished' versus 'this is what we are trying to do'.

To watch her talk at Fortune's Brainstorm Reinvent conference in Chicago, go to our home page at womenatliberty.com. Or you may also view it here.

Follow #LeadershipTuesdays on Twitter @LeadershipTues to see daily posts with resources that help you develop and strengthen your leadership skills. Happy #LeadershipTuesdays.

Respectability Defined...Frederick Douglass

"A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me."

--Frederick Douglass

Madame Tussauds' Frederick Douglass 

Your Mission & Challenge: Are You Willing To Accept It?...Cheryl Sanders

"But the challenge, particularly in a Christian perspective, is how do we get along? I mean, how do we make reconciliation work? How are we truthful about the things that have separated us, and then how do we chart our course for the future so that everybody has a fair opportunity for a good quality of life?"

--Rev. Dr. Cheryl J. Sanders, Pastor, Professor, & Mathematician

Cheryl J. Sanders

Dr. Cheryl Sanders is Professor of Christian Ethics at the Howard University School of Divinity and Senior Pastor at Third Street Church of God in Washington, DC. Her research and teaching focuses on African American religious studies, bioethics, pastoral leadership. and womanist studies. She is the author of Ministry at the Margins (1997); Saints in Exile: The Holiness-Pentecostal Experience in African American Religion and Culture (1996); and Empowerment Ethics for a Liberated People(1995), as well as numerous articles. Sanders earned her BA at Swarthmore College and MA and Phd at Harvard Divinity School; she also holds honorary doctorates from Asbury College and Anderson University.

Self Love...Tyra Banks

"Self-love has very little to do with how you feel about your outer self. It's about accepting all of yourself."

--Tyra Banks

Source: http://twitter.com/TyraBanks

ModelLand Announcement: Iconic Supermodel turned Super Entrepreneur Tyra Banks announces her biggest venture yet, Modelland. A first-of-its-kind experiential attraction, Modelland will intersect a fantasy version of the modeling world with state-of-the-art interactive entertainment, creative collaborations, curated retail, dining and special events. The breakthrough new attraction is set to open in late 2019 at Macerich’s Santa Monica Place, the iconic open-air shopping, dining and entertainment destination just blocks from the beach in Santa Monica.

As the godmother of breaking beauty barriers, Banks continues her mission to bring modeling to the masses and expand the definition of beauty. Banks first let...

Read more: See Press Release, 

https://www.model-land.com

But Love...Elaine Welteroth

"We live in a world that trains women to believe the only love worth having is the kind that hurts. The love we must bend and shape-shift and perform for. 

But love—in its truest, purest sense—is just the opposite. Love is liberating. It is about expansion, not restriction. It creates even more space within you to actualize each and every part of you. When you give into it, when you GIVE it—to YOURSELF and to your partner—you expand in ways your old self never thought possible."*

--Elaine Welteroth

Elaine Welteroth is a former Editor-In-Chief of Teen Vogue, a speaker, journalist, and upcoming author. She made history twice: 1) She was named the youngest Editor-In-Chief in Teen Vogue history; and 2) In 2012, she was the first African American to hold the position of beauty and health director at a Condé Nast publication.

Her new book, More Than Enough, is due out June 2019. Follow her on Instagram at: http://instagram.com/elainewelteroth.

*This post is an excerpt from Ms. Welteroth's 2/14/2019 Instagram about her fiance, Jonathan Singletary.

Love's In Need Of Love Today

Good morn or evening friends
Here's your friendly announcer
I have serious news to pass on to every-body
What I'm about to say
Could mean the world's disaster
Could change your joy and laughter to tears and pain

It's that
Love's in need of love today
Don't delay
Send yours in right away
Hate's goin' round
Breaking many hearts
Stop it please
Before it's gone too far

--Stevie Wonder

Anyone Can Make A Difference...Mari Copeny

“Anyone can change the world no matter how small you are.”

--Mari Copeny, "Little Miss Flint"

MariCopeny.com

Mari Copeny is a eleven year who began her work as an activist when she, as an eight year old, wrote a letter to then President Barack Obama about the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. The President responded to her letter with a visit to Flint. Since then, Mari has been using her voice to advocate for clean water in her city as well as other projects that inspire and uplift children. You can follow her on social media at @LittleMissFlint.

Picture Credit: 

Lulu Brezzell

via Fortune, http://fortune.com/2017/09/12/include-u-challenge-day-12/

#LeadershipTuesdays: Lead By Example

“Lead by example. Don’t ask your folks to do something that you aren’t willing to do.”

--Rosalind Brewer, COO of Starbucks

On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage and strengthen women leaders. Last week Rosalind Brewer, Starbucks' Chief Operating Officer, was in the news when her appointment to Amazon's Board of Directors was made public. She is only the fourth woman and the second African American woman to become a member of Amazon's Board.

Rosalind has held many leadership positions and had great success at leading at companies like Sam's Club, a $56 billion line of business owned by Walmart, where she was the President and CEO; and Kimberly-Clark where she spent 22 years rising up the ranks. As the quote above suggests, Rosalind believes in a leadership philosophy that incorporates respect, transparency and candour. She says that we shouldn't ask people to do things that we are not willing to do. Ethical leadership is a combination of integrity, respect for the individual, and the willingness to do what you have asked others to do.

Rosalind Brewer has demonstrated over time that she is a leader who is also willing to stand up for what she believes. How she handled the backlash over her comments in 2015 regarding a Sam's Club supplier's lack of diversity, even in the midst of receiving death threats, spoke volumes regarding her commitment to her core values and beliefs. Her skills and experience as well as her commitment to diversity will be a great asset for Amazon. Congratulations to her on this appointment and best wishes for continued success.

Follow #LeadershipTuesdays on Twitter @LeadershipTues to see daily posts with resources that help you develop and strengthen your leadership skills. Happy #LeadershipTuesdays!

Being Black...Leontyne Price

"The way I was taught, being black was a plus, always. Being a human being, being in America, and being black, all three were the greatest things that could happen to you. The combination was unbeatable."

--Leontyne Price, World renowned Opera Singer

On February 10th, Diva Leontyne Price celebrated her 92nd Birthday. Happy Birthday #DivaLeontyne!

Born in Laurel, Mississippi in 1927, Leontyne Price was first influenced by her mother's musical ability. She played the piano and sung at church and school at an early age. When she was nine years old, she heard opera singer Marian Anderson sing in concert; that, Price said, "was what you might call the original kickoff" of her pursuit of a vocal career in opera.

By 1961, her debut as Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City landed her on the cover of Time magazine and made her a bonafide legend. However, she was already well known to opera lovers in major cities in the U.S, such as San Francisco, and abroad. Ms. Price has received numerous awards including 19 Grammys and three Emmys.

For more info on Ms. Price, visit:
https://www.arts.gov/honors/leontyne-price

Somehow, God...Frederick D. Haynes

"Faith means you keep on going anyhow. Faith means you don't feel it, but you do it anyhow. If I go on anyhow, God will handle the somehow.

Somehow God will make a way.

Somehow God will give you peace.

Somehow God will give you strength."

--  Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, Pastor, Friendship-West Baptist Church, Dallas TX

Frederick D. Haynes, III

Excerpt from Sermon, "Walk By Faith", see here: http://ow.ly/Ey4V30nE6ZC
Slightly edited for clarity.

My Focus, My Goals...Venus Williams

"I don't focus on what I'm up against. I focus on my goals and I try to ignore the rest."

--Venus Williams

CREDIT: Miller Mobley

In case you're not up to date on what Venus Williams has been up to especially with her business, EleVen by Venus, and her motivation for becoming an entrepreneur, check out this INC magazine profile, "What Made This Tennis Champion Become an Entrepreneur? Her Dad's Cassette Collection".

When God Gives You A Vision...Nadia Lopez

"When God gives you a vision: pray, prepare, and put all your fears aside. Your light was never intended to be dimmed; there will always be distractions, haters, and all type of doubt, but your assignment is to step out on faith and walk in your purpose." 💜

--Nadia Lopez, Educator, Principal, Author, & Speaker

Nadia Lopez
The Lopez Effect

Ms. Lopez is the founder and principal of Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brooklyn, New York. Her commitment to educating and changing the course of the lives of her scholars, the term she calls them instead of students, has been recognized with numerous awards and commendations at the highest levels of government. She is the author of "The Bridge to Brilliance: How One Woman and One Community Are Inspiring the World". 

Follow Nadia Lopez on Instagram at: @thelopezeffect. You may also view her TED Talk here: Why Open A School? To Close A Prison.

No. Thank You...Yara Shahidi

"What modeling taught me at a young age was how to say 'no,' which is something girls - we're not always good at saying 'no.' We want to be nice, and then we forget to look out for ourselves."

--Yara Shahidi, Actress and Model

Image credit: http://instagram.com/yarashahidi
https://www.instagram.com/p/BjYlUHanKGS

#LeadershipTuesdays: A Formula For Success...Arnold Donald

"Diversity is a business imperative. The key to innovation is diversity of thinking. Having people from different backgrounds and different cultural experiences who are organized around a common objective is far more likely to create breakthrough innovation than a homogenous group.

A diverse group aligned on a common goal with a work process that fosters true inclusion, equal respect, equal voice and an equal opportunity for each team member will outperform a homogeneous group every time." 

--Arnold Donald, CEO, Carnival Corporation 

On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage and strengthen women leaders. February is one of the most wonderful times of the year because it is the month that the United States has set aside to honor the history and contributions of African Americans. And we Carter G. Woodson to thank for creating this sacred practice. We are forever indebted to those him and the countless number of ancestors who came before us and never stop fighting for progress and a better life for those who would come behind them.

To day we recognize Arnold Donald who is the CEO of Carnival Corporation, a company most known for its Carnival Cruises and large luxury ships. However the company has rebranded themselves in recent years as a travel and leisure company. Donald is one of only three African American CEO's in the Fortune 500. His quote emphasizes that diversity and inclusion is not charity, but it makes good business sense. 

A 2015 McKinsey study stated that companies in the top 25th percentile for gender diversity on their executive teams were 15% more likely to experience above-average profits.  A later January 2018 report released by McKinsey presented data showing the likelihood had grown to 21%. (1) So, for businesses and leaders who want a competitive edge and want to outperform their competition, as Mr. Donald says, diversity is a business imperative. Diversity must not only be present in the top leaders, but it also must be visible throughout the company to be highly effective. When diversity wins, the business is more likely to be an innovator and winner, too.

Follow #LeadershipTuesdays on Twitter @LeadershipTues to see daily posts with resources that help you develop and strengthen your leadership skills. We look for and examine leadership everywhere, in politics, business, communities and entertainment. For more on #LeadershipTuesdays, go to womenatliberty.com.

Reference:
(1) Strauss, Karsten, "
More Evidence That Company Diversity Leads To Better Profits", Forbes.com, January 25, 2018
https://www.forbes.com/sites/karstenstrauss/2018/01/25/more-evidence-that-company-diversity-leads-to-better-profits/

Of The People...Ta-nehisi Coates

"The question is not whether Lincoln truly meant “government of the people” but what our country has, throughout its history, taken the political term “people” to actually mean."

--Ta-Nehisi Coates, Writer, Journalist and Author of Between the World and Me

Be The Queens That You Are...Suzan Johnson Cook

We come from a great people. Start thinking big, off the chain thoughts. Don't think about boxes, don't think about ceilings. Crush them, break them. We're crushing this thing, baby. Don't think about a box. Who says there has to be a box, anyhow? Start thinking big, huge thoughts.

I am a queen.

You don't know like I know, what [God's] done for me.

I'm fierce.

I'm fabulous.

I'm phenomenal.

I'm faith-filled.

I'm fun-filled.

I'm action-oriented.

And I've got a made up mind.

I'm a queen!

Oh yes I am!

--Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook, Author, Charisma Speakers CEO & 3rd U.S. Ambassador at large International Religious Freedom 

*Excerpt from "Be The Queens That You Are" sermon, January 26, 2019 (slightly edited for clarity) 

As A Black Woman...Tamron Hall

"I remember reading the cruelest, most awful thing about my hair online. A person speculated about who I was as a person and even read into my personal life based solely off my hairstyle. He or she said I must be lazy because I have short hair. It was just devastating.

We all have these challenges and stereotypes that exist, but you can't let that hold you down... If that's the first thing you think about as a black woman - the challenge that lies ahead - you are thinking in the wrong direction, in my opinion.

...I cannot - we cannot look at the roadblocks and see the road at the same time."

--Tamron Hall, Journalist, Philanthropist, & Talk Show Host

Tamron Hall is wearing a purple turban made by @thehatshopnyc to honor her late sister, Renate. It is available from thehatshopnyc.com and proceeds benefit SafeHorizon.org.

This Fall in September 2019, Tamron Hall will debut as the host of her own self-titled talk show and we're super excited! Tamron made history as the first black woman to co-anchor NBC News' Today Show in February 2014. Now this veteran journalist gets to bring her vision to life in a Disney/ABC syndicated talk show.

Stellar journalism skills, she's got that. Upbeat and engaging personality, she's got that. Award-winning Executive Producer, oh that would be former "The View" and Barbara Walters' Executive Producer Bill Geddie. So, she got that, too. 

Tamron, we can't wait to see the show and watch you shine. We're rooting for you!

For a sneak peak at the new show, "Tamron Hall", click here.

📷: http://instagram/tamronhall
https://www.instagram.com/p/BojVmPzFPHa/

Why We Must Protest...Mary McLeod Bethune

"If we accept and acquiesce in the face of discrimination, we accept the responsibility ourselves and allow those responsible to salve their conscience by believing that they have our acceptance and concurrence. We should, therefore, protest openly everything... that smacks of discrimination or slander."

--Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955)
"Certain Unalienable Rights," What the Negro Wants, edited by Rayford W. Logan (1944)

The Statue of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune
stands on the campus of
Bethune-Cookman University
in Daytona Beach, Florida.

In Search Of Better...Leah Hager Cohen

"Our civic life is heavily marked—indeed, pocked—by debates in which each side is so certain of its position that any movement is effectively impossible. For that matter, debate—in its original sense of “to consider something, to deliberate”—is impossible. We wind up with so much sound and fury and nothing gained."

--Leah Hager Cohen, I Don't Know: In Praise of Admitting Ignorance

#LeadershipTuesdays: A Leader With Integrity

"There are some things that money can’t buy… like manners, morals and integrity."

--Unknown

On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage and strengthen women leaders. There are some qualities that are integral to a person who desires to be an impactful leader. One of those characteristics is integrity. People must be able to trust that there is consistency between the words you speak and your actions. This in fact builds trust which is the foundation of any lasting relationship between a leader and those he or she leads.

Secondly, people want their leaders to speak truth. Truth-telling is an external demonstration of an internal moral code. It signals that your words can be trusted.

Lastly, people also want you to care about how your decisions affect them. We saw so many examples of this during the government shutdown. With more than 800,000 federal employees going more than 30 days without a paycheck and some having to still go into work because they were deemed essential, hundreds demonstrated in the U.S. Senate's Hart Office building during the week of January 21st, the 33rd day of the shutdown. For 33 minutes they stood in silence, many held signs and messages written on paper plates saying "federal workers are going hungry."

Image: @KellyO, Twitter, Kelly O'Donnell, NBC News 

The negative impact of the government shutdown extended beyond just the furloughed workers to other contractors and businesses who depend on revenue from the federaI government. Federal contractors were also sent home without pay and will not receive back pay when the government re-opens.

Last week, discontent was exacerbated when it was reported that U.S. Secretary of Commerce, billionaire Wilbur Ross, who leads more than 46K government employees with an estimated 86% furloughed, stated that federal employees should go to the bank and take out a loan to pay their mortgages, rent and food expenses because they were guaranteed to receive back pay. His comments were largely viewed as out of touch.

View video: https://wapo.st/2CSpWr0 washingtonpost.com

There is no getting around it. People want their leaders to tell the truth, act with integrity and understand how their decisions affect people in the organization. For more information on how essential integrity is to a leader, read "Leadership character: The role of integrity" by Colonel  Eric Kail.

Follow #LeadershipTuesdays on Twitter @LeadershipTues to see daily posts with resources that help you develop and strengthen your leadership skills.

Sources:
1. Federal workers protest at Senate office building by Michael Burke, TheHill.com, 1/24/19
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/federal-workers-protest-at-senate-office-building/ar-BBSE9v5
2. For federal contractors, the shutdown isn’t quite over by Ian Kullgreen, Politico.com, 1/28/19
https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/28/federal-contractors-shutdown-not-over-1125034

Preparation For Defining Moments...Nona

Prepare your children to make tough decisions by teaching them values, helping them to understand their own strengths and weaknesses and showing them how to empathize with others.

--Nona O. 

#LeadershipTuesdays: Think For Yourself To Become Your True Self...Edmond Mbiaka

"Being your true self can only come from separating your thinking from crowd mentality."

--Edmond Mbiaka

On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage and strengthen women leaders. The latest feature honored Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the commemoration of his 90th birthday. Click on the link to read "His Dream Still Speaks To Us".

For more information on #LeadershipTuesdays, follow us at @LeadershipTues on Twitter. There you will find daily posts that provides resources to help you develop and strengthen your leadership skills.

Accept The Challenge...Kilroy J. Oldster

"The greatest challenge in life is to be our own person and accept that being different is a blessing and not a curse. A person who knows who they are lives a simple life by eliminating from their orbit anything that does not align with his or her overriding purpose and values."

--Kilroy J. Oldster

From "Mission Impossible", TV series

Be The Light...Hans Hofmann

"In nature, light creates the color. In the picture, color creates the light."

--Hans Hofmann

http://wallpaperswide.com/lakeside_2-wallpapers.html

For Those Who Aspire To Greatness

Some people do not care how their actions affect others as long as their goals and agenda are accomplished. But for those who aspire to greatness and really desire to leave their mark on this world, here's some wisdom to consider.

--Nona O.

#LeadershipTuesdays: His Dream Still Speaks To Us...Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The ultimate measure of a man [woman] is not where he [she] stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he [she] stands in times of challenge and controversy.”

--Martin Luther King, Jr.

Prints are available of this artwork by Derek Russell.
Go to: http://www.derekrussellartist.com

On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage and strengthen women leaders. Today marks the 90th anniversary of the birthdate of Martin Luther King, Jr. Had he been afforded the opportunity to live out his normal life expectancy, he may have been around to celebrate his 90th birthday. Who knows, his sister, Christine King Farris, a powerful force in her own right, is still alive at 91. 

Alas, we will never know an older Martin King, but what we do know is his dream, his words, his legacy are timeless. Just as his dream inspired a generation and a nation more than 50 years ago, it inspires and calls us forth today. The dream still whispers to our conscience, our spirit, our heart, saying "Where do you stand and what are you doing?"

Today, King's articulated dream has more meaning now than ever. As 800,000 federal government employees went without a paycheck last Friday; 30,000 Los Angeles, CA County educators serving the second largest school district in the U.S. enter into their second day of a labor strike; the unemployment rate is at an all time low but yet the rate for Africans Americans is still almost twice that of White Americans; women are still likely to be paid less than their male counterparts even when all other things are equal; and minorities including Native Americans, Latinx and Asians have to continually fight not to be type cast into societal roles and stereotypes that do not reflect their skills and individual potential, the dream, Martin's dream, still speaks to us. Again, it's saying, 'Where are you standing and what are you doing?' Do you hear it? In the #BlackLivesMatter movement, in the fight for immigration rights, in the women's movement. Do you hear Martin's voice and dream?  

Those words "I have a dream today..." spoken from the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963 changed our lives and inspired several generations of leaders and ordinary Americans in addition to those standing at the March On Washington with him. That was yesterday, but today as we stand yet fighting for equality and civil, human and economic rights, his voice is still heard. What is his dream challenging the leader in you to do? Because there is a leader in you.

For more information on #LeadershipTuesdays, follow us at @LeadershipTues on Twitter.  There you will find daily posts that provides resources to help you develop and strengthen your leadership skills. 

--Nona Ogunsula, Founder, womenatliberty.com and #LeadershipTuesdays

Image credit: Derek Russell

Love...Nona

"Affirming love, in myself, those around me and my environment.

What are you affirming today?" 

--Nona O.

You Don't Have Time To Pursue Everything

"Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture the heart." 

--Ancient Indian Proverb

Use your time and resources wisely. You don't have time to pursue everything. Follow your heart.

Pursue Positivity...Genereux Philip

"Keep away from the kinship of the individuals who continually ask and examine the imperfections of others."

--Genereux Philip

P.S. Acknowledge truth and move on. Be free and stay positive! 

Pursue The Highest Good!

"Good, better, best. Never let it rest. 'Til your good is better and your better is best."

--St. Jerome

*What goals are you pursuing in 2019?

#LeadershipTuesdays: Pursue Purpose!...Nilofer Merchant

“Purpose is also a better motivator than money. Money, while necessary, motivates neither the best people, nor the best in people. Purpose does.”

― Nilofer Merchant, "11 Rules for Creating Value in the Social Era"

Happy New Year! How are you doing on this second Tuesday of 2019? I hope your new year has gotten off to a great start. On Tuesdays, womenatliberty.com presents #LeadershipTuesdays, a platform for a variety of voices and resources to develop, encourage and strengthen women leaders. 

I really wanted to include a postscript in today's great quote by Nilofer Merchant. There's a bible verse that says 'money speaks to everything'. While we know that money cannot buy true love and genuine happiness, it is a necessary part of life. A lot of times women and minorities work hard and are hardly paid. Pursue your purpose, but remember to get paid and 'secure the bag', too. You got to do both in order to survive and thrive. Strive and work toward striking a balance between the two. Lastly, find a tribe who will love and support you unconditionally and beware of those who exploit others.  

Make sure you're following @LeadershipTues on Twitter to view our daily #LeadershipTuesdays posts that provides resources to help you develop and strengthen your leadership skills. We post videos and articles on trailblazing women and men who are successful leaders. Check us out!

Wishing you a purposeful and prosperous 2019 and your best year ever,

--Nona Ogunsula, Founder, 

womenatliberty.com & #LeadershipTuesdays