It is my strong point of view that one of the best ways to create professional progress is with a purposeful strategy of giving back.

Now, I’m sure you are all thinking about examples that disprove that statement, but lets be honest, if you were a counter example, someone who could ignore others and still get ahead, you wouldn’t be reading my leadership development blog.

You would be on your private jet or something.

I stumbled on this point of view accidentally. It’s not like I didn’t care about giving back before, I just didn’t see the relationship to professional progress.

I began my deliberate practice of giving back in 2010, when I needed something meaningful to focus on and I wanted to find a new way to think about progress. At the time I didn’t understand what I actually learning, I just knew I was heading in the right direction.

Since then I have observed some interesting things about giving back and mentoring others

Focusing on others helps me find joy even when things are hard. In fact, giving to others is its own kind of bonus.
Giving back not only impacts those who are directly involved, but also helps build broader and deeper networks, authentically.
Giving back helps me avoid burnout because it gives me a more realistic definition of success.
It can make you feel good about yourself, and when you feel better, you do better.
It sends a signal to others that you are a high achiever and a star performer
It makes you more confident to ask others for help you need.
It can give you energy, which will give you more productivity.

Essentially a purposeful strategy of giving back is a way to make your own luck. And who doesn’t need more luck? Probably those guys on the private jet…

As background — Ada Lovelace Day is a call to action to help fight invisibility of women in STEM.

The idea: We need to have more visible role models of women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math so that girls can imagine themselves in those roles, thus increasing the number of girls in these fields. We need this to happen not just for social justice but for the economic growth.

Women in STEM fields have a huge impact on the global economy and are a critical resource to help solve the most complex problems we face in the 21st Century.

You should read more about that here:

Ada Lovelace Day 2013: fight the invisibility of women in STEM!

October 15 2013 will be the fifth annual Ada Lovelace Day, an international celebration of the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and maths. Ada Lovelace Day is about sharing stories of women — whether engineers, scientists, technologists or mathematicians — who have inspired you to become who you are today. The aim is to create new role models for girls and women in these male-dominated fields by raising the profile of other women in STEM.

You can participate in Ada Lovelace Day by attending Ada Lovelace Day Live! in London; attending one of the more than 20 other worldwide events; or by writing about a woman in STEM whose work has inspired you, publishing the story on October 15, and adding it to the Ada Lovelace Day story collection.

My Contribution to #ALD13

I am taking it upon myself to compile a list of the women on twitter who inspire me in and around #STEM, and to ask for your help in expanding it, either by reminding me of who I missed*, or introducing me to people I need to know.

I want to be someone who helps bring more people to the front to stand out as role models. I realize that many of us downplay our ability and responsibility to be a role model for others and I want to suggest if not you than who?

#STEM Power Brokers

Women who are CXOs leading the charge.

Tatyana Kanzaveli – @glfceo
Nilofer Merchant – @nilofer
Wendy Lea – @WendySLea
Charlene Li – @charleneLi
Naomi Bloom – @inFullBloomUS
Promise Phelon – @PromisePhelon
Heidi Spirgi – @hspirgi
Shaherose Charania – @shaherose
Heidi Melin – @HeidiMelin
Stacy Chapman – @StacyChapman
Pat Milligan – @pat_milligan1
Lynn Lucas – @Lylucas
Sylvie Leotin – @sleotin
Whitney Johnson – @johnsonWhitney
Patty Azzarello – @pattyAzzarello

#STEM Industry Movers

Women who make the industry work. Ladies in Innovation, Product Management, Marketing, Program Management, Press/ Analyst/ Partner Relations

Erika Brookes – @ebrookes
Kelly Stoetzel – @kstoetzel
Gretchen Alarcon – @GretchenA
Jill Rowley – @jill_rowley
Tiffany Thompson – @sassyTinATL
Emily He – @EmilyHe1
Claudine Bianchi – @Mapmaven
Row Henson – @RowHenson
Holly Simmons – @holloid
Amy Wilson – @Awils
Leighanne Levensaler – @LeighLevensaler
Laura Schroeder – @WorkGal
Meenakshi Tripathy – @TripathyM
Kris Van der Ploeg – @Kvldp
Christine Yokoi – @YCYokoi
Kati Robison – @katirob_tucson
Kathi Chenoweth – @kcheno
Tara Roberts – @tara20k
Christie Wilson – @LWChris
Angela Wells – @AngWWells
Amy Sollells – @amysorrells
Nancy Lang – @nancy_l
Alka Asthana – @AlkaAsthana
Claudia Imhoff – @Claudia_Imhoff
Natalia Rachelson – @nrachelson
Katheryn Perry – @kperry519
Susie Penner – @eyemsusie
Letty Ledbetter – @lettyel
Lauren McKay – @LaurenMizzou
Vanessa Thompson – @VanessaThomps
Yvette Cameron – @yvetteCameron
Debra Lilley – @debralilley
Beth Oetker Butler – @Boetker
Dawn Hrdlica-Burke – @DawnHRRocks
Adrienne Olds – @AdrienneElzbth
June Farmer – @JuneFarmer
Carol Sato – @CarolSato
Danielle Cormier Smith – @DanielleCormier
Lydia Smyers – @lydiasmyers
Laurie Pattison – @lsptahoe
Claire Moss – @aclairefication
Marcie Van Houten – @MarcieVH
Lisa Black – @gtmbagirl
Lexy Martin – @lexymartin
Lisa Rowan – @lisarowan
Jenny Sussin – @Jsussin
Kim Seals – @kseals
Stacy Lynn Harris – @StaceyHarrisHR
Rani Urbas – @raniurbas
Marta Studinger – @mstudinger
Christie Sultemeier – @ckanani
Eliane Orler – @ElaineOrler
Merline Saintil – @msaintil
Erna Arnesen – @ErnaArnesen
Christine Wan – @christine_wan
Indira Vidyaprakash – @idivyapr
Maria Colgan – @SQLMaria

#STEM Builders and Makers

Women in Engineering, Science, Technology who are builders, Doers, Leaders and Makers.

Sri Subramanian – @whoissri
Nandini Ramani – @eyeseewaters
Vivian Wong – @zen_girl
Krupali Tejura – @krupali
Tracy Weitz – @TWeitzTweets
Wendy Li – @wenhuali

I encourage you each to contribute to causes like Ada Lovelace Day recognizing not just the big names, but the breadth and depth of contributions that are happening today to bring forward the power of women to benefit our world.

*All Feedback welcome including additional categories I need to add and/or move

Month: October 2013

Why giving back is important for your career.

Ode to women in STEM for Ada Lovelace Day 2013