“Some of us already have great runways built for us. If you have one, take off. But if you don’t have one realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who follow after you.”
– Amelia Earhart
Why was The Executive Presence Group created?
I found this quote from Amelia Earhart in the ‘90s, and realized quickly that my career had been founded on this principle. I didn’t have a runway, so I grabbed a shovel and dug! I’ve had a wild and successful career, one that has had no exact road map, simply a huge interest in and a passion to enter and to excel in the world of global business.
Like anyone who has been in the world of business, I’ve had great highs and lows. Over the past 30 years, there were times when it wasn’t fun and there were times when I wanted to opt out. Like the time when my high-potential career stalled and then derailed at a global organization due to politics that I was too naïve to understand. Or when a retail business that I started didn’t become the success I was hoping for (turns out I didn’t like the retail business…who knew!?). Or the time when, as an Executive Director at a non-profit, 50% of my board tried to oust me as a result of a miscommunication between male and female members. (I prevailed and stayed on.) There were also many times when the highs would propel me to push through to the next boundary. Like when I was the opening speaker for a Ken Blanchard presentation to 1000 attendees, or consulting a business out of bankruptcy or coaching a director to move into a senior-level position.
It took a lot of energy to stay in the game. When times were tough, I could have easily quit the world of business. But what would I do? Maybe travel just for fun instead of rushing though city A to get to city B to get to the next meeting? Or have lunch with friends instead of scheduling business meetings around meals? Maybe read novels instead of financial statements? Instead, I chose to grab a shovel and keep going. I chose to be optimistic, continuing to have big dreams and a strong belief that I could overcome any challenge. Why? Because I have a passion and curiosity for business, for global enterprises and a keen interest in the people who work in these organizations.
I’ve spent the last 15 years of my career consulting with hundreds of organizations, facilitating thousands of leadership workshops and coaching countless senior business professionals. My intention was always to help people find solutions to the problems that are impacting their success or impeding the accomplishment of their goals, or to improving their working relationships. What I discovered through all of this work is that many challenges that I (and others) have experienced over the years are very similar to the challenges still occurring today.
“Plus ca change, plus c’est la meme chose”*
So one day about two years ago, while facilitating a leadership workshop, a challenging question was asked — the same one I had answered hundreds of times before. It was at that point that I decided to create an organization that would help serious-minded professional women quickly find answers to common business challenges. I knew I could help them reduce the time spent making career-limiting moves, prevent them from giving up and minimize the pitfalls of dealing with difficult working relationships. The end goal? To help them reach the senior level positions to which they aspire.
Here’s the interesting part. That quote about change resonates with my experience, both from working in an organization and as a consultant and coach — but most of the issues of the past remain the same, only the context is different. Which means that I, along with many of my colleagues, have much to offer to today’s professional women in terms of experience and know-how. We’ve been in the trenches and we’ve lived through decades of what works and doesn’t work. Now we want to return the favor, to pass on the wisdom from our role models to those who are just starting out or are in the early stages of their careers.
The time is right. In parallel to my planning The Executive Presence Group, Sheryl Sandberg started the long-overdue conversation in her 2013 book, Lean In about the fact that women were stagnating again, not reaching senior levels. And just this year, Maria Shriver reached the White House and beyond with her report, A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink, which examines the rates of financial insecurity among American women and their children. These well-known, successful businesswomen have validated what I was experiencing in real time. Women once again have a strong voice.
Learn from the best for the best
That’s how it happened for me. I have had role models throughout my career who led by example, created a life without fear and made an impact that will be felt forever. I learned what I was capable of because I’ve spent a lifetime pushing boundaries and getting things done. The strong role models didn’t tell me to go and do it — they showed me how it was done through their drive, their passion and their significant achievements.
I am more energized than ever to start this new business. And now it’s my turn to show others. My mission is to support serious-minded professional women reach their full potential in the business world — women who are willing to test their limits, accomplish big goals and live an inspired life in business. Joined by women all around the globe who make an impact on the world we live in, the Executive Presence Group is driven by a passion for personal growth, educating women to be all they can be and to show them how to grab a shove and dig.
Here’s how to be a part of it. SIGN UP TO BECOME A MEMBER
Lynne Couture
* “The more things change, the more they stay the same”
