Ideas for pursuing real-life leadership opportunities and learning how to make a difference in their community was the focus of the Utah Women and Leadership Project conference at Utah State University Eastern last Thursday.
Dr. Susan Madsen, whose organization Utah Women and Leadership Project specializes in empowering women, was the night’s keynote speaker.
She began by identifying some of the many benefits a college degree provides women.
College educated women live longer and are healthier and happier, she said. They give birth to healthier babies, who are themselves more likely to obtain a college education. College educated women also are more engaged in civic and community activities. They earn more money which provides more financial support for themselves and their families.
College women have better job opportunities and more flexible schedules as well. They are more intelligent and knowledgeable, which leads to stronger teamwork and interpersonal skills. College women have a better self-concept, which creates better leadership skills, Madsen said.
The audience was introduced to local women leaders, including Amanda Paiz, owner of Marketing Elevated, a local business, Colleen Loveless, also a local business owner, USUE Professor Susan Polster, and Utah Rep. Christine Watkins, who co-sponsored the event with USUE and UWLP.
These women sat down with Susan Madsen in a roundtable discussion about women in leadership. The audience was given a Strengthening Your Impact Worksheet, on this subject. They were asked about their education status, which female leaders they admire, their passions, and what actions they can take to achieve their goals.
Why do we need more women leaders? To improve financial performance, to strengthen the organizational climate, to leverage talent, to increase civic and social responsibilities and to enhance innovation and collective intelligence. These were areas identified by the panel. “Men tend to look at performance as a win/loss proposition where as women are more likely to look at it as a win/win proposition,” said Susan Madsen. “Women will advocate for spending more money on social programs like education and healthcare,” she added.
What initially led you to become more involved in the community? Women move into leadership roles because they like to help other people, the panel said Susan Polster talked about helping build a park in Price, as her first experience in community involvement. She said her college education gave her the confidence to lead the project. “Don’t be afraid to take risks,” said Christine Watkins. “Have more faith in yourself, appreciate yourself,” added Amanda Paiz. “Just enjoy what your doing,” concluded Coleen Loveless.
“I was pleased with Dr. Madsen and the information she gave them was really good. Rural women need to know how education is involved, to help them find a voice and the leadership qualities that they have,” said panelist Christine Watkins. USUE student Hannah Parker attended because she’s, “in the process of building a bullying hotline. I was bullied myself, it’s a non-profit organization,” she said. Graduation rates for women in Utah are below the national average, perhaps the work done by UWLP, will help change that and empower women.
Education key to healthy, successful women
SusanMadsen