For a girl from the South Bronx who, as she puts it, “grew up on very limited resources,” Jennifer Lopez has done more than okay for herself. Not only has she made it big time as an actress, singer, songwriter, and dancer, but she has also been a huge success as a TV producer and fashion designer. According to Forbes,she’s the richest person of Latin American descent in Hollywood.
Just out of college, independent film enthusiast Danae (Da-NAY) Ringelmann was working as a financial analyst with J.P. Morgan when she attended a Hollywood-meets-Wall Street event. Sporting her company badge, she instantly became the most popular guest at the party. “People thought I was there to finance films. I remember clearly an accomplished 70-year-old filmmaker who was begging me for money,” Ringelmann said. “I thought, ‘This is wrong. There’s got to be a better way.’”
A recent study by Catalyst, the global nonprofit organization that examines women in the workplace, reveals that the best indicator of women in c-suite positions is the number of women on a company’s board of directors. As the study also noted, Fortune 500 companies with a higher percentage of female corporate directors and corporate officers on average financially outperform their counterparts.
Lisa Tealer no longer cringes when she encounters office furniture that won’t accommodate her size—she just asks for an armless chair if she needs one. When ordering lunch at the company cafeteria, she signs her ticket “Lisa, AKA Queen Diva,” a playful gesture that nonetheless makes a statement about how she sees herself.
Dear DW,
What can I do about a boss who hugs? My boss (a woman) insists on hugging as a form of greeting. In all other respects, she’s great. Am I uptight or is she out of line?
Signed,
Prefers a Handshake
Today’s entrepreneurs have more resources than ever for starting, sustaining and growing their ventures. And, thanks to the Internet, advice and support are never more than a mouse click away. The following is by no means a comprehensive list of helpful resources, but it will give you an idea of the vast number of websites that stand ready to meet the needs of the small—and often medium and large—business owner.
Each week, Sumaya Kazi, a 25-year-old Bangladeshi-American living in the San Francisco Bay Area, puts in 40 to 50 hours at her full-time job as a social and new media marketing manager at Sun Microsystems. She then puts in another 20 to 40 hours every week as executive director of her own company, TheCulturalConnect.com.
Sultry Academy Award-nominated actress Penelope Cruz not only knows how to wear clothes—she designs them too. Last year, Cruz and younger sister Monica introduced a 25-piece Urban and Evening wear collection. Designed for multinational Spanish fashion house Mango (MNG), the collection embraces everything from jeans to cocktail dresses to accessories.
The game of chess is a perfect metaphor for corporate environments. Each requires strategy, patience, knowledge of intricate rules, and involves multiple players of varying power and mobility. “Corporate chess” applies the characteristics of chess to the corporate world with a view to mastering the rules, understanding the players, and playing to win.
Here’s how you can master the game of Corporate Chess.
