I never had any question about the direction we were going in at the Girl Scouts. We shared our mission and research with all levels of leaders from the very beginning - a concept I created, using cups and saucers, called 'circular management.' Everyone was on a team; there were no superiors or subordinates. There was respect for all people.
I didn't have a career plan. But what I did was, whenever there was a door open and a new opportunity, I always looked into it and took a chance and walked through the door.
There's something exhilarating about being in the mountains and talking about management and the future with Peter Drucker.
Age is irrelevant.
We cannot ensure equal access or build upon our diverse strengths by sitting at our desks.
I'll meet people and tell them what I do, and their first reaction is usually, 'Oh, I love Thin Mints!' And you know, they are awfully good.
When people are speaking, they require our undivided attention. We focus on them; we listen very carefully. We listen to the spoken words and the unspoken messages. This means looking directly at the person, eyes connected; we forget we have a watch, just focusing for that moment on that person.
Tears belong within the family.
With a growing number of one-parent families in the country, the Girl Scout troop can be an indispensable and powerful positive factor.
Donors do not reward good intentions.
It is what we do with our lives that counts.
Women are working for part or all of their adult lives now. The possibilities are limitless, but you need to prepare.
Selling cookies is usually a girl's first exposure to the world of business. She learns how to meet the public, talk about a product, sell the product, and is responsible for collecting money, giving change, and delivering the product. That's quite a business venture for a 7-year-old.
I did not want to take a troop. I was the mother of a little boy. I knew nothing about little girls.
Listening is an art.
When I choose what I do, I ask, 'Does it make a difference?'
One of the management imperatives in the '90s is managing diversity. Whatever the organization, when the constituents of that organization look at the board and management staff, they need to find themselves.
The real leader redefines or defines the mission in a very powerful way so that people understand it; it permeates the organization.
At a young age, I learned from my grandmother that I should respect all people. Her lessons were defining moments in my life and determined the type of leader that I would become.
An exceptional career is one that provides an opportunity to serve. It is a satisfying career in which you can't wait to get up in the morning to begin! You have a sense of purpose and mission. You know why you do what you do. It is a response to a call to serve. Once we do that, everything flows positively.
