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ATHENA Leadership Awards

ATHENA Leadership Qualities on Display in the Quad Cities

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It’s an honor to inspire and empower others by showing them that their dreams are achievable.

Learning constantly, acting courageously and living authentically are among the key principles found in the way women lead, according to the ATHENA Leadership Model. These qualities are on display in the Quad Cities among women in leadership, such as Yavapai College President Dr. Lisa Rhine, Prescott College President Dr. Barbara Morris and Prescott Chamber of Commerce President Sheri Heiney.

Learning Constantly

Lisa Rhine, Ph.D., is not proud of her upbringing. “It wasn’t pretty. In fact, it was painful,” she said. “I grew up in an impoverished home where the only thing that was consistent was chaos.” Her father, a single parent of six who left school after 8th grade, worked three jobs to feed the family. When he wasn’t successful, young Lisa and her siblings were shuttled around to foster care.

“I knew, even at a young age, somehow, that education was the thing that would lift me out of this mess and be the lever that would catapult me out of challenging, even dire, circumstances and change not only my fate, but the fate of the next generation.”

Rhine was the first in her family to attend college. It wasn’t easy, but she kept pushing through, through her bachelor’s degree, through her master’s degree, and through her doctoral degree. “The adversity you experience in your life is actually what builds your leadership ‘muscle.’ In my experience as a senior leader in academia at colleges and universities, I have learned that a key aspect to leadership success is resilience. Resilience develops as we adapt, bounce back and maintain a positive mindset and a high level of perseverance and determination in the face of challenges.”

Acting Courageously

From a very tender age, Barbara Morris always wanted the same opportunities as the boys. As a young teen, she determined she wanted to be President of the United States. “This was an outrageous thought in the ’70s,” she said, “but I read a famous book at the time by C. Wright Mills called ‘The Power Elite’ that said for those to excel in leadership they had to have three aspects in their career: politics, business and military.” She set out on her plan at age 14.

“The issue was how to get political, business and military experience as a girl at the time,” she said. Morris pursued a double major in political science and economics at San Diego State University, plus a minor in women’s studies. However, according to her plan, she still needed military experience.

“There was a flier stating the Air Force was looking for the first six women pilots, so I decided to apply.” After 18 months of boot camp, she was among the first group of women to be in oxygen deprivation tanks and was accepted into the program. Morris was on the flight path of her dreams. Then, unexpected turbulence. Sixteen years later, she found herself mustering the courage to leave a difficult relationship with three kids, no money and no job prospects.

Living Authentically

From an early age, Sheri Heiney learned that success often lies beyond the familiar and comfortable. “As a woman stepping into leadership roles, I encountered unfamiliar territory, where stereotypes and biases tried to undermine my capabilities. However, I embraced these challenges, turning them into opportunities for growth.”

Heiney studied hospitality management, earned her real estate license, Learned about  insurance licensing and pursued other specialty areas. “I wanted to understand more things and how they blended together.”

She then embraced leadership in a big way in Rochester, Michigan, as the president of the Chamber of Commerce, an area comparable in size to the entire Quad Cities.

“I am deeply aware of the impact my actions have on those around me, especially young women aspiring to leadership roles. It’s an honor to inspire and empower others by showing them that their dreams are achievable. Authenticity, resilience and empathy are crucial traits that can leave a lasting impression on the next generation of leaders.”

Being true to herself, Heiney listens to her heart. “I’ve always wanted to have my own business.” Her love for animals explains the rescued donkey and pony in her household, along with the lively lab puppy she has in therapy training. Today, she is considering combining these passions.

Find out more about how Lisa Rhine, Barbara Morris and Sheri Heiney came to be leading ladies in the Quad Cities and how they created their personal blueprints for success. The three will share their journeys on the Women in Leadership Panel at the Quad Cities ATHENA Leadership Awards, starting at 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 24. For tickets, go to www.PrescottAthena.com. QCBN

By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN

Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.

Barbie is Right: Women Continue to Face Harassment, Discrimination in the Workplace

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If harassment and discrimination still dominate the issues facing women in the workplace, how can we collectively strive for solutions?

Women have outnumbered men on college campuses since the 1980s and today earn 58% of undergraduate degrees, 62% of master’s degrees and more than half of doctoral degrees. Here at Prescott College, woman make up 73% of our student body.

With more women graduating from college, there continue to be great changes in the workplace. In the past 30 years, there has been an enormous increase of the number of women in all levels of management. The pipeline for women CEOs has grown. However, the number of women in these positions is still very small. Women comprise only 10% of the Fortune 500 CEOs, 29% of corporate board members, and less than 30% of college presidents. Thus, top leaders remain predominantly male and white.

There has always been a direct correlation between education and income, with college graduates earning significantly more than high school graduates. Given the current 60/40 female-to-male ratios at colleges, an increasing number of women will likely earn more than men in the coming decades.

However, women are leaving or changing careers at higher rates than their male counterparts. In a recent study by McKinsey & Company, women cited that they “experience microaggressions that undermine authority and signal that it will be harder to advance.” These sentiments echo earlier surveys that indicated that “male chauvinism, attitudes toward a female boss, and the simple fact of being a woman” are key obstacles in advancing their careers. In a poll of 12,000 workers by The Los Angeles Times, two-thirds reported sex discrimination; 60% saw signs of racism.

More than 80% of the executive women in a Wall Street Journal/Gallup study said they believe there are disadvantages to being a woman in the business world. Men, they say, “don’t take them seriously.” In the same survey, 61% of the women executives reported having been mistaken for a secretary at a business meeting; 25% said they had been thwarted on their way up the ladder by male attitudes toward women. A significant majority – 70% – believed they are paid less than men of equal ability. The most recent study by McKinsey & Company attests that these attitudes continue to persist.

In addition to these conditions, women leaders are facing burnout from an unsustainable workload because of the triple burden of paid work, unpaid work and emotional tolls. “Even in the most equal of partnerships, it’s deeply ingrained within us that those tasks, those chores, those responsibilities – emotional and physical – fall to women. As men advance in their careers, they do less household labor; women leaders do not have that luxury.”

As a mother of three children, two of them daughters, and as a college educator, I ponder how to best prepare our children for changing times. Leaning in, I do not believe, is sufficient. The social implications of the changing educational ratios could be profound.

If harassment and discrimination still dominate the issues facing women in the workplace, how can we collectively strive for solutions? Increasingly important to women are finding solutions that change work cultures to prioritize flexibility, respect and an environment where we are more valued and fulfilled.

I still believe education is the best pathway to empower and support women and create a pathway of economic independence. I have and will continue to advocate for policies that alleviate the triple burden, promote social justice and address the systemic bias that still endures today. I am disappointed that more has not been accomplished in the decades since I first marched to support the women’s movement. I want a better society and workplace/home balance for my daughters and their daughters. Empathy, compassion and support of each other will go a long way. QCBN

By Barbara Morris

Dr. Barbara Jean Morris has a Ph.D. in political science and currently serves as the 18th president of Prescott College.

Dr. Morris will be one of the featured guests on the “Women in Leadership Panel” at the 4th Annual Quad Cities ATHENA Leadership Awards, 3 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 24, at Starting Point. For more information about the event and tickets visit PrescottAthena.com.