Now, more than 7,000 people have received this award in eight countries.
Growing up in Phoenix, balmy summertime evenings were meant for Kick the Can, Tag, Red Rover and any number of unsupervised activities that included wildly racing around the neighborhood and usually some blood.
My neighborhood was all boys. So, you can imagine my surprise when I showed up at their Cub Scouts meeting in my brother’s old Cub Scouts uniform and got snubbed by my friends. I didn’t get the hint entirely when they said, “You can’t be here!” So, they decided to just ditch me.
They took off running. Unfortunately for them, I had a lot of training in running from nightly games of Tag, Hide and Seek, etc., and kept up with the fastest boys. While many of them were doubled over wheezing from the failed attempt, a grownup had to tell me that, even though I was good at that game, I couldn’t win the prize I really wanted, which was a seat in the Cub Den.
Grownup games are even more confusing. I’m inspired today by those who recognize when they are in a game they can’t win and instead of feeling sorry for themselves and pushing back, they create their own game.
Martha Mayhood Mertz is one such grownup. In Corporate America of the 1980s, she was in awe of the brilliance, creativity and competence of the professional women around her. But she was confused when they weren’t getting acknowledged and being promoted and honored in the workplace at the same rate as the men. The business culture she was experiencing had a way of overlooking women. Recognizing she and others were in a game they couldn’t win, she started her own game, the international ATHENA Awards program.
Mertz set out to have 10 custom-made ATHENA sculptures created to honor one woman of leadership excellence each year for the next decade. She figured by then, the culture would change. It didn’t. So, today, she continues to cultivate and recognize leaders and organizations that promote women. Now, more than 7,000 people have received this award in eight countries.
Quad Cities Business News is carrying that ATHENA torch in Prescott. On Sunday, Sept. 24, the Fourth Annual Prescott-Area ATHENA Awards High Tea will be honoring individuals and organizations in three categories: the ATHENA Leadership Award for an individual, the ATHENA Organizational Leadership Award for a business or organization that develops and supports women leaders; and the ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award. Nominations are being accepted now. For more information, go to https://prescottathena.com.
Mega-successful businessman Ed Hajim is another such grownup. When he was rejected for membership at a golf club on Nantucket Island, where he lived half the year, he didn’t fight the decision. He didn’t rally his friends to come to his aid. He didn’t get his feelings hurt. He simply built his own golf course. He says that decision turned out to be a wonderful experience.
“That’s why I say, ‘Never be a victim.’ I could have been a victim. I could have fought that. But starting my own golf club was a great experience,” he said. “Building a golf course is art with a bulldozer. It was absolutely spectacular! We’ve changed the lives of 500 families over 25 years and we’re now the largest charity on the island. We send two kids to college now every year and we just started a vocational program, which is one of my many crusades right now. Last year, we sent 10 kids to vocational colleges.” QCBN
By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
Read more about Ed Hajim’s extraordinary life and his new leadership storybook, “The Island of the Four Ps: A Modern Fable About Preparing for Your Future,” on page 6. Hear more hard-earned wisdom and leadership tips from him on Zonie Living: https://starworldwidenetworks.com/episodes/exploring-the-island-of-the-four-ps-to-plan-your-future-with-business-leader-extraordinaire-ed-hajim-video.
Bonnie Stevens is a public relations consultant. She can be reached at bonnie.stevens@gmail.com.
