july 11, 2011 Editor’s Note
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Many employees are unwittingly sabotaging their own progress up the corporate ladder. In this week’s Boss Lady, we explore five common barriers that women must overcome if they are to achieve their full potential in the workplace. Also, check out our fitness guide for tips on how to sculpt sleek, sexy arms plus more in this week’s Your Style.
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The Secret to Amazing Arms Panty Style Guide
Managing Yourself: Stop Holding Yourself Back
Quote of The Week “If you dont change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?” - Robert Anthony
Rediscovering Your Partner with a Date Night
Career
“Focusing on personal goals such as self-promotion and self-protection can cause you to lose focus of why you were initially hired by the company.�
Managing Yourself:
Stop Holding Yourself Back
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very ambitious employee - from the corner office of a Fortune 500 company to a local firm on Knutsford Boulevard - struggles with the same basic challenge: they all want to be effective leaders. Researchers Anne Morris, Robin J. Ely and Frances X. Frie have spent many years investigating the factors that keep many employees from managerial positions. Ely conducts research on race, gender, and leadership; Frie focuses on coaching senior executives; and Morris works on unleashwww.ezineslimited.com
ing social entrepreneurs around the world. They have worked with hundreds of leaders in public and private entities as well as nonprofit entities. From research conducted in over 30 fields in more than 50 countries, one clear pattern has emerged: many of the movers and shakers in these organizations are unintentionally obstruct themselves from being exceptional leaders. Here are the five major barriers they have identified: Your Style eZine
Career Barrier 1 - Over-emphasizing Personal Goals Focusing on personal goals such as self-promotion and self-protection can cause you to lose focus of why you were initially hired by the company. Making others feel better in your presence and even in your absence reflects true leadership. You are as strong as your weakest link, so make your colleagues a priority as well. This can be difficult for emerging leaders, particularly women, who tend to believe they already have an uphill battle to the top in most corporations.
close to the boss, so you adopt a standoffish attitude, disliking everything about her – her voice, her ridiculous pearl collection and her obsession with platforms. Only to be sent on a retreat with Mary, where you lean that she is just one of those people who is always smiling. You also discover that Mary inherited her mom’s pearl collection (as well as her love for platforms), but most importantly, you learn that she is an innovator with great problem-solving skills. You run the risk of losing some of your greatest allies if you turn your colleagues into enemies.
Barrier 2 - Protecting Your Public Image Remember that ‘ideal self ’ you created in high school? Yes, it’s an obstacle to effective leadership. You would be surprised at the distraction this ‘ideal self ’ can create! It take a lot of energy and effort to ‘stick to the script’, causing you to ignore the real work required for leadership.
Barrier 4 - Going It Alone We often conform to the notion that it can be lonely at the top, but it doesn’t have to be. Someone helped you along the way, be it family members or friends. We call these people “the team”. The key is to realize that being a leader doesn’t mean that you have to go it alone. As a leader and as an individual, you need a strong team to keep you grounded and focused, be it a colleague, mentor, friends, spouse or family. Stay true to your core team and show your appreciation for their belief in you as a leader and take them for a drink every now and then.
Excerpt: “One woman we interviewed, Anita, was an executive vice president in charge of the regional performance of a large retail company. The public image she’d created – tough, decisive and analytical – had been a powerful instrument in advancing her career. But it left little room for her humanity – an essential part of the leadership equation. Anita thought that using intuition was intellectually last; she was known for the phrase “Show me the data.” – Harvard Business Review Barrier 3 - Turning Competitors into Enemies Refrain from turning others into caricatures, especially those you don’t understand and don’t know. This tends to happen with coworkers who are on the same management level. For example, you consider Mary a ‘suck-up’ because she appears to be ‘too’
Barrier 5 - Waiting for permission Though patience can be a virtue and it is indeed good to have, sometimes you just have to step out on your own initiative instead of waiting for someone to recognize your ability. Organizations usually love when an individual acts on their own initiative regardless of their position. Believe it or not, that’s how you make it to the corner office – effecting change from your current position.
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Your Style eZine
Fitness
The Secret to Amazing Arms
Sculpt sleek, sexy arms with these five go-to moves from trainer Jillian Michaels:
1
Hip Heist Targets: Shoulders, back, chest, triceps, abs and butt - Start facedown on ground, balancing on hands and feet with arms extended, hips raised slightly. - Lift left hand and right foot off ground and rotate upper body to the left as you bring right knee across body toward left armpit.
2
- Pivoting on left foot with left knee bent, continue rotating torso until you’re face up. - Place right foot on ground next to left and right palm down so that hands are on either side of hips, fingers pointing behind you with feet hip-width apart in front of you, knees bent 90 degrees. - Lift hips until torso is in a tabletop position. - Reverse move to return to start. - Do 3 sets of 20 reps
3
One-Legged Curl Targets: Biceps, abs, butt and legs
Staggered Push-Up Targets: Shoulders, chest, triceps, and abs
- Stand on left leg, holding a 5-to-10 pound dumbbell in each hand, arms by sides, palms facing forward. - Lift extended right leg directly behind you and hinge forward at hips so that body is parallel to ground from head to left heel. - Maintaining one-legged position throughout, brings elbows to sides of ribs and then curl weights to shoulders. - Lower arms (extending them downward) and repeat. - Do 20 reps, then switch legs and repeat. Do 2 sets.
- Start on ground in full push-up position, balancing on hands and feet with arms extended, body forming a straight line from head to heels. - Place right hand at two o’clock position, left hand at eight o’clock; do 10 push-ups. - Next, place right hand at four o’clock, left at 10 o’clock; do 10 push-ups to complete 1 set. - Do 3 sets.
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Your Style eZine
Fitness
4
5 One-Legged Curl Targets: Biceps, abs, butt and legs - Stand on left leg, holding a 5-to-10 pound dumbbell in each hand, arms by sides, palms facing forward. - Lift extended right leg directly behind you and hinge forward at hips so that body is parallel to ground from head to left heel. - Maintaining one-legged position throughout, brings elbows to sides of ribs and then curl weights to shoulders. - Lower arms (extending them downward) and repeat. - Do 20 reps, then switch legs and repeat. Do 2 sets.
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Frog Hop Targets: Shoulders, upper back, chest, triceps, abs, and legs - Start on ground on all fours, toes curled under. - Lift knees an inch off ground in a slight tuck position and then bend elbows slightly. - Press through palms and feet to pop body into air a few inches. - Land in slight tuck with elbows bent. MAKE IT EASIER: Start on knees in modified push-up position and pop up with upper body only. - Do 3 sets of 10 reps.
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Your Style eZine
Fashion
W
Guide
Panty Style
omen have different tastes in fashion and underwear is no exception. Body shape also plays a key role in the type of underwear a woman will wear. Also, not all women like to wear thongs. A woman’s underwear tastes may also change as she ages. However, the most important thing is that underwear should fit well and be comfortable. Which panty offers the best fit for you? Search every style from A to V-string in our fit guide:
Bikini The underthing for everything • The perfect amount of coverage, between full and the bare minimum • A must for any panty wardrobe, with a comfy fit and sexier string option
Boyshort Where cute meets comfy • A modern take on the brief, with full back coverage • The comfort you crave in a flirty silhouette
V-string A minimalist’s favorite • Offers the least coverage of any panty fit • Virtually invisible under clothes
Brief Covers all the bases • Offers the most coverage of any panty fit • A comfort lover’s favorite in a classic silhouette
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Cheeky A little panty with lots of cheek-peek • More back coverage than a thong but less than a bikini • The perfect pick for when a little reveal is all you want
Hiphugger Sweet and low • Offers full back coverage • A comfy cross between a boyshort and a bikini
Thong A sexy little no-show • Offers a hint more coverage than a v-string • Provides a no-show look even under the most revealing fashions
Your Style eZine
Relationships
Rediscovering Your Partner with a
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Date Night
and more work home with you and your BlackBerry and laptop becomes the third person in the marriage. And who has time for the gym and ‘keeping it sexy’? If you’re at this stage of your marriage or relationship, it’s time to hit the brakes. Better yet, it’s time to go back to the early days and date each other. According to Annette Nay, Ph.D, “Without this time, couples grow apart as the husband and wife have lives away from each other continually day after day. By the time the children leave the nest, there is nothing to keep them together because they are strangers living in the same house.” Here are some fun ways to rekindle the spark that brought you two together in the first place: Under the silver screen. Catch a movie together one evening after work. Pick something you both like or take turns choosing the movie. Men generally avoid ‘chick flicks’ and some women tend to shy away from too much ‘action’, so find a middle ground.
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nce upon a time, in a land far away, lived a happy couple who had all the time in the world for each other. They went out regularly, talked for hours and they certainly didn’t need fancy lingerie or special occasions to spark their passion. Things were going so well in Marriageland that they were the envy of all their friends. Then they both got their dream jobs. And they had children. And the bills had to be paid. And the house had to be taken care of. Before either of them realized what was happening, they had moved from Domestic Bliss to Routine Drudgery. They still loved each other; the spark had just… gone. This is the tale of many marriages today. It is definitely hard to sustain the glow of the wedding after several years, the addition of kids, increasing job demands and everyday domestic routines. Pretty soon, your conversations become all about the children or what needs to be done around the house. You start taking more
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Go dancing. Break out of your shell with a spin on the dance floor, whether it is Latin Night at the Wyndham or at a club or party. A long walk. Take a walk around Hope Gardens or Emancipation Park, or stroll along Montego Bay’s Hip Strip on your way to dinner. Home is where the heat is. If you’d rather stay at home, make dinner together then watch your favourite movie. You can rent the first movie you saw as a couple to bring back the memories. Make sure you do it right! Whether you’re going out or staying in, make an effort to look cute, make the moment special. The key is to carve out some dedicated ‘couple time’ on a regular basis. Once or twice a month is good to start. And don’t give us the excuse that you’re ‘too busy’. If Barack and Michelle can find the time, so should you!
Your Style eZine
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