What Female Leaders Need

A lot of successful women suffer from social disease. “The disease to please and be liked by everyone is an inherent barrier for female leadership.” The selfless leader teaches self-love is really okay – even mandatory for success. “Psychologists say, “This disease is typically found in women more so than men robs us of being who we are; undermining our ability to make clear decisions because we don’t want to offend anyone.” Think about it.  “Humility has its place,” she says, “but don’t hide your achievements to please others. Remember you sacrificed and put in the required work to stand out. Own it!”

She continues, “A second barrier is learning to gain more sponsorships along with mentorships. Both are vital, but sponsorship plays a greater role in advancement. Women must know there is a difference betweenthe two. A mentor gives you advice, but a sponsor grants you their name or influence.”

THE SMILE METHOD

Monica believes that to effectively empower today’s leaders for tomorrow’s leadership challenges, you must shift your mindset to create transformational change, which begins with leading self, leading people and leading business through her SMILE method. Monica’s coined acronym stands for:

• Shift to Foster Change
• Model to Lead the Way
• Influence Yourself to Lift Others
• Lead a Team by the Heart
• Execute and be Ready to Seize the Moment

Monica has received countless awards for her community contributions, namely the Genesis Women’s Shelter Abigail Award “Courage and Faith;” the Equanimity Excellence Award in Mentorship with That Girl is S.M.A.R.T.; Family Care Connection Award for commitment to domestic violence awareness; The Lucy Dixon Community Service Award for commitment to domestic violence awareness.  She’s been featured on ABC’s Dallas affiliate WFAA (Channel 8); and in articles published in The Wall Street Journal, Home Depot Online, and The Dallas Morning News, just to name a few.

Even with all of her successes, Monica says that being a wife and mother are two of her greatest accomplishments.  Although she has learned that the word balance is the real unicorn.‘Balance’ is overrated. It’s really about prioritizing what is important to you.” 

She admits it was hard raising a teenager as a single parent, working full-time, and attending graduate school — all while serving as her daughter’s volleyball coach. She laughs, “Realistically, my daughter, Racquel, didn’t have any volleyball skills, bless her heart, but I couldn’t tell her ‘No.’ Today, I tell people that it’s important to work effectively and efficiently so that your time with your family is theirs. If you are doing things just for face time, you are not contributing with integrity.”