The Eve Factor

Celebrate One Woman's Advancement

This month one of the "modern day" women featured in The Eve Factor accepted a new opportunity as CFO for a major hotel company headquartered in Los Angeles. Her life, even her child-rearing, has been an example of how women who believe in themselves and learn to communicate in a man's world can excel. Her story, written here, will appear in the chapter on communication along with Eleanor Roosevelt's historical examples of "playing the game the way men do".

At an intimate dinner gathering of the Executive Women's Roundtable, Pat Priest, managing director of The Beck Group, a billion dollar construction company, was reminiscing about a recent visit from her mother. The two were sitting in the breakfast room having coffee together and glanced out to see Pat's daughter in the back yard. She was playing alone, rocking a stick in her arms. Grandma, startled, wanted to know what on earth the child was doing. Pat explained that her daughter was playing dolls.

You see, reacting to her own efforts to excel in a male-dominated industry, Pat wanted to make sure that both her children, a boy and a girl, grew up believing that there were no gender restrictions on their achieving their personal goals. Pat's daughter at age seven had never owned a doll. Grandma's immediate response was, "Pat, get that child a doll!"  As a respectful daughter, Pat complied.

As she was telling this story, Pat laughed and said that the day before, the very same stick had been a gun in the arms of her son. He had been in the backyard blasting away at some unseen enemy, making the rat-ta-ta-ta-ta sound that only little boys can make.

The incident makes a strong case for nature in the philosophical tug-of-war, nature vs. nurture; however, Pat's personal success in the construction industry proves that with the proper direction, nurture is also a powerful force.

Communication - Finding the Words That Work

Various elements of communication are the focus of Chapter 6 of The Eve Factor. Verbal or written, subtle or blatant, words that serve as a call to action are integral to the sales process.

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The chapter opens with the story of fiery Argentinean Eva Peron who progressed from a small part in a provincial school play to become a powerful orator, rousing thousands of her countrymen to implement reforms in the lives of women and the working class. As First Lady of Argentina in 1946, Eva began using her personal charisma to secure backing for her husband Juan, as well as to promote her own interests and power. She died at age thirty-three leaving a controversial legacy that describes her as saint, revolutionary or whore, depending on who is telling her story. Using Peron as inspiration, the chapter teaches how to deliver effective presentations from the unexpected impromptu speech to the formal presentation before a large audience.

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Catherine the Great used the power of conversation to transform Russia from a struggling country to a world power in the 16th Century. Her introduction of new ideas through books and education ensured that her countrymen were ready for change when in fits of "legislomania" she issued her royal decrees. Her impact on Russia is remarkable in that she was German-born and later adopted the language and culture of the French. It is said that, "Catherine gave laws with one hand and did needlepoint with the other". The chapter explores her subtle efforts to implant thoughts into the minds of others, making her one of history's most powerful female leaders.

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American Eleanor Roosevelt grew up in a conventional upper-class environment, never expecting to be anything other than daughter or wife. However, when she became First Lady in 1932, she traveled around the country garnering attention for her own projects, giving lectures, radio broadcasts and editing her own daily newspaper column. She fought for freedom of speech, racial equality and equal rights for women, drafting the Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Using Roosevelt's examples of encouraging women to make a place for themselves in the workplace, the chapter defines gender specific methods of communication that can either enhance or undermine a woman's authority.

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The chapter closes with the story of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo who used both the visual arts and the written word to influence the people and the politics around her. Frida most frequently painted self-portraits, leaving a small but carefully controlled legacy of her own emotional torment and her yearning for immortality. Her diary, too, using colorful text and lively illustrations, recorded her political sensibilities and her stormy relationship with her husband Diego Rivera, Mexico's most famous artist. Kahlo's creative efforts epitomize the way intense focus on one's persona can be a powerful personal P.R. tool. Her example is a potent one for women who are reluctant to brag about themselves; even those who are not passionate about art are familiar with "the women with the eyebrows".

Describe a situation when you employed a communication style that was an influential call to action. What did you achieve?