Dear“Cs-to-Be™”:

Dawn Hudson had a lot of people buzzing around her at the end of her talk at the launch of a new magazine in New York City. After her talk, the President and CEO of Pepsi-Cola North America greeted well wishers. As I walked in her direction, I pondered the piece of wisdom I sought from this very successful woman.

“What was your biggest challenge to being taken seriously in the workplace?” I asked. Hudson thought a moment before offering a factor in her career.

"I played golf with my male colleagues and won," the woman with an impressive 14-handicap said. "When I started taking their $5 bills from them, they started taking me seriously."

Hudson played the same game as the men, on their field, by their rules, under equal circumstances, and won by leveling their playing field. Today by demonstrating her full power, she is responsible for managing $4 billion annually. Now that’s a lot of $5 bills!

How do you---women or men---level the leadership playing field?

Are you comfortable with taking the risks needed to properly express all of your talents, demonstrate your skills, and contribute in ways to further establish your profile within your organization and with clients?

Are you willing to seek and take advice from others?

During presentations, executive coaching engagements, and individual coaching sessions, LTR’s approach is to support and inspire “Cs-to-Be™” to find their own creative ways to level the playing field.

Contact Leigh for assistance to overcome your ONE challenge in order to move forward.

Playing to win means that you give yourself every opportunity to be successful. You use what you can control to change your behavior and achieve positive results.

Playing not to lose is an approach that allows you to avoid risk in order to keep the status quo. This behavior is often rooted in a fear of failure.

Playing to win generates images of sports. The concept is not dependent on understanding sports or playing sports.

Playing to win is a frame of mind.

When you are playing to win, your mind is not on what everyone else is doing but what you can do to improve your performance.

Your effective perspective lets you focus on the present situation because you know your company's strategic objectives.

You expect the best from your colleagues and take approriate risks when necessary.

You show up fully ready to do your work and manage your stress when the goind gets tough.

Playing to win is a way to level your playing field.

Working to be a leader---and helping clients grow into their leadership potential---Leigh knows that everyone's obstacles to career advancement vary from individual to individual.

Obstacles Leigh helps leaders remove for a more level playing field include:

• Owning a place at the table with a strong authentic voice.
• Speaking confidently in front of a group of three or a gathering of hundreds.
• Having to hold an employee accountable or terminate him for poor performance.
• Learning the nuances of what goes into effective leadership.
• Managing conflict (Leigh's clients have written down how she approaches an uncomfortable situation, "I don't mean to be confrontational, I do mean to be direct.)
• Designing a project for its greastest ROI.

Leigh provides clients read articles published in the Harvard Business Review, Fortune, and other magazines plus read specific books on topics relevant to their career advancement.

After being unexpectedly promoted to a senior level executive position, I was pleased and terrified at the same time. Leigh helped guide me through the transition to help me look, think and act more strategically than I ever had to before – to develop into a better leader. Now Leigh helps keep me accountable, setting out specific challenges and goals to ensure I continue to grow as a leader. She acts as a sounding board to weigh alternatives to pressing challenges and provides that shot of encouragement I need to press on despite the obstacles. ---Financial services professional managing global teams

It means so much to me to have your unwavering support in my new role as CEO — Leader of social services agency

I can't talk with anyone else the way I can speak with you. You give me clarity on navigating my envrionment and putting the obstacles I need to overcome in perspective.---Leader of a non-profit organization

If you're a “C-to-Be™” and are ready to work with a coach to get you where you want to go, contact Leigh@LTR-NYC.com.