Smart Business Magazine, October 2015

October 2015 Smart Business Cleveland 49 showcased young boys and girls working as equals the demonstrative Tyrannosaurus rexs lesson of equality hasnt always transferred into the professional womans reality In fact shouldnt todays intellectual clean up revolve around the rethinking of our biased preconceptions and prejudices especially when those ideologies negatively impact the women in our lives Despite the adversity ridden slippery slope of the campaign trail Fiorina maintains One of the things that always drives people apart is when someone is judgmental If we judge others we are going to separate ourselves from one another No one of us is any better than any other one of us Now consider this challenge Forget about politics Forget about what you thought you knew about Fiorina Instead think of your grandmother mother sister wife and or daughter Whats more any male whose resume includes the job title of father also has a 50 percent chance of having a daughter Regardless of your political beliefs your daughter needs you to passionately defend her right to reach her potential In Fiorinas words One woman can change the world because one woman changes the lives of everyone around her Does Fiorina expect you to always agree with her No Am I suggesting you vote for her No thats your decision However placing a greater emphasis on the power of listening works in every professional setting political or otherwise Just as there is a gap between reading and comprehending there is a chasm between listening and hearing Finally to my daughter 2015 Florida Gulf Coast University graduate and budding social worker Maribeth Jones you have my heart my support and my vote of confidence As luck would have it you have Fiorinas as well Randall Kenneth Jones is president of MindZoo a marketing communications firm in Naples Florida He is also a speaker writer professional storyteller and creator of RediscoverCourtesy org Reach him at www randallkennethjones com In 1999 Fiorina was named chairman and CEO of Hewlett Packard thereby becoming the first woman to lead a Fortune 20 business Much has been written both positive and negative of her time on the job Lest we forget the swift exit often faced by those sitting atop the corporate ladder Fiorinas departure came with more media fanfare than would likely accompany most male C suite partings Gender bias aside as a leader Fiorina has fashioned a refreshingly simple platform Unlocking potential of the people I work with is the highest calling of leadership In my experience no matter what the setting is people have far more potential than they realize so organizations have more potential than they usually utilize Since leaving Hewlett Packard in 2005 Fiorina has served in a large number of advisory and policy making positions and has lent her support to several civic organizations Though she is keenly aware of being a woman in a male dominated world Fiorina was physiologically reminded of this reality in 2009 Yes she lost her Senate bid to Barbara Boxer of California the following year but she triumphed personally Fiorina became a breast cancer survivor an act that elevated Fiorinas fearless factor to new heights Before I had cancer it looked like I was fearless she says Sometimes courage is not the absence of fear its acting in spite of fear Im not sure I would have run for President before I had cancer There actually isnt anything to be afraid of As described in her recent book Rising to the Challenge My Leadership Journey Fiorina is understandably still mourning the 2009 loss of her 35 year old stepdaughter Lori Ann a situation Fiorina thoughtfully explains She struggled with addictions and they overcame her However Lori Ann Fiorinas life is celebrated every day her stepmother moves forward to support womens issues Through heartache Lori Ann added even more fearlessness to her stepmothers agenda Fiorina explains Her death is probably why I am so passionate about wasted potential because death is not the only thing that wastes peoples potential Many peoples potential is wasted or overlooked or dismissed or never given a chance Fiorinas commitment to Lori Anns memory can be found in her run for the White House as well as in her role as founder and chairwoman of the women focused Unlocking Potential Project Women are half the nation Women also represent the most underutilized potential in the world If we want to solve problems women have to play she explains Just as I was about to leave a whimsically adorned room at Golisano Childrens Museum of Naples Florida our interview host Fiorina called my attention to a sign on the door and playfully inquired Do you know the words to the Clean Up Song Because I do Clean up clean up everybody everywhere Clean up clean up everybody do your share Did I ever anticipate that a presidential candidate would sing Barney the dinosaurs Clean Up Song to me No Though TVs Barney Friends