Tom Peters on Women, Wowing and Working

Along with my obsession with chocolate, women?s leadership and the Southwest, I have long admired the refreshing, inspiring, and definitively inventive management guru Tom Peters. His truly remarkable visionary business philosophy was instrumental in my own journey which resulted in creating the organization that is Women?s Leadership Exchange today.

In his most recent book, ?Re-Imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive Age? Tom acknowledges that women ?roar?; that as ?the biggest trend in the world?, we are the primary decision maker for virtually every purchase imaginable. He also coins the concept of ?WOW ? projects: projects that matter, make a difference, or transform the world.

A few months ago, WLE E-Newsletter Editor Barbara Silver and I had the opportunity for a brief online interview with Tom.

LG: There is no doubt in my mind that women roar. Women also believe in WOW projects. The question is how do women?s WOW projects or businesses get noticed by those corporations that seem to have earplugs on?

TP: Leslie, having listened to horror stories from hundreds of powerful women - from the former Lieutenant Governor of California to my own wife - I know how difficult it can
be for women to get the respect they deserve from the male powers that be. The important thing to remember about building WOW projects, however, is that it is all
about passion, imagination, and persistence. When you find yourself in a company that fails to notice your insight and ideas, you have to take the power. Don't wait for them to hand it over. Getting noticed by corporate higher-ups is less important than gaining
respect and enthusiasm for your ideas from your peers and other dynamic people in your company. Once armed with enthusiasm and a great idea, you are more likely to be able to move your WOW project with or without the help of your boss.

LG What tools or cool Ideas do entrepreneurial women need to brand themselves--to stand out as innovative and to communicate to others? (read that "ignorant corporations, clients, men, etc?.)

TP: Today's business world is all about the individual, so, whether you are a man or a woman, you have to be aggressive about making yourself stand out. You must become an independent contractor of your own ideas. Arm yourself with attitude! Arm yourself with distinction! Arm yourself with creativity! Sharpen your existing skills and pair them with new skills and innovations. Get web savvy. Start your own blog. Constantly reach outside the box, try new ideas, and refuse to fear failure.

Dubbed "the father of the post-modern corporation" by the Los Angeles Times,
Tom Peters' latest book is ?Re-imagine! Business Excellence in a Disruptive
Age? (DK Publishing), hailed as one of the best business books of 2003 by
Amazon.com. He also co-authored the landmark ?In Search of Excellence?.
Visit his website at www.tompeters.com.
Leslie Grossman, co-founder of Women?s Leadership Exchange and a serial Entrepreneur, is also President of B2Women, a consulting company that helps corporations market effectively to women in business.