5 Tips to Carpe the Chaos and Thrive

NAFE, the National Association of Female Executives asked me to write a “Five Tips” article for their latest newsletter.

I chose to write about 5 tips for using chaos as opportunity, or as I’ve put it in No Excuses power tool #5: Carpe the Chaos. I recently spoke on this topic to the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Women’s Roundtable and the International Museum of Women. In my experience as a leader, it’s a useful concept that got me through tough times when many people thought there was no way to succeed.

There IS always a way, and it really helps to see the opportunity when others see only negativity in change and chaos! Here’s the post:

Gloria Feldt’s No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power has stood near the top of Amazon’s leadership booklist since it was published last October. A teen mom who became CEO of the world’s largest reproductive health provider and advocacy organization, Gloria learned leadership on the job. Now she’s a sought-after speaker, author, and consultant. Here are her tips on how to turn chaos into opportunity:

1. Think positive. Be like Monty Python: Always look at the bright side of life. You might as well. Chaos is inevitable because change is inevitable. And whoever is most comfortable with the ambiguity change creates is most likely to thrive, not just survive.

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Share Your Power Tools Here!

Dear Powered Woman,

I am writing a book entitled No Excuses that explores women’s relationship with power and why this is the moment to use our “power-to” for good in life and leadership.

I have one chapter in that gives nine specific Power Tools women can use to make changes they want in their workplace, in politics or civic life, or in a personal relationship, with concrete examples of what has worked, or what you tried and it didn’t work but you learned from it.

The Power Tools are:

Know Your History (and you can shape your future)
Define the terms—first
Use what you’ve got
Carpe the chaos (chaos is opportunity)
Embrace controversy
Wear the shirt (of your convictions)
Create a movement
Employ every medium
Tell your story

It can be something large or small–they are all valid and important. You can also send photos or video for website use if you wish.

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