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OVERVIEW and Welcome to W.I.N. Leadership Journey
By Kristin Engvig
Founder and Director
Welcome to W.I.N.! It is my pleasure to introduce you to this exciting “movement” and to share our history and hopes for the years to come. When I started W.I.N. back in 1998, I had a vision of creating a network, which would make it easier for women to work internationally. Having been working internationally for several years myself, I knew how exciting it could be, what a learning experience it was and what challenges it set for my family and myself. I also wanted to inspire women to make things happen for themselves and others and in a positive and lasting way, world-wide. I was not alone nor would I be in the future, as more women than ever before have to deal with issues related to working and living outside their home country as a result of better education, demand for specific talent and globalization. A group of women from around the world caught on to this vision and we formed the W.I.N. team.
History - The organization with its’ first event was created for women working internationally and the various European international women’s networks. As President of the Professional Women’s Association in Milan (1994-1996) I knew the importance the international women’s network played on a regular basis to improve the lives of professional women. I thought “everyone needs to know about this work”, and “no woman should ever feel alone whether in a foreign country, in a company or in any specific position.” We brought women together from the women’s networks in Amsterdam, Vienna, London, Oslo, Southern France, Paris, Bologna and Rome and elsewhere to create and event and a network of networks. At W.I.N. 1998 we discussed the role of women working internationally, what knowledge, skills and attitudes we needed for the future and how international professional women’s networks could play a role in facilitating our situation. American’s (TIAW) joined and so did women from Asia. W.I.N. became global.Globalization, digitalization, women in leadership have taken off, networks have networked networks, companies have networked with other companies, women have grown, become more themselves and a revolution has taken place during this past decade...
W.I.N. is set to continue to lead the evolution if not silent revolution and propose a fresh vision for women and men interested in leading and being authentic.
Over the last 9 years, Women’s International Networking, including its flagship annual global leadership forum “the WIN conference” has grown significantly in line with the tremendous development in the market. The W.I.N. movement remains strong thanks to the commitment of event participants, speakers, sponsors, community, the team, all of our partner networks and supporters. It is our goal to continue to stay at the forefront with the new vision and lead the way for the future.
Our vision is to develop, empower and connect feminine leaders and bring (to the world) a strong, authentic, global and different leadership which inspires and guides communities, corporations and supranational institutions, political organizations and entrepreneurship globally.
We welcome you to be part in this learning platform, again or for the first time, where women can be inspired learn global competencies grow as individuals, be inspired to become more of who they are and start building a truly international network. The most important questions on the conference agenda (the annual leadership forum) concern what is happening in the world today and how we can positively contribute to a brighter future? We look at how companies can operate internationally, build strong leadership based on values of inclusion, diversity and authenticity.
It is my desire to make us all aware of his or her global responsibilities and to have us all work on expanding our global mindset and understanding of others.
For me, after talking about diversity concepts and how to implement diversity programmes over a number of years, it became clear that to learn more I had to face myself and begin an inner journey. It could even be that to really embrace diversity and to really be inclusive requires openness and a sense of compassion that many of us have just started to experience.
The W.I.N. agenda today includes universal issues related to leadership and how participants can lead balanced lives and manage our time and resources. As the world evolves, I truly believe that we need to enjoy our uniqueness. For me it was a natural start to begin this process by encouraging us women to gain a stronger sense of self and to find a voice with which to express our uniqueness and individuality.
Let’s find our voice
The critical issue addressed by W.I.N. is the creation of authentic leadership and authentic people who can live creatively, understand their own desires and strengths and also know how these strengths can be used to positively affect the lives of others. The more we study the major challenges of our time, the more we understand they can not be seen in isolation. For instance, the empowerment of women and women’s role in the transformation process in society can not be separated from the changes happening in the lives of men. We are happy to welcome more men to join the group. W.I.N. remains a women’s forum and we gather as individuals and on behalf of our companies, we meet to inspire and be inspired, to learn and grow, to work together and do business, to build alliances and give support. We network with purpose and with pleasure, creating community, giving to others and asking for help.
Most people, companies and organizations know what needs to be done today. I am sure you agree that what we need now is positive action and a way of being that creates maximum impact. After 9 years of watching WIN grow, I have come to believe that when it comes to leadership, we have the opportunity to represent what the world needs right now; new leaders who not only have the commitment to making things happen, but who do so through caring and sharing. I sense urgency and know that sticking to it with courage will make it happen.
There is a lot of pressure on leaders today to both create profit and take care of the internal and external environments. Working on finding our inner strength and making truly conscious decisions becomes a daily exercise.
Welcome to the W.I.N. leadership and networking journey for women
As the conference themes evolve, the annual forums have demonstrated the emergence of a collective and truly global leadership journey being made by modern women today.
At W.I.N: we believe that there is a unique and authentic way for each and every one of us to be and to lead in the world. We also believed that the world needs more balance and that “feminine” values such as authenticity, intuition, win-win approach to negotiation, trust, compassion and integrity must be promoted, nurtured and sustained both in our work and in every part of our lives. We have a vision and a desire to create a new world, a paradigm that is more balanced, compassionate and passionate, has more meaning and improves results.
The new vision and emerging paradigm is the guiding force behind our program content and style.
It is also within this paradigm that we encourage the advancement of the economic and social situation of women around the world, improve corporate governance and discuss competitive strategies for tomorrow, corporations and entrepreneurs, look at finding meaning to success and purpose to our careers while balancing body, mind and spirit. While exploring how to put our new feminine and authentic leadership into action we look at power and what it means to be powerful. At W.I.N: we are interested in who you are, look at how we connect and ask ourselves who you need to be and how to behave in any thing you do?
We create a place where all participants flourish and believe that giving and receiving support and confidence is a great place to start. Our focus on participation and networking with purpose and pleasure means that speakers and participant have many opportunities and time to share their experiences, wisdoms, contacts, resources and information.
1998: Winning Strategies for Women in the Era of Globalization
1999: Winning Strategies for Women Working Internationally
2000: Sustainable Strategies for Women in the Global Era
2001: Women Leading Global Change
2002: Women Building Partnerships Across Boundaries
2003: Connecting People to Create Impact
2004: Connecting for Results; Authentic Leadership in Action
2005: Stepping up to our potential through authentic action and win-win solutions
Our annual leadership forum attracts women from all over the world, with attendance of more than 3000 women from 60 countries. The forum receives sponsorship from world-class companies, is endorsed by leading business schools and boasts partnerships with several influential women’s networks worldwide. Many of our participants attended the first forum in 1998 and have come back every year since.
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What have we learned?
Interpreting and researching the results of every forum, exchanging through networking knowledge, feelings and information with women from around world at W.I.N. and elsewhere, I will like to share with you my finding of the “collective” learning, from the journey of 8 events and proposals for the future.
We have discovered that it isn’t merely about achieving Work/Life Balance, but about balancing our approach, uniting body, mind and spirit. Women declare that they want “Sustainable Careers“ and that success is really a matter of being true to ourselves and discovering our passions and purpose. Sure “time-management” helps.
We yearn to do it differently, bringing to the fore “feminine” values of sharing, caring, collaboration, compassion and a win/win approaches to relationships. We strive to be authentic in our leadership. We have also learnt that we can’t change the world alone and that building partnership across boundaries, whether gender, cultural, political or religious, is fundamental to real change in the world today.
We have a vision and a desire to create a new world, a paradigm that is more balanced, compassionate and passionate, and improves results. We are no longer alone: there is unity and consensus in our vision. We are redefining leadership. We know that it is time for us to go global, to lead with our feminine values and wisdom as we create successful projects fantastic results whilst giving back.
With leading for the future we became conscious of what legacy we leave. As authentic global leaders are emerging, time has come to “run with it”. We know we have a vital role to play in this century and I call for us to take action and seriously shape a brilliant and beautiful future for all and elevate leadership to the next level
Moving into high gear
Women have a vital role to play in this century.
As the new authentic “feminine” leaders of today, our time has come to focus on making our dreams come true and ensuring that we take action on our vision. It is not enough merely to build careers and take on leadership roles, and unless our authenticity and integrity shine through all our actions. We are asking ourselves whether how and as who, we do things could be more important than what we do, just doing? We want to balance being with doing.
We need to demonstrate that our philosophy and strategies yield positive results and that our individual and collective actions make a significant difference in our social communities, corporations, supranational institutions, political organizations and to entrepreneurship world-wide.
How we connect becomes the vital question as we develop entrepreneurial attitudes and take initiatives. Communication becomes key. On a philosophical level we will ask ourselves whether it is possible to find a more universal way of communicating, more conscious and peaceful. On a more practical level we want to look at what influence the media plays in forming role models and ask ourselves how we can be more aware and conscious in our choices and in our own communication with colleagues, clients and everyone we encounter.
Wouldn’t it be great to be powerful with a certain grace? How can the new female leader step up to power on her own terms? What can she do to reach to Board positions, become an intra- or entrepreneur?
We live in a time, where most women (and men) need to find the courage inside, discover and rediscover feminine principles and experimenting allowing it to be part of life.
Who you are and how you do anything you do become of vital significance.
On our way to creating results, how will be a key word in our conversations as we explore issues central to the forum such as:
How to boost creativity and accelerate innovation and change , How each participant can discover her/his own unique voice and authentic, feminine leadership style
How to achieve the kind of power we want
How to create a better world and society
How to create companies that thrive
How to responsibly run personal and professional projects so that they are viable
How to become financially savvy
How to build the career we desire
How to create the ideal lives that we long for
How to heal and how to give back
How to celebrate one person’s positive achievement as a victory for all?
Women today do know what needs to be done, courage to be that change and confidence to make it happen is what is needed today.
Although very basic, freedom of choice is still not an option for all.
Let’s assume leadership to make a difference, lead with grace by being true to ourselves, restructure organizations with caring environments, make conscious decisions for lasting results, handle communication with empathy and in every way ensure that lives and careers blossom world-wide. And yes, it is not always easy and it is not always enough to be intelligent, hard working, determined and disciplined. Courage to be the change…. proposes the creation of a nurturing network/environment and suggests that the transfer of confidence to another person is a simple and generous start. We are in transition, searching for purpose and new identities. Who you are and how you individually participate and contribute impacts our immediate environment. Feminine leadership is all about creating environment to make people and things flourish.
It is time to look at how we ideally would like to have it and open ourselves to new solutions. Let’s get started?
This is the W.I.N. proposal and I invite you to join our vision. I look forward to working with all of you,
Kristin Engvig
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