Exceptional leadership doesn’t happen by accident.
Perhaps no one knows this better than Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever. Having risen from a small-town girl to founder and CEO of a top Washington, D.C., consulting firm (which regularly engages with the White House, as well as with key leaders in the U.S. and around the globe), Dr. Avis is no stranger to grit, the spotlight and successfully overcoming odds.
She represents a refreshingly brilliant, fearless and iconic brand of leadership that is, quite simply, compelling.
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Career reinvention strategist, diversity consultant, and women’s empowerment expert are but a few key monikers that highlight her captivating wheelhouse of expertise. She’s the founder of the Exceptional Leadership Institute for Women, a global personal and professional development firm that helps established and aspiring entrepreneurs and executives experience accelerated success while building a holistic life they love.
She’s also the president of Incite Unlimited, a Washington, D.C.-based boutique consulting firm specializing in diversity consulting, communications strategy and the development and implementation of impactful research.
Dr. Avis formerly served as the youngest ever executive director of the National Council of Negro Women, a historic membership organization touching the lives of over four million women of African descent worldwide. She’s had the honor of being the keynote speaker to the inaugural president of the United States’ Young African Leaders Summit and was a featured speaker before the World Bank.
She currently conducts workshops and training on women’s career and entrepreneurial success on behalf of U.S. Embassies across the globe and helps corporations better design and implement strategies to maximize the power of diversity and inclusion at work, as well as for the marketplace of today and tomorrow.
For individuals, she coaches one-on-one in small groups, and through on-line courses, to help her clients ‘Master the Art of the Career Shift.’ In so doing, she helps women shift their careers in three distinct areas: (1) ascending to leadership within their current professional space; (2) safely and effectively transitioning to a new career; or (3) making the ultimate shift, from employee to successful entrepreneur. Dr. Avis is also a regular contributor to TV One’s NewsOne Now with Roland Martin, PBS’ To the Contrary, Sirius XM Radio’s The Agenda, and the Huffington Post.
BlackEnteprise.com caught up with this exceptional author and businesswoman to discuss all things leadership excellence and to get some exciting highlights from her new book, which premieres this month.
BlackEnterprise.com: You are an exceptional black woman with an impressive track record of professional success. What inspired you to write a book about how other black women lead, rather than a personal biography?
Jones-DeWeever: I’m a firm believer in the power of collective wisdom. So while I’ve been fortunate to have some amazing experiences in my own career, and have certainly woven my perspectives and insights throughout the book, I knew I wanted more. I felt it was important to include a broad range of women, each who’ve achieved extraordinary success across a variety of careers.
A ‘sistah mind’ group of sorts. Seventy black women gathered together with the expressed intent of sharing key experiences, insider-knowledge, and lessons learned along the way, in order to help other black women achieve success more swiftly and one day, to lead.
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Success leaves clues, often modeled by real life gladiators who inspire us to break the chains that bind. Who have your modern day gladiators been?
There are so many. In the political realm, I’m inspired by the courageousness of Congresswoman Gwen Moore, as well as the trailblazing and uplifting nature of Former U.S. Ambassador and current Congressional Candidate, Suzan Johnson Cook. In terms of career success, I admire the strategic mind of MetricStream CEO, Shellye Archambeau and the commitment to excellence of IBM Vice President, Denise Evans. In the entrepreneurial realm, I’m in awe of the groundbreaking and lasting success of Cheryl McKissack, CEO of McKissack & McKissack, the historic architectural and construction firm that’s responsible for the MLK Memorial, the new Smithsonian National Museum for African American History and Culture, and a long list of other iconic structures. And as it relates to activism, I’m amazed by the consensus-building prowess of Melanie Campbell, Convener of the Black Women’s Roundtable, along with the unapologetic-ally bold actions of a wide range of young women throughout the Black Lives Matter movement.
Can you point to a crucible–a life altering event–that has helped to shape your personal leadership acumen?
I had the
honor of working with civil rights and women’s right’s icon, Dr. Dorothy Height, during the final years of her life. Dr. Height was one of those larger than life figures–a leader in every sense of the word and a historic change-maker committed to crafting a better world for us all. Ascending to the position of executive director of her beloved National Council of Negro Women following her death, required me to live up to a heightened standard of leadership excellence. And it’s that standard that continues to drive me to this day.Leading in public life can be challenging, but it comes with the territory. How do you deal with the stress from being ‘on,’ especially in our nation’s capital?
For me, it isn’t stressful at all. In fact, it comes naturally because I’m doing what I love to do. I believe when you build a career around your passion, you operate every day in the center of your brilliance. When you couple natural acumen with a commitment to excellence and the discipline of consistent action, you have no choice but to excel. Excellence becomes as natural as breathing.
Speaking from an entrepreneurial perspective, how has good decision- making impacted your ability to successfully navigate everyday challenges?
One of the most challenging aspects of business ownership is, ironically, one of its most appealing qualities–freedom. The ability to do, theoretically, whatever it is you want to do. However, greater possibilities carry with it significant responsibility. Good decision-making is all about understanding what opportunities are the right opportunities and what idea is the right idea for any particular moment in time. I’ve found that the ability to identify, focus on and commit to specific objectives helps immensely when it comes to the decision-making process. When you know what the target is, it becomes much easier to not get distracted by those things that may sound good in the moment, but will ultimately, take you off course. This approach to decision-making is applicable to every aspect of life. Know what you want. And then let those goals be your North Star. From there, any decision you make becomes as simple as determining will it get me there or not?
Your book is poised to inspire women to embrace leadership as non-negotiable professional imperative. What is the most salient takeaways that women can expect to find in the book?
The book shares why now is the optimal time for increased representation of black women within leadership positions, and what it will take for us, both individually and as a collective, to get there.
Among the key takeaways are advice on how to communicate with power without being labeled an ‘Angry Black Woman;’ how to deal with unfairness, no matter what form it takes and achieve anyway; and perspectives on how to attract key mentors and sponsors that are critical to career success. Â And because in my mind, true success requires holistic fulfillment, the book provides guidance on how to design and build a holistic life you’ll love.
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Of all your many professional accomplishments, of which are you the most proud? Which have contributed the most to the woman you are today?
I’m fortunate that I built a career doing what I love. I’ve engaged in work that is meaningful to me, and work that I truly believe, makes a difference. But what I’m most proud of has been my segue to entrepreneurship. I’m the daughter of a man who had to quit school after only a third grade education in order to help his family in the fields. When faced with the tragic death of his father, he took on the responsibility of being the primary breadwinner for his mother and seven siblings. Understanding fully the limitations of sharecropping, he started his first business at the tender age of 14. By the time I came along, he’d built a thriving lumber company, employing each of his brothers and more than a dozen additional community members in the process. The business also allowed him the ability to continue to support his mother until the day she died. Inspired from that example, I knew that one day, I wanted to carry on the legacy of entrepreneurship that my father so valiantly embodied. I’m proud to say that in my own way, I’ve made that aspiration a reality.
What is your best advice for women who are desirous of taking on greater leadership roles, but hesitant because of lack of experience or confidence?
First know
that you have the ability to make your ambition real. Observe the path to leadership that others took in your area of interest. What credentials did they have? What experiences did they collect along the way? And what relationships were central to their success? Use those observations to craft a career plan. Attach time limits to each component of that plan and then commit to implementation. If there are gaps between the experiences that you have now and what you’ll need to get there, then fill them. If there are relationships you need to develop to get you where you want to go, then start building those relationships. Overtime, the accumulation of the right experiences along with the development of the right network, and your willingness to express your ambitions to the right people, together will help to open up the doors of opportunity for you to lead.As a woman leader, how would you describe the socio-cultural significance of a woman running for president?
First and foremost, it’s time. There have been 70 women presidents or prime ministers throughout the world. So in many respects, America is significantly behind when it comes to having a woman serve as Head of State. As a result, the socio-cultural significance of having a woman serve as a serious contender for the presidency is huge. It denotes a country that has finally reached the level of maturity necessary to broaden its perceptions of what a leader could and should be. And for girls specifically, it makes a little bit more real the notion that there are no limits to what they can achieve.
Where can readers find your book and keep up with your latest musings?
Readers can find my book, which will be released on March 15, with pre-orders available for both the Kindle and print versions at Amazon.com. They can also join me at AvisJonesDeweever.com to download a free Career Vision and Action Guide as well as get more information on success in career and life. In addition, readers can connect with me on Twitter @SistahScholar.
Karima Mariama-Arthur, Esq. is founder and CEO of WordSmithRapport, an international consulting firm specializing in professional development. Follow her on Twitter: @wsrapport or visit her website, www.WordSmithRapport.com.