business rock stars - the other gender
posted 2004.06.02
Church of the Customer recently posted a list of business rock stars:
This country loves business, and business rock stars enjoy fans as passionate as the customers of their companies. Business leaders who do important, exciting work can build on that evangelism by keeping a blog. [H]ere are business rock-star blogs not currently in production I'd like to read.
What was dismaying to me was that the entire list was very, well, male. Sure, it hit a lot of the usual suspects - although I'd love to see Jack Welch added to the list - but all I could think while I was reading the list was: come on, aren't there any businesswomen who have something to say?
The answer, of course, is yes - so I'm making my own list of female business rock stars whose blogs I'd love to read...
- Oprah Winfrey - one of my all-time favourite businesswomen. I'd pay to read her blog. I'd pay to read her napkin notes from lunch. I think she's got an incredible amount to teach other businesspeople, particularly women.
- Martha Stewart - and let's just sidestep any remarks about the whole shares fiasco. The point is that she built an empire when, let's face facts, it's not very easy or common to see a woman doing so. And regardless of what you may think of her personally or whether you believe she's guilty or not, I think she still has a lot to teach about how to build and run a successful business.
- Carly Fiorina - president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard. Again, I'd pay just to read her napkin notes. Between her experience with Lucent and HP, I think her thoughts on technology and business would be a tremendous asset.
- Margaret Whitman - president & CEO of eBay. Well, pretty self explanatory here. Since online businesses in particular are my stock-in-trade, I'd be incredibly excited by the opportunity to read what Margaret has to say.
- Cathleen Black - president of Hearst Magazines Corporation. It's the world's largest publisher of monthly magazines including Cosmopolitan, Esquire, Good Housekeeping and Harper's Bazaar.
- Tiffany Bass Bukow - founder of MsMoney.com Inc. Again, the online business angle.
- Madeline Albright - okay, not really known for running a company, but the things she could teach business owners about negotiation and networking would be priceless.
What about you? What women (or men, I won't discriminate here) in business do you wish had a business blog?
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She's a relative newcomer but competing with Oprah now, at 3 pm on NBC and on Oxygen (cable channel in the US -don't know if you get that north of the border)Ellen DeGeneres. Her show is so pleasantly goofy. Don't know how she is 'as a businessperson', though.
To make a connection with the latest bloggers vs. gurus match, I've been wondering what's going on with Lynda Weinman. She's an old-timer and has sold many books on the subject -I'd expect her to have a 'neat' blog.
I agree with your whole gosh darn list. And ditto on Meg Whitman, she would be especially fascinating. She has an incredibly impressive resume (Hasbro, FTD, Stride Rite, Keds, Disney, etc.), she's got the full gamut of skills and experience and would be a great read if she blogged.
I'd add Helen Thomas, long-time reporter for UPI. Normally, she's up front among the male-dominated White House Press Corp. But ever since having the audacity to question Ari Fleischer of the basis for our war in Iraq she's been punished by being assigned a seat at the very back. Well over 40 years reporting, and never having lost her integrity or commitment to the truth. Not a businessperson, but wow, would she have a blog to read.
Thanks, everyone, for the suggestions, they're great! Jackie, I completely agree about SW Airlines - in fact, I'd go so far as to say that I'd read a blog by almost any of their executive.
Ditto, Shahla, on Lynda Weinman. I'd also add Robin Williams (the designer, not the comic) to that list.
I was just looking at my blog links and wondering why there were no female designers on there. I added you of course! Welcome to my A-list :)
I'd like to see what Betsey Johnson has to say -- though I hope none of my female relatives have any interest in her clothing lines. :-) :-) :-)
I'm biased toward scientific and engineering leaders. Put Sally Ride out there.
And whatever happened to Kim Polese?
Angie,
I'd pay to read Oprah's blog too.
I'd also add Colleen Barrett, Southwest Airlines president and highest ranking female airline industry executive, to the list.