The Eve of Something Great

As a Thinker (my Myers-Briggs personality) and having the strength of Connectedness (my top 5 strengths from Discover Your Strengths) I was pondering New Year’s and all the exciting possibilities that lie ahead in 2013. As I began to think and connect the dots in my usual fashion  my thoughts turned to New Year’s eve. And in the random fashion that women can be known for, I flashed to Christmas eve. Why is there no Valentine’s Day eve, no 4th of July eve, or no Labor Day eve? Only two eve’s worth celebrating?

Christmas eve marks the day before the birth of Jesus Christ which, whether you accept Jesus or not, has forever changed eternity for all mankind. His purpose was to do away with the old ways of “religion” and usher in a new more purposeful “relationship” with God himself through his son. New Year’s eve marks the day before a new year begins. It brings our focus from eternity to the present. Most of us will engage in purposeful reflection of our lives – about what old ways we want to do away with and the news ways we want to be more purposeful in the coming year. I won’t spend a lot of time on goals and new year’s resolution here. It’s likely without an accountability structure or a life coach (shameless plug) whatever you come up with will be lost within a few weeks anyway. Instead I want to stay with this idea of EVE – the evening or the day before a holiday, the period preceding or leading up to any event.

I believe as women leaders we are on the Eve of something GREAT! Something bigger than ourselves – a movement of God that is specific to us yet beyond us. I’m not sure the magnitude of the movement is known yet. However, I know that we are at the eve of it. When I researched the pre-requisites of a movement here is what I found. I put layman leader terms in parenthesis for clarity

1. Ability to mobilize human and material resources (recruit, hire, train and motive both people and their resources -including $$)

2. To exert external influence (market, sway opinion, influence, to lead)

3. To mount resistance to counter pressures (beat opposition or the competition)

Here are statistics that reveal that the movement is currently underway:

• Women age 50 and older control net worth of $19 trillion and own more than three-fourths of the nation’s financial wealth. – MassMutual Financial Group–2007
• Over the next decade, women will control two thirds of consumer wealth in the United States and be the beneficiaries of the largest transference of wealth in our country’s history. Estimates range from $12 to $40 trillion. Many Boomer women will experience a double inheritance windfall, from both parents and husband. The Boomer woman is a consumer that luxury brands want to resonate with. – Claire Behar, Senior Partner and Director, New Business Development, Fleishman-Hillard New York
• The number of wealthy women investors in the U.S. is growing at a faster rate than that of men. In a two-year period, the number of wealthy women in the U.S. grew 68%, while the number of men grew only 36%. – The Spectrem Group
• The U.S. Bureau of Census reports, currently women outnumber men by 6 million.
• Women were 54% of the electoral vote for the 2012 election
• Women give 89% more than their male counterparts
• On any given Sunday there are 13 million more adult women than men in America’s churches.
• Midweek church activities often draw 70 to 80 percent female participants.

Information gathered from the following links: She-conomy, The Next Web, Barna Group and Center for Philanthropy

Why is the hand of God seemingly giving us such influence?

The statistics above and (even more interesting stats) in the articles linked are quite empowering for women leaders. But with all power comes even greater responsibility. Why after decades and centuries of oppression is the hand of God seemingly handing us this unbelievable financial, spiritual, political and physical influence? Will it be for our own advancement? To ensure we have birth control or proper health exams? Surely we are meant for a greater good beyond ourselves. #1 and #2 of a movement are there and available. Women leaders are mobile, have resources, and are exerting influence like never before.  The question for us as women leaders, for you is – what opposition will you resolve to defeat? What greater good will you exert your resources and influence over? How will you join forces with other women leaders in defeating the injustices, defending the broken and hurting?

As a leader it’s your time to chime in. What opposition or injustice do you feel challenged to exert influence over in 2013?