Speaking your mind and saying no have been constant frustration points for women in business. Gay Gaddis knows this from her work helping women grow as leaders and in building her company, T3, into one of the country’s most innovative digital agencies. In Gay’s view, when women get comfortable with debate and voicing opinions, they gain competence and confidence. That confidence kicks in when the best answer is “no.” Gay’s just-released book,Cowgirl Power, is a field guide to help women find inner power to kick ass in business and life. An excerpt from her book follows:
Having a strong point of view demonstrates your competence, that you have thought things through. I know a lot of women who are not comfortable around conflict. They just don’t like it. But properly managed conflict is invaluable and something most women need to be more comfortable with because it forces you articulate your personal values and beliefs.
I watch my three Border collies at a ranch I have in the Texas Hill Country. Several times a day they tie into one another. It is a very aggressive form of play and usually stops short of drawing blood. They grab each other around the neck, knock each other down, growl and snarl at each other. It is