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She developed a personal business philosophy that propelled her to one of the top positions in Americas corporate ranks, and at 48 years old, Betsy Bernard, MBA81 (M), is determined to lead Its a good, practical philosophy that seems obvious; the real challenge lies in trying to fulfill it, Bernard says. Based on the Biblical Golden Rule, the philosophy (see The Seven Golden Rules of Leadership) has all the elements of that classification, but the rules are a challenge to our character as people. She has built her professional career around these simple rules, and it has paid off. Bernard was appointed president of Its a great job with unique challenges, and thats what makes me excited to go to work every day, she says. Moving Up the LineBernard is not a stranger to Bernards career path was aided by the fact that she was put into a special management program that gave her hard-core operational, line jobs with profit-and-loss accountability, she says. She left Bernard rejoined her old company in 2001, when she led After 18 months at the helm of Calling on EducationBernard feels a critically important component of her ascent lies in her education. With her undergraduate degree from St. Lawrence University, Bernard began her MBA program at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass. When Additionally, Bernard found the enriched debate between students and professors to be particularly satisfying. During the course of her studies, Bernards job responsibilities included operating within a contractual situation between managers and occupational union representatives. My human relations and labor classes helped me a great deal; the professors and students brought real-life experiences into the classroom that allowed theory to translate into reality. Bernard also went on to receive a masters degree in management at Stanford University in the Sloan Fellowship Program. While her responsibilities have made her one of the most powerful women in the business world, Bernard is committed to being a good role model for young women in business and indeed for all her employees. Thats why I try to keep my values in line and remain clear on what I want both in my career and in life. Bernards clarity on her goals was fashioned while still young. I was raised in an environment where women were equal to men. Her mother was a local television personality in Holyoke, Mass., who later went on to a successful writing career. Education was always important in my family, and I was raised to believe I could be anything I wanted. A Work in ProgressWhile advancing through her career, Bernards business philosophy began to take shape. I had the opportunity to observe several very high-level leaders some good, some not so good. But all of them influenced me. Bernard says the Seven Golden Rules of Leadership are a challenge to adopt on a daily basis, but I feel like Im a work in progress who never stops learning. Bernard has delivered her Seven Golden Rules as a speech, most recently at the Ninth Annual Business Womens Network, Women and Diversity Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Extremely well received, the speech is run periodically on C-SPAN and PBS. In addition, her business philosophy has been featured in the book, Eleven Commandments of Wildly Successful Women. Active in womens and community issues, Bernard has served as vice president of communications for the International Womens Forum and as a member of the Womens Forum West and the Wise Womens Council. A seasoned traveler mostly for business, Bernard says she would love to travel for fun. You dont get to see much when traveling for work. Bernard also enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing tennis, skiing and sitting on the beach. But shes hardly sitting back at |
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