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GRAVITAS MAGAZINE GravitasMag.com | 41 Continued on page 42 W e need to reshape our own perception of how we view ourselves. We have to step up as women and take the lead. Beyoncé " " relationships with younger women could in fact improve the Queen Bee's standing by showing her ability to evolve and stay relevant in a rapidly changing world. A hand of guidance today could also someday secure her survival down the road. It's more important than ever for the female leaders of today to reach out to the next generation and pull them up. MENTORSHIP Companies today recognize the need to assist women and interconnect them better. e largest companies in the world are awash with mentoring programs aimed at women in particular, to help the best and brightest ascend the ladder of success. Unfortunately, statistics show that mentoring benefits men much more than women. Part of the issue is the shallow pool of female leaders, as well as the actions, or lack there of, taken by chosen mentors on behalf of their protégées. One of the major challenges with mentorship is the lack of females in top senior level positions. In addition to the smaller numbers of female leaders, women that hold those coveted positions are often starved for time, even if they have the desire to pay it forward to younger colleagues. Between demanding work schedules and responsibilities at home, women on the top of the corporate chain blame lack of time as the main obstacle to mentorship. Until female leaders prioritize mentoring as a necessity in their careers, this roadblock will persist. Men appear to negotiate this challenge with much more ease than women. Missing a family dinner, in lieu of a steak dinner with colleagues is not often an issue for men. ey prioritize their relationships in business as an intricate element of job security and advancement. Making time for social interaction with colleagues is formally built into their schedule. Another formidable problem with female mentors is the lack of sponsorship that is offered. ere is a significant difference between mentoring and sponsoring, similar to the difference between talking and doing. While mentoring is generally more about guidance, sponsoring is more of an action. Studies show that the fundamental difference between the way women and men interact with their protégées is that men take a more active role in the advancement of their careers by advocating their protégées to other high level executives, suggesting them for projects that would gain them higher visibility or even recommending directly for advanced positions. Women tend to offer guidance and opinions, but outright solicitation for another woman's advancement is not so forthcoming. NET WORKING VS R ELATIONSHIP BUILDING Many careers and deals are made nowhere near the office, but on the golf course, the fishing trip, the steak house, even at the strip club. e fact is that men integrate social situations into their careers much more effectively than women. Recently at one of our epic GR AVITAS Dinner Parties hosted by Rococo's Steakhouse in St. Petersburg, I invited five awesome ladies to join us for dinner. While enjoying our fabulous dinner, we laughed and connected with each other on a significant personal level, although we were all from a myriad of ages, backgrounds and industries. We discussed how each woman had debated whether she could set aside a Tuesday evening away from home to attend. One guest lamented that she had hesitated at first, feeling guilty about leaving her husband and children to fend for themselves. Meanwhile, in the adjacent three ballrooms were about 50 men having a grand time at their "business dinner." We speculated on how long most of them considered the extra burden they would be putting on their wives by skipping family time. We agreed that most probably never gave it the slightest consideration. Recognizing the need to expand their influence women often seek out opportunities to network. Charity luncheons, meetups and business groups offer a plethora of occasions to meet prospective clients or important colleagues. e challenge with many of those events is that women still look at it as business. ey go with an objective to get as many business cards as possible or to shake hands with valuable contacts. We tend to have that "I'm on a mission" mentality. While that tactic can work to a degree, what is lacking is relationship building. Rather than gather a dozen cards, it will be more beneficial to have a real conversation with one person. Invite her to lunch. Spend an hour truly getting to know her. Jessica Rivelli, founder of Working Women of Tampa Bay, "Networking is a two-way street. Building meaningful professional