Entrepreneur Advice from Monif Clarke: Ask a lot of questions if you want to be a good leader

December 8, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Monif Clarke, founder of Monif C. Plus Sizes on 'Leadership for Entrepreneurs' — **Monif Clarke**, founder of Monif C. Plus Sizes on *'Leadership for Entrepreneurs'*

It's up to you to ask your employees questions about what areas they think need improving in order to make their jobs easier and help your company to keep growing....

“Leadership is asking a lot of questions. I've learned that between customers, employees and all our stakeholders, my number one job is asking [my team] a lot of questions so I can serve them. They are on the front lines dealing with customers or wearing our products and while I am steering the ship, they are the engine and the propellers. I have to be responsive to what they need and often people are too busy or bogged down to even articulate what they need.”

- Monif Clarke is an American entrepreneur who is founder and CEO of Monif C. Plus Sizes a business she conceived in 2005 out of sheer frustration with the lack of choices in the plus size fashion market. She has gone on to fantastic success and has been awarded “Best Plus Size Fashion Designer” by Full Figure Fashion Week, “Best Plus Size Clothing Store” by City Search, “Best Store For Plus Size Evening Wear” by Time Out New York and was featured in the October issue of Essence Magazine’s “Leaders Of The New School”. Her signature Monif C. collection is quintessentially the wardrobe for the young, contemporary, sexy plus size woman and she is the designer of choice for curvy celebrities like Jill Scott.

Entrepreneur Advice from Danae Ringelmann: Be Your Authentic Self

November 21, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Danae Ringelmann co-founder of Indiegogo on 'Leadership for Entrepreneurs' — **Danae Ringelmann** co-founder of Indiegogo on *'Leadership for Entrepreneurs'*

People are more likely to follow you as a leader if you are your authentic self....

“Don’t be afraid to be you and own it. If you think being a leader is about having some agenda, it’s not. Being a leader is actually being completely with who you are and speaking from that place, giving feedback, sharing opinions from that place. That’s why people follow you .... It doesn’t come from any title or position … a true leader is someone who is wholeheartedly willing to be their authentic self.”

- Danae Ringelmann co-founded Indiegogo in 2007 with a mission to democratize fundraising and has since helped to propel the company into the world’s largest crowdfunding platform. Today, this inspiring American woman entrepreneur leads Indiegogo's industry development efforts, while steering the company’s employee culture and values initiatives. Danae was listed as one of Fortune Magazine's 40 under 40, as well as SF Business Times' 40 under 40 in 2014. ELLE Magazine named Danae to its Woman in Tech Power List in 2014; while Fast Company included her in its Top 50 Women Innovators in Technology in 2011.

Quote of the Day

September 15, 2014 Melanie Hawken

“Most people don't realize that leadership is fundamentally about service, about a dying to self and loving others into their true potential. It isn't about us personally. It isn't about what we can get, or consume. It isn't about elevating ourselves above others. It isn't about ego. Leadership is about lowering ourselves such that the people who work with us, and our organizations can thrive in ways that create value (economic and social).”

- Binta Niambi Brown is an American corporate lawyer and Mossavar-Rahmani senior fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School who regularly advises early stage technology, media and entertainment companies. She is also a human rights advocate and nascent angel investor and regularly works on technology and internet IPOs and transactions. She also advises senior management and corporate boards of media, technology, telecom, and entertainment companies on corporate governance matters.

Entrepreneur Advice from Rachel Sklar: Pay attention to what you are doing wrong

September 13, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Rachel Sklar, New York-based writer and social entrepreneur, on 'Leadership for Entrepreneurs' — **Rachel Sklar**, New York-based writer and social entrepreneur, on *'Leadership for Entrepreneurs'*

If you want to keep learning and evolving as a leader - then pay attention to what you are doing wrong....

“There’s a lot of talk about being a born leader … having natural leadership. I think that’s a myth. My experience is that if you are not paying attention to the things you’re doing wrong, then you’re not evolving and learning. I would say that leadership is something that is learned. It can be learned and should be learned. Leadership is something you’re always honing and learning and reflecting to see ways you could have been better at it. Anyone who thinks they’re a natural leader is probably horrible to work with.”

- Rachel Sklar is a writer and social entrepreneur based in New York. She is the co-founder of Change The Ratio, which increases visibility and opportunity for women in tech & new media, and TheLi.st. A former lawyer who writes about media, politics, culture & technology, she was a founding editor at Mediaite and the Huffington Post. Rachel was named to the Silicon Alley 100 in 2009, 2010 and 2011, FastCompany’s “League of Extraordinary Women,” and listed on Forbes’ “Women Changing The World”.

Entrepreneur Advice from Kathryn Finney: You don't have to have all the answers

September 12, 2014 Melanie Hawken

Trust your instincts to lead....

“Most people think leaders are some sort of ‘all-knowing-beings,’ but in reality we often don't know the answers. The difference is that leaders trust their instincts to lead them to an answer.”

- Kathryn Finney is an American entrepreneur and the founder and managing director of digitalundivided (DID), a social enterprise that develops programs that increase the participation of urban communities, especially women, in the digital space. DID’s programs have reached over 4 million people. In 2013, Kathryn received the Champions of Change Award from The White House for her working in increasing inclusiveness in tech. She was also named one of AOL’s Top Women in Money and Black Enterprise’s “40 Stars Under 40″.

Entrepreneur Advice from Dorcas Muthoni: You need to be respected as a leader

July 25, 2014 Melanie Hawken

On leadership....

“As a leader it is more important to be respected than liked."

- Dorcas Muthoni, an entrepreneur and computer scientist, is the CEO and founder of OPENWORLD LTD (www.openworld.co.ke), a software company she started at the age of 24. OPENWORLD is now a leading e-Government and Business Software Services firm in the Eastern Africa region.