What You Really Need to do to Get Ahead

I recently attended a screening of an inspirational documentary entitled “Geraldine Ferraro: Paving the Way”.  A refresher on Geraldine Ferraro: she earned her place in history as the first woman vice- presidential candidate on a national party ticket as Walter Mondale’s running mate in the 1984 election.

Geraldine Ferraro did what no other woman had done before, and she did it her way. One of the most notable qualities about Ms. Ferraro was that she knew and lived her “brand” in an absolutely authentic way. She never tried to be anything except a hard-working, sassy girl from Queens raised by a single-mother who worked beading wedding gowns to put her through Catholic school, college and law school.

Despite the pressures of being a woman in Congress (one of  a handful at that time) Ms. Ferraro was a model of balance. Her family was her priority—even if that meant flying back and forth from DC to Queens twice in four days to be home for family dinner. She was a role model of the modern career woman.

History books show Ms. Ferraro as a trailblazer and role model to women. There was not a dry eye in the convention hall watching Ms. Ferraro being nominated at the Democratic National Convention in 1984.

So what are some of the lessons that all women in the workplace can learn from Geraldine Ferraro?

Be prepared. Nobody worked harder than Ms. Ferraro did to understand the issues of her constituents and to find solutions. She was well versed in local politics, and when it was her turn to be on the national stage she worked around the clock to ensure that she mastered the important issues facing the country.

Develop a strong peer group. She had many friends “across the aisle” in congress. She had wonderful relationships with the other female congresswomen, both democrats and republicans. She was able to capitalize on these relationships to get business done in Washington.

Believe in yourself. No matter how much adversity crossed her path or how often she was derailed, she continued to fight for the causes that she believed in. When she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma she took her fight to congress and was able to pass a bill to raise funds and awareness for blood cancer research.

—Pamela Weinberg, Career Coach