Brianna Bao

Female Leadership in a Male-Dominated Environment

Despite improvements across many industries, the women’s leadership gap is still a tricky chasm to navigate. Research conducted from 2016–2018 reports that, while more women than men are pursuing higher education in the U.K., women still make up less than half of students in engineering and technology, computer science, and business and administrative studies. When it comes to the workforce, more than two-thirds of women ages 16–64 are actively employed, compared to 80.3% of men in the same age range. At the same time, in 2018, women made up less than a quarter of CEOs and other senior officials. In my own experience as a woman in the male-dominated world of business, I’ve found it very challenging to be heard. These are some of the tactics I’ve gathered to help me promote myself, my voice, and my abilities to lead.

Stand Up For Yourself

First and foremost, in the hectic world of business, you need to take care of yourself. That doesn’t just mean striking a good professional-life versus personal-life balance; it also means not being the “yes” woman. As employees, particularly women, struggle to prove themselves, they often bite off more than they can chew. It’s easy to say “yes” to every project and task thrown your way, but if you’re approaching overwhelmed (or already there), it’s far better to turn something down or ask for help than to burden yourself with another load. On the other hand, when you have the time and resources to take on new projects and tasks, speak up to request the ones that you really want. Don’t let yourself be trampled—take initiative and remain honest!

Recognize Your Supporters

For many women in the company or organization, your role as a female leader will be inspirational. You’ll become a role model, and despite the pressure that comes hand-in-hand with such a position, it’s something that will help push you forward. That’s why it’s so important to find those who support you and the position you hold—they’ll offer that much-needed positivity to keep you going when unique challenges arise. As Firmatek President Lauren Elmore wrote in Forbes:

“There are always men in male-dominated industries who appreciate a female leader and believe in the company that you are building. Find those champions and partner with them as often as you can. They will help you gain credibility and build your business.”

Respect All Challenges

No professional can be perfect 24/7—it’s the sad truth that, more often than not, we want to ignore. When those shortcomings and challenges come your way in the form of difficult clients, a touch critique, or negative feedback during a performance review, don’t let yourself spiral. Understand that these difficulties are intended to help you improve. They’re life’s little roadblocks, and it’s your job to find a way around them and grow. There are some lessons that can only be learned if a mistake is made; acknowledge those mistakes, but don’t focus on those. Instead, focus on what you’ve learned, and how you’ll adapt in the future.

This article was originally published on briannabao.co.uk.

My Team Building Experience Through Cass Business School

During the month of October, when cobwebs and jack-o-lanterns decorated stoops and windows, I navigated a thrilling challenge of my own: a team-building and leadership program. As an MBA candidate at Cass Business School in London, this experience was nothing but enriching.

The bulk of the program involved presentations by professional leaders, including George Blakeway, Iain Robertston, and Ed Chacksfield. Such presentations involved discussions of reputation and trust, as well as the relationship between leadership and followership. As you can tell, these discussions covered a wide swath of leadership challenges and responsibilities, from gathering internal support to creating a brand and maintaining its relevance.

All three of our presenters are part of the Inspirational Development Group (IDG), a wide-spread organization that teaches personal and professional development, leadership skills, and teamwork capabilities. Their programs are award-winning, and it was an honor to learn from them!

The lecture by Ed Chacksfield, titled “Leadership, Followership & You,” spotlighted the four key components of managerial jobs:

Technical – What job do you do?
Administration – How do you get the job done?
Leadership – How do you get the job done through and with others?
Followership – How do you get the job done for and with others?

The differences between the four, as well as their overlap and equal importance, were incredibly eye-opening to learn about. They were also eye-opening to put into practice. Us aspiring leaders were split into teams and challenged with overcoming various team-building tasks in a workshop setting.

Brianna Bao - Cass Business School - London NYC

On a chilly day, we headed outside for some physical and mental challenges. Such challenges included building a bridge for our team to cross and carrying a stretcher of weights with a minimum amount of resources. Then, we had to work together and solve the Tower of Hanoi puzzle (which you can try your hand at on the Math Is Fun website!). To top it all off, we had to navigate the forest with the stretcher, headed for a spiderweb where each of us, including the stretcher, had to pass through without touching the web. Overall, our team, facilitated by Iain Robertston, came in third place, but we were happy just to have been able to participate.

While the program may seem like a lot of games, each activity was carefully crafted to give us the best understanding of leadership. There really is a thrill when you’re in charge—so long as you can take the heat. Running through the forest with the stretcher and shooting ideas back-and-forth about strategy became second-nature to all of us. And, although we were all practicing being leaders, we also practiced following one another and communicating clearly—two lesser-discussed elements of leadership that are actually vital for being in a managerial position.

As I participate in more team-building and leadership events in my time at Cass, I’m excited to share them with all of my readers!

This article was originally published on briannabao.co.uk

How to Make Math Class Interactive

Studies indicate that students lose interest in math sometime between elementary school and high school. With today’s students inundated with external stimuli from phones, video games, and other interactive devices, teachers need to be more creative to keep students engaged. Simply teaching the lesson from the text is typically not enough to pique the interest of modern students.

Know Your Students

Did you know that four out of every ten students say they dislike math? This means the goal for any math teacher is to help students want to come to class, instead of leaving students to feel like they’re forced to show up. Educators need to find ways to translate their passion for the subject into an interesting class for their students. Having students who are engaged with, rather than detached from, the subject matter will make the class more interesting for everyone.

Read the full blog at BriannaBao.com.

Helpful Technology For Entrepreneurs

With the great influx of tech advances over the past few decades, it is safe to say that the world today runs on technology. Entrepreneurs and business professionals should be particularly well-versed with technical skills to survive in the competitive business landscape. A majority of sought-after skills revolve around programming and understanding different software solutions such as the Cloud, big data analysis, and communication.

Cloud services

The Cloud happens to be one of the key tech tools for entrepreneurs that facilitate operational efficiency in and outside the workplace environment. Cloud technology facilitates the convergence between the physical and virtual infrastructure required to keep the business running, no matter where in the world you are. Cloud platforms vary in configuration and capabilities. Therefore, an entrepreneur should be well-versed on how to safely configure such platforms to a business’s benefit.

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Current Affairs in Business and Tech

We’re well into the digital age, with technology ruling over businesses and changing the faces of industries around the globe. As such, it’s important to understand where we stand in this fast-paced world, which puts us in a great position to push forward to the next big changes. Here are some current affairs in business and technology.

AI Supplementing Jobs (Not Replacing Them)

One of the most widely-held misconceptions about business tech is that artificial intelligence (AI) will eliminate the need for many jobs. However, this is not necessarily the case; at least, not for the near future. AI’s role in business is to automate repetitive tasks, such as data organization and analysis and simple assembly. At the same time, human employees can perform more specialized tasks to check on the quality of products produced and further synthesizing information. In this sense, AI supplements the jobs performed at a given organization, automating simpler tasks so that employees can dedicate more time to the intricate parts of their jobs.

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Incorporating STEM into Math Classes

STEM is a specialized curriculum that blends Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to relate classroom subjects to parts of the real-world, from current events to growing professions and industries. By proving the interconnectivity of these technical subjects, teachers can emphasize the importance of each and, hopefully, inspire students to investigate them further. Here are some ways in which math teachers can discuss STEM in their own classrooms.

Discuss the universal importance of mathematics

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has written extensively on the importance of mathematics in STEM. NCTM recognizes that math is the oft-overlooked member of the STEM quartet, but emphasizes that an understanding of it is vital for overall success in many industries:

“Problems involving mathematical models of finance might or might not connect to science (S) or engineering (E) and might or might not involve in-depth uses of technology (T). Likewise, art might be integrated into a mathematics lesson that does not involve either science or engineering. Mathematics goes beyond serving as a tool for science, engineering, and technology to develop content unique to mathematics and apply content in relevant applications outside of STEM fields.”

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Three Tremendous Math Blogs for Students and Teachers

It’s hardly a secret that math classes can be challenging. From those studying math in college to those still learning the ropes, as well as a number of people in between, it’s normal to experience occasional difficulties. However, thanks to today’s numerous learning options and digital resources, trouble in the classroom can be alleviated with a little bit of time and work at home. The key is knowing which digital resources to utilize, and the following math blogs are trusted by students and teachers alike.

Math Coach’s Corner

Math Coach’s Corner is a frequently updated blog that’s operated by Donna Boucher, who taught elementary mathematics for over 16 years. The blog consists mainly of activities, exercises, and helpful hints that Boucher knows from experience will make it easier for teachers to teach and for students to learn.Importantly, Boucher doesn’t dedicate very many posts to showing readers how to complete problems. Rather, the majority of her posts are fun and engaging exercises that, once finished, make it simpler for students to solve equations and work through multifaceted questions.

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What to Consider Before Going into Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship has become a trendy and lucrative self-employment strategy in the 21st century. More people are venturing into entrepreneurial establishments than ever before. A large fraction, however, fail to consider the necessary advice and due diligence required before investing. This can be quite a costly mistake, but it’s easy to avoid by following these tips.

Finding the passion

Every kind of investment and venture in the world today requires passion for it to succeed. As the visionary, before going into entrepreneurship, it is important to define your passion and vision for your anticipated entrepreneurial establishment. Passion, in this regard, is more than just the desire to make money. It is through focused passion that one is able to persevere in the face of hardship.

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Advice for Female Entrepreneurs

From fashion startups to manufacturing companies, women are often at the helm of some of the most cutting-edge companies in existence today. While men and women face many of the same entrepreneurial obstacles, women also face their fair share of gender-specific problems on the road to success.

Have No Fear

Female entrepreneurs should be fearless in their endeavors. Oftentimes in order to succeed, a person needs to travel far outside of their comfort zone, which means facing a lot of fears. The first step to conquering a fear is realizing that it is normal to be afraid sometimes. Understanding your fear of taking risks or speaking out is the first step to overcoming it.

Become a Life-Long Learner

Female entrepreneurs should make it a priority to always learn something new, especially if the information relates to the specific field of business that the entrepreneur is involved with. A person is never too old, too young, too busy, or too smart to learn. Learning could be listening to a podcast, reading a book, or reading the latest industry news on the web.

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Tips for Encouraging Female Math Students

There has long been a disparity between men and women in STEM careers, with women holding only 25% of careers in computer science and mathematics. On the flip side, female K–12 students are more likely to succeed in math-based courses than their male counterparts. This difference demonstrates the importance of recognizing talent and encouraging young female mathematicians. Here are three ways to encourage girls to pursue careers in mathematics.

Highlight Female Role Models

Part of the problem is that girls don’t see themselves in Newton, Pythagoras, and other figures in the relatively male-dominant mathematical discourse. If that’s the case in your classroom, it’s time for a history lesson. Share with your students the successes of lesser-known but equally-important female mathematicians. A simple web search can teach you and your class about Hypatia, the first woman known to have taught math; Sophie Germain, who secretly studied math in a world that didn’t want her to; and Florence Nightingale, a nurse and social reformer whose interest in statistics led to the establishing of hospital sanitation standards.

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