Dr. Yasmin Davidds is an entrepreneur, organizational psychologist and CEO of the Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute, the Women’s Institute of Negotiation and the Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation, organizations dedicated to the teaching, instruction and development of leadership competencies primarily focused on women in professional, corporate and entrepreneur settings. She has been recognized and highlighted as one of the top Leading Latinas by Hispanic Magazine and as one of the most influential Latinas in “The Book of Latina Women.”
FWM: How important are empowerment and professional development of
women to you?
It is extremely important to me. It is my life purpose. At the age of 5 years old, I made a commitment to change the world and make it better for women. I grew up in a very dysfunctional family. My father was very abusive towards my mother, my sisters, and I. When I was five years old, I asked my mother why she chose to stay with my father even though he abused us, she responded in Spanish “mijita asi son las cosas”, (translation….”honey, that’s just the way things are”). I said, “oh no mami, when I grow up, I’m going to change the world and make it better for women.” I didn’t know how I was going to do it; I just knew I was going to do something. That is what I have done thru the Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute and the Multicultural Women Executive Leadership Foundation. Empowering women to discover and own all their power to live life on their own terms is my life purpose, professional development is the vehicle I use to bring my purpose into fruition.
FWM: You have been recognized as one of the top Leading Latinas by Hispanic Magazine and most influential Latinas in “The Book of Latina Women. What lessons have you learned?
I have learned that every woman has a story. The beautiful and positive aspects of their life experiences, have reinforced their dreams and goals, but the negative experiences, such as emotional, physical, sexual abuse or assault, have been converted into toxic shame. That shame many times manifests itself into Imposter Syndrome, a psychological pattern in which one doubts one’s accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. Most of the women I have worked within my programs throughout the years have solid credentials and are incredible women with executive positions inside and outside of their organizations and as entrepreneurs, however the deep residue of shame does not allow them to “own” the power that comes with their title. Of course there are systemic reasons why women struggle to move up the organizational ladder, however, what I have learned over 20-years of empowering and developing women is that our greatest barriers are internal and my research has proven over and over that they stem from shame. But let me tell you, once women do the work of removing the toxic shame, magic happens.
The true essence of who they are manifests itself and they become unstoppable. Watching women shed the shame they have carried for 30, 40 and 50 years of their life and step into their true power continues to be the most incredible and fulfilling experience of my life….and I feel blessed that I get to do it every day of my life.
FWM: Entrepreneurs are dramatically rethinking their work weeks. What
changes have you made as a result of the COVID-19 crisis?
My world was completely turned upside down when COVID-19 closed the universities in March 2020. All our leadership and entrepreneur programs were hosted at university business schools such as the USC Marshall School of Business and UC San Diego RADY School of Management. I had to immediately pivot to a virtual platform. We, as an organization, are in the business of transforming lives thru leadership and entrepreneurial development, and we had been extremely successful doing that in person, however, we had absolutely no idea if we were going to be able to have the same level of transformational impact virtually. Thanks to my amazing leadership team we persevered. The learning curve continues to keep us on our toes, but we have discovered an entirely new platform to offer global programs virtually. We are in the process of launching 5 new global virtual programs that begin will begin in September 2020
FWM: As one of the top leading female negotiation experts in the U.S. and
Latin America. What is your best advice to young entrepreneurs?
I would tell young entrepreneurs to look at every conversation in life as a negotiation. Negotiation is not about dollars, goods, or services, these are merely assets that serve needs. Negotiation is about satisfaction. People want their needs satisfied; although the assets are the tool, the goal ultimately is satisfaction. Satisfaction is hard to quantify because it can also be created by intangibles; it is not just the deal you make; it’s how you make the deal. If you make a bigger pie, that creates tangible value. If you create psychological value, there is a greater appreciation of the deal. Both create satisfaction. Women often operate on the assumption that when we agree quickly, we are providing satisfaction. We’re doing the opposite. Saying “yes” too quickly reduces the sense of “winning” and, therefore, satisfaction. You value something more when you must work for it! So make no mistake, collaboration does not mean quick submission. The collaborative style of negotiation is not “split the difference when there’s a gap”, it’s creating new value (a bigger pie, more satisfaction) through broader, out-of-the-box thinking.
FWM: You are the CEO of the Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute. Tell us
about your organization.
The Dr. Yasmin Davidds Leadership Institute’s mission is to mobilize the transformation of women leaders globally to become influential change agents. We utilize the life experiences women have had and the qualities they already possesses to transform them into the ultimate power house women they were meant to be. The journey in our programs is like no other. It is a holistic transformation of mind, heart, and soul. The journey begins with a deep dive into the life experiences each woman has had that have made them who they are today. Our programs create an awareness of their greatness. And once a woman knows and embraces the “why” of who she is – and uses that knowledge to transform herself – There. Is. No. Turning back! She can’t “un-know it.” The glass ceiling is shattered. Her dreams become grander. There is a revelation of a limitless future.
Our institute’s programs provide the environment, the structure, and the safe space for women to confront every past experience, dissect it, embrace it, and emerge as a stronger person with a true sense of their value and a lazar focus on their goals. Women committed to their life’s mission. While women are responsible for their own transformation to a higher level of leadership consciousness, our programs develop their true leadership competencies, sharpen their negotiation methods, and enhance their emotional intelligence by offering real strategies and direction. This absolute mind shift allows them to embrace all of who they are, to step into the woman, the leader they are meant to be, and reach a level of success they never imagined. This major mind shift cannot be explained. It is a transformation that can only be experienced and witnessed.
What is so remarkable about our institute is that this phenomenal shift does not stop with they graduate. We continually see the positive impact each of our graduates have inside the corporations they work and the businesses they own. On their families, even on the very essence – of their soul. However, what I am most proud of are the tangible measurable results of our institute graduates. Our research show that within a 12-month post-graduation time period, 95% of our leadership program graduates are either promoted within their company or move up to a higher position in another organization. Many of our entrepreneurs double their business revenue within a year of graduating from our program and many launch a second or third business.
FWM: Share a few success stories.
There are so many amazing women entrepreneurs that have participated in our Entrepreneur Program for Multicultural Women throughout the years who have taken their business to incredible levels. One of our entrepreneurs, the owner of a Senior Helpers franchise, onboarded 34 new care givers within 12 months of starting our program and grew her revenue by 30%. A second entrepreneur, owner of an import wholesale food distribution business, increased her revenue by 24% within 12 months of starting our program and grew her workforce by 12 new employees. Both entrepreneurs directly attribute their company’s growth to our entrepreneur program.
FWM: Tell us about your fourth best-selling book, YOUR OWN TERMS: A
Women’s Guide To Taking Charge Of Any Negotiation.
In my book, Your Own Terms: A Women’s Guide To Taking Charge Of Any Negotiation, I teach women the exact process, skills, tools, and methodologies they need in order to become expert negotiators and create win-win outcomes. They learn how to negotiate with the 3 most difficult types of people, how to negotiate with power and grace, how to identify and free themselves from their deep internal triggers, the importance of active listening, emotional intelligence in negotiating, how to disarm, reframe, and then build a golden bridge leading to your desired outcome, why they need to negotiate their salary and how to do it like a boss! In short, they learn everything they need to know in order to negotiate and live life on their own terms.
www.multiculturalwomenlead.org
