This woman at the top had nothing handed to her

March 27, 2008 at 1:52AM

This is National Women's History Month, which seems particularly relevant this year.

For the first time, we have a viable female presidential candidate, a female secretary of state and a female speaker of the House. More than 200,000 women are on active military duty, many in dangerous jobs.

The business world also has made progress, albeit slower than many would wish. Female workers still average 77 cents to each dollar men make. But, revenue for businesses owned by women exceeds $950 billion, and about 117,000 women-owned businesses have sales of $1 million or more.

A woman also changing history is my friend Marilyn Carlson Nelson. She is chairwoman (and just stepped down as CEO) of Carlson, founded by her late father, Curt Carlson, 70 years ago in Minneapolis. Carlson is one of the largest privately held firms in the United States, and was the largest with a female CEO. Systemwide sales in 2007 were nearly $40 billion, almost double the total when Marilyn took over as CEO a decade earlier.

Lest you think this job just landed in her lap, you should know that Curt Carlson was a tough, demanding entrepreneur. With $55, Curt started the Gold Bond Stamp Co., and grew it into a global group of companies that provide travel, hotel, cruise, restaurant and marketing services, including Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the world's leading business travel management company. Carlson brands and services systemwide employ about 190,000 people in more than 150 countries.

Marilyn had to work hard to prove herself. Her dad wasn't sure she was up to the task, and she admits that she wasn't sure she would succeed him as CEO until the day he announced it -- after she had been courted to run for governor.

She continued to work hard. She promised to transform the corporate culture, and now 40 percent of Carlson's executives are women. The transformation included an initiative providing on-site day care, adoption benefits for employees and more opportunities to work from home. She insists that her policies benefit all employees, not just women.

She also wrote "How We Lead Matters" (McGraw-Hill, 2008). She describes it as remembrances from which she's learned lessons that may provide some insight or guidance. (It includes the summer her children brought home classroom gerbils.)

Perhaps her philosophy is best summed up in a chapter about promoting women: "I am convinced that organizations and nations with the greatest advantage will be those which worry less about gender and more about talent."

Mackay's Moral: What else can I say? This woman is making history every day.

about the writer

about the writer

Harvey Mackay

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