Meet Lisa DeFrank-Cole

We were lucky to catch up with Lisa DeFrank-Cole recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Lisa with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?

I am a first-generation, low-income college graduate from Appalachia. I grew up in a coal-mining community in southwestern, Pennsylvania and now live in West Virginia. I’ve always felt like an underdog in the academic communities in which I have worked and this has become my superpower. I derive strength from overcoming adversities. Now being a professor at West Virginia University who has cowritten a textbook and coedited two additional academic books about women and leadership has given me confidence in my abilities.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Working in higher education for more than 20 years specifically as a professor of leadership, I’ve seen a gap in mainstream media and in workplaces across industries where not enough scholars of women’s leadership are speaking about this subject. It is my mission as a speaker to bring attention to and amplify the advantages that women leaders bring to the workplace and to society, and to empower women in pursuit of their leadership goals.

Specifically, I love to speak about
• Why We Need Women Leaders & The Benefits They Provide
• How Women Can Develop Their Leader Identity
• The Ramifications of Implicit Gender Bias & How to Overcome It
• You Can’t Be What You Can’t See—a personal story of overcoming adversity and delayed gratification

I enjoy speaking at leadership conferences, corporate retreats, and other forums where I can share research-based knowledge about women and leadership in an approachable manner for audiences outside of academe.

Especially now with a woman at the top of the ticket of a major political party, we need to keep talking about the benefits women bring.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Perseverance—being able to stick to my goals when times get tough
Delayed gratification—being willing to wait to get what I want
Humility—being modest in how I speak about myself and a willingness to champion others’ accomplishments

In the US, there is a culture of wanting things immediately. Planning for the long term is not always valued whether it is gaining work experience, developing one’s leadership, or saving for retirement. If we can learn to focus on these areas despite societal pressures telling us that we should have it all right now, we may be able to live a more fulfilling life.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

Accomplishing more than I expected, such as becoming a speaker outside of academe, is a goal I am working towards, but I have limiting beliefs. Living in Appalachia, there are so many jokes, stereotypes, and historical elements that give us messages that those of us who live here are unimportant and undervalued.

Pushing back against that stereotype and continuing to focus on the work that I am passionate about will make me happier than continually feeling ‘less than.’ Using perseverance to continue pushing forward and recognizing that results won’t come immediately are two elements that are helping to keep me going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://LisaDeFrankCole.com
• Linkedin: Lisa DeFrank-Cole