Fostering Leadership at ATHENA

ATHENA International is a nonprofit organization with an important mission: supporting, developing and honoring women leaders. ATHENA hosted its Leadership Summit in Chicago earlier this month rolling out the Leadership Circle. Women of the World is a partner organization to ATHENA. The story begins with Martha Mertz (pictured right).

Martha Mertz founded ATHENA International in 1982 with the hope of providing women the opportunity to grow in leadership roles worldwide. As a prominent businesswoman, she found that women were often overlooked as influencers and rarely honored with awards in these positions. With passion and purpose, Martha shifted the landscape. She created panels of professionals, offering mentoring and training programs to women. Each year I am delighted to attend the Athena Leadership Summit in Chicago where women are not only awarded for their vision and skills, but I am inspired by the quality of passionate women both attendees and speakers who ignite creativity and foster collaboration. Martha eventually stepped aside from the Presidency in ATHENA, developing new Athena leadership and enabling her to promote ATHENA's message worldwide as the ATHENA ambassador. Martha remains a board member and active participant in the organization.

What makes Martha so inspirational? Not only did she found a major organization, but she created a space for women leaders to share, mentor, connect and be honored. Martha saw a gap between male and female leaders, sought to elevate those under-recognized women and create equal acknowledgment and appreciation for men and women.

Today, one of the cornerstones of ATHENA is the Leadership Model. Martha Mertz interviewed hundreds of ATHENA Award recipients and compiled their prominent traits and driving beliefs. The point of the model, Martha explains, is “to distill these distinctive ways of leading into a blueprint that aspiring leaders could follow.”
The ATHENA Leadership Model follows these eight tenets of leadership:
• Live authentically
• Learn constantly
• Advocate fiercely
• Act courageously
• Foster collaboration
• Build relationships
• Give back
• Celebrate

Women of the World applauds Martha for her support of women locally and globally. Thank you for your promotion, mentorship, and inspiration to other women. We know Martha’s book Becoming ATHENA: Eight Principles of Enlightened Leadership will serve as a stepping stone to implement your leadership skills. Go forth and inspire!