By Dr. Gaby Cora

This is the quintessential question. We tend to say a man is aggressive when he’s about to strike at his opponent’s jugular while many refer to women who assert themselves as aggressive, instead. Is this a double standard?

These three words seem to have raised much controversy when paired with “as compared to a wise white male.”

Many have called Sotomayor a racist for uttering these words and even president Obama is trying to say she misspoke, that others were taking her words out of context or that she didn’t mean what she said.

Although some of us could have made a similar statement without the comparison, “Wise women with rich experiences may make excellent decisions,” whenever we end up comparing ourselves to others we may get into trouble.

A couple of years ago, I was a panelist and award recipient at the Latina Woman Business of the Year event in Miami. During the discussion, one of the questions we were asked was whether men had interfered in our way to success. The other panelists agreed that was the case. I didn’t agree and was the last to speak. I calmly said that sometimes men may get into a woman’s way to go up the ladder but that, some other times, it is other women who may place obstacles and not allow their fellow colleagues to move up. The audience (with both men and women) came to life. Were my colleagues sexist for making this statement? Was I being sexist for making my comment? How did bias play a role for each of our statements? By the way, this experience led me to write Alpha Female Leader over that weekend!

Some of my fellow panelists had physical reactions to my statement. Some were upset. One came to me after the event and told me totally agreed but she couldn’t say this in public. In the end, though, the one who seemed to be the most upset by my statement ended up saying she would prefer to have a male boss.

I work with men and women but most of my clients are men. I have been hired to be the first woman consultant by some all-male groups in Fortune 500 companies.  I have always felt that I have been hired because of the quality of my work and not because I am a woman, white, or Latina.

The wise, I like, though…

As a practicing psychiatrist and wellness coach, most people would think that I am a blank slate without thoughts, feelings, or expression during sessions. Those who know me well and who have worked with me for years have no doubts that I have strong opinions and that I will also act in  my client’s or patient’s best interest.

By Natalia Locatelli - Alpha Female in Training

When I first read this Yahoo! article, my immediate reaction was that this is utterly ridiculous. Of all the things to get parents worried about their young daughters… princesses? Barbie, now somehow considered the root of all evil, appears to have ushered in a new era of control – what can you allow your daughter to play with that won’t one day psychologically scar her for the rest of her life?

By Dr. Gaby Cora - Author: Alpha Female Leader

Mean girls make it easily into each and every literary work or film. Our fascination and love-hate relationship is obvious - we are seduced by their appeal and power, yet repulsed by their ill-intentions.

By Dr. Gaby Cora 

I remember one on-all night as a first year medical intern at 4 AM. My first year teammate was exhausted and our senior resident looked worn out. After working a straight 20 hour shift with no breaks, we were beat. In my twenties, I looked fresh, and could continue to work in the Emergency Room like the Energizer Bunny.

By Dr. Gaby Cora

Women still dodge low balls in the public sphere. They are ready to brush off personal attacks to focus on what matters to them in politics or in the workplace. Whether we are talking about Hillary Clinton or Sarah Palin, we all agree that thick skin pays off in leadership positions. The most humiliating moments for either one of these two candidates may have been when their personal lives were questioned.

By Dr. Gaby Cora

What would a man have done? Would he have walked away, disregarding the offer, or would he have played his cards quietly, graciously, and just accepted the nomination despite the bitter taste in his mouth?

By Dr. Gaby Cora

Much has been said about Governor Palin having her kids at work. All moms struggle with making sure their kids are in good hands while they are at work. Even when dads help out – and they do help out much more than they did fifty years ago - women are still the main caregivers even when they may be holding full-time jobs.

By Dr. Gaby Cora

I am not a politician and have no interest in becoming a political analyst. In regards to leadership and strategy, though, I’m in.

There are some major distinctions in the selection of vice-presidents during this election. Senator Barack Obama chose well-respected Joe Biden, McCain-like in regards to his experience, seniority, long track record, and credibility. He chose Biden because he brought in his extensive experience in foreign affairs, in the military, and decades of commitment and work of service. His choice was of someone who had extensively more experience than he has. Obama’s forte includes his charm, rhetoric, and motivational persona, his perceived weaknesses being lack of experience and lack of focused planning.