Sheri Dew speaks at UVU

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Kayla Clark | Staff Writer

 

On Wednesday March 18, the UVU Women’s Success Center welcomed  Sheri Dew, CEO of Deseret Book, in an event titled You were born to lead. The event concludes a series of speakers in coordination with the Utah Women and Leadership Project (UWLP).

Dew was introduced by UVU President Matthew Holland and his wife Paige Holland, who both expressed their great investment in the Women’s Success Center and getting a higher percentage of UVU women students to graduate.

Elaine S. Dalton, who is on the UVU board of trustees, then gave a formal introduction for Dew and spoke briefly about the growing need to have women in leadership positions.

“We may think that leadership is reserved for other women who have been chosen, but I believe that we are all leaders within our own sphere of influence and now, more than ever before, it is important that we understand who we are, and understand our own gifts and abilities in our own unique settings to make a difference in the world,” said Dalton.

Dew spoke of her responsibilities as a leader at Deseret Book, and how daunting the task of “being in charge” can be. She gave seven main points on how to be a leader that can influence others for good.

Leadership isn’t about you, selfless leaders are optimistic. Leadership is dependent on trust. Experience is the best teacher. The best leaders are perpetual learners. The best leaders are courageous and kind. It’s easier to motivate someone to do something difficult than something easy.  Inspired leadership endures.

“It is a privilege to be a woman,” said Dew, “and there will come a time that everyone will know that’s true. We were born to lead, and given gifts that – if we cultivate them – enable us to have principled influence on thousands of people. We are in a position to reach out and help others be more than they might be inclined to be on their own.

The event concluded with remarks from Susan Madsen, who is the head of the Women’s Success Cent

“We must have every girl and every woman understand that she is a leader and we, each one of us, needs to prepare our lives to be the most educated that we can, to have the skills to reach out and change the world. Whether that means being a leader at home, at your churches, in your communities, in the state, in the legislature, we must have each one of you here stepping forward and believing that we should be leaders and that we could be leaders, and that we must stand up and be leaders,” said Madsen.

The Women’s Success Center is located on the third floor of the Losee Center.