Wait! You cast the wrong Wonder Woman!

Gal Gadot kicks serious butt in the reimagined Wonder Woman. And I'm grateful for this strong female role model. But allow me to present my case, please, for who I think is the real Work Wonder Woman (WWW) - and why it's important for us as working women to examine her life.

Here she is - the facts:

Origin story: The real Wonder Woman's origin story ranges from her being sculpted from clay and given life by Aphrodite - to - daughter of Zeus - to - having an Amazonian heritage. This WORK Wonder Woman to me seems borne of Amazon heritage - Amazonian defined: "mythical tribe of women warriors." This work warrior grew up the daughter of blue collar parents in Cleveland, Ohio. Top of her public school high school class. Defied her counselor who laughed at her question about attending an Ivy League college -- telling her she'd never get in. Got into Georgetown - worked 40 hours a week to put herself through school waitressing and (fast typist) typing teleprompter copy at ABC News Washington. Graduated Georgetown University - Business Administration Major, Foreign Service Minor.

Entering Workforce: Entry level job at ABC News London in which she simultaneously started her Post Graduate Diploma in World Politics, Africa and the Middle at London School of Economics.Got LSE degree.

Career #1: Journalist. Worked up to Producer (and Radio Reporter) for all ABC News Broadcasts, based in London and Moscow, covering Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Soviet Union. CNN London then Tokyo then Moscow (where we worked together) throw in bureau chiefing, investigative and war zone reporting from the former Soviet Union and Bosnia - then White House Correspondent. Received prestigious national awards for reporting.

Career #2: Lawyer. While still working for CNN Washington, earned her law degree at Georgetown. Began working at a DC law firm as an adviser and then full attorney. She entered the field of law because, as a reporter, she witnessed human rights abuses and the lack of accountability of government -- where there was no rule of law and dictatorships -- and wanted to make a direct impact in a way she couldn't as a journalist. This also led her to Career #3.

Career #3: President of non profit organization International Center for Journalists an organization she led that helped journalists in emerging democracies learn how to create an independent media in their country.

Career #4: Diplomat. Recruited by U.S. Department of State to serve first as Director then Sr. Director of Communications (for Afghanistan and Pakistan) at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Then, Deputy Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asia.

Career #5: Vice President for Communications. Yale University. Where she is today. Bottom line: She is a world changer. This is not about her advancing her career for her own benefit. And, I've witnessed special super powers in this Work Wonder Woman -- special characteristics -- as she tries to use her careers to make the world better. I call these Work Wonder Woman (WWW) characteristics that I think make her an Amazonian work hero and what we as working women can learn from her:

WWW Characteristic #1: Reinvention.

One career is clearly not enough for my friend. Most of us live to the audio level of maybe 5 or 6 on a scale of 10. She goes up to 11. This turbocharged ability to not just say "Huh. That seems to be a problem in the world that I really wish would go away." but, instead of just wishing, jumping in - going for it and doing by reinventing yourself in a new career that helps you solve a problem. This is my friend's stock and trade. I read the book "The Start Up of You" by LinkedIn co founder Reid Hoffman that said you should reinvent yourself every couple of years to move up in your career. My friend has done this through entirely different careers (not just roles) to find a way to make the world a better place.

WWW Characteristic #2: Tenacity

She is the inventor of multitasking. When I worked with her at CNN Moscow. It was common to see her with her baby daughter (one of a total of 5 beautiful/intelligent Amazon daughters she would have) in her arms, phone in her ear, spooling video tape and editing her own story for that night's air on CNN. This, after hosting the entire bureau's holiday party in which she cooked her own meal. Evidence: This People Magazine story on her extreme multitasking (the inventor of it, really. That term wasn't even invented back then ...ps. her secret identity is revealed here - ie her name) detailing how she faced down tanks in the middle of the first Soviet coup to adopt her baby daughter after doing a story on her in a Russian orphanage. From the People story on her:

"(She) was so moved by the plight of an 18-month-old orphan girl named Marina, whom she encountered while doing a story on Russian orphanages in 1991, that, more or less on the spot, she decided to adopt her ... As tanks overran the city, (she) suddenly found herself with the two biggest assignments of her life—to get the story and the baby. The baby came first."

WWW Characteristic #3: Innovation

She's a big thinker who thinks beyond a job description and thinks of new initiatives to make an impact on people. Examples: Hosting a session on "Truth" at her university after the last presidential election. Creating an innovative environment with her team of former journalists now producing really interesting content at Yale -- including a unique mini documentary series on WW I and Yale graduates.

WWW Characteristic #4: Reaching down, giving back to the next generation of Wonder Women

This is the characteristic I most admire.

In this post about the new movie Wonder Woman, the author noted how a new generation of young girls and young women around the world have been inspired by her. I especially love this observation:

"As portrayed by Gal Gadot, Wonder Woman is much more similar to Superman as played by Christopher Reeve; the strong, capable superhero full of good intentions."

I really see this in my friend. Good intentions like Superman but also incredibly good intentioned and wanting to give back to the next generation of women superheros.

Case in point: I simply wanted our teen aged daughter to meet her -- to see an example of an incredibly strong woman at work. I called her to ask for an hour for our daughter with her and she immediately said, "Why don't you bring her here for an internship?" I'm writing this after our daughter's one week spent with this force for change in the world, learning the world of communications from her. She had the chance to write articles, ad copy and videotape side by side with her team.

Here are the WWW characteristics she shows -- as seen by the next gen Wonder Women:

From her daughter Izzy:

"She's taught me humility teaching us to be nice to everyone - whether it's the assistant, or the boss. To be a personable and social person who really extends help to everyone. She will, for example, without hesitation spend an hour with a college intern to coach him."

From her daughter, Frankie:

"She's taught me to respect everyone - no matter if you have a difference of opinion or go against you in some way. Just respect for everyone."

From her daughter, Mikey:

"If I had to pick one thing I would say I really admire how much her tenacity and will to succeed is equally matched, if not outpaced, by her desire to help others achieve the same. She's instilled in all of us this belief that (especially among women) if one of us succeeds, we all succeed. She is always willing to offer advice or mentorship and she's helped me and my friends countless times. This selfless, communal view of success says a lot more about her than the list of personal achievements she's received."

From my daughter, Lily:

"I'm grateful for the chance she has given me to see first hand what goes into university communications and the time she spent setting this up with her team just so I could really learn."

Eileen with Lily on the last day of her internship.

Lily got to write two articles for Yale's web site, ad copy and ran sound (like her Dad!) on a shoot today. Lily's articles:

https://news.yale.edu/yale-school-medicine-students-receive-funding-clinical-research-projects

https://news.yale.edu/2017/06/20/power-essays-improve-political-discourse-focus-stop-shouting-each-other

Photos (aka "Exhibits") on just a few of her careers to illustrate my case on why she's the Work Wonder Woman:

Career #1. Journalist. People Magazine story on her.

Career #3. Diplomat. Kabul, Afghanistan. Minister of Border and Tribal Affairs Khalid greets Eileen O’Connor, Director of Communications and Public Diplomacy, U.S. Embassy, before the inauguration of the Access English program at Rahman Baba High School in Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, June 4, 2011.

Career # 5. University VP of Communications. Story here.