Are You Ready to Own Your Power and Lead Authentically?
Press coverage on gender inequality in the workplace is headline news. Once the hype settles down and the press moves on to the next news cycle, how will you make sure you carry your personal momentum forward and advance your career?
This is a great time for women to close the gap and lead. Public awareness and intolerance of the gender gap is at an all-time high. It seems like people are finally starting to “get it”. Unfortunately this won’t get fixed overnight and the statistics remain absolutely shocking in terms of the drop-off of women in leadership roles as you move up the corporate ladder. What starts as a healthy representation of nearly 50% in entry level management tails of to less than 8% when you get into the boardroom.
Despite the desire to close the gender gap, we have decades of inertia and bias to unwind. We need more women who are prepared and willing to lead. It’s up to each one of us to be personally accountable for making sure we’re ready and well positioned to take that next opportunity.
In terms of leadership preparedness, there is never a one-size-fits-all solution and we need to find our unique balance between leading effectively and authentically. It’s time to break away from the way things have always been done and chart a new path forward to be the amazing leaders we know we can be. It’s time for us to lead on our own terms and own our power.
We need to do a better job at building our value. Move beyond the personal brand conversation and dig much deeper into our commercial value to the company and the broader marketplace. The Janet Jackson song “What have you done for me lately” comes to mind. We should be able to answer that question quantitatively at a moment’s notice.
Strengthen your voice as a leader. People are watching our every move. Everything we do and say sets the tone for those who are around us. If we’re uncertain, unclear, or inconsistent it should be of no surprise that our teams will act accordingly. We need to find a way to adapt our natural style with our leadership values to set the right tone.
Building a community and developing strong relationships comes naturally to many of us. However we often do an inadequate job at building our professional community. We all know your vibe attracts your tribe. It’s time to put a plan together to build a lasting network that will take you all the way to the “C-Suite” if that is your desire.
I see countless women struggle when asked the question “What do you want next?” That answer should come immediately and with resolve. If only it were that easy. Having a career and moving up the corporate ladder involves risk and tradeoffs. The hesitancy doesn’t come from not knowing where you want to go, it comes from the uncertainty of the tradeoffs that come along with it. We need to reset our risk tolerance levels to match our career aspirations.
The cowardly lion from the Wizard of Oz was always my favorite. All he wanted was courage and it turns out he had it all along. We all define personal courage differently and our definition of courage is often what defines us a leader. This needs to be a very purposeful and individual decision for each of us. Building the skills to lead with courage and conviction takes time and practice. It is absolutely worth the effort.
In this six week series we will take a deeper look at how to Own Your Power and advance your career as far as your experience and aspirations will take you. I hope you’ll join us on this adventure and discover something amazing about yourself along the way.
Are you looking to grow your career and strengthen your leadership style? Schedule a complimentary coaching session at https://go.oncehub.com/