Hear me Roar!
Today, I have decided to end my blog with musical soundtrack for the blog. This is because I want everyone to focus on what I’ve got to say about today’s topic. Today’s topic is women in leadership positions. I’m going to consider what it’s like to be a woman in a position of leadership. She thinks about the pressure, the self doubt, the considerations about authenticity and pushing “traditionally male” characteristics to the fore. And to top it off we have office politics that potentially pits women against each other and we sometimes see what is known as “Queen Bee Syndrome”. It’s so sad to see “Queen Bee Syndrome” in action when other women do not feel that they can support other women coming up and they have to defend their position, status and purposefully make it harder for other women to climb the ladder.
I know that it is tough as women trying to climb the ladder. It’s tiring, it takes time and effort, in addition to having to balance family and work life. It seems like sometimes something has to give! You might feel that is your ambition really worth pursuing if you’ve got to fight your way to the top and prove that you are indeed worthy of a leadership position. Here’s what I have to say, nothing worth fighting for is easy. If were easy, then everyone would be doing it! Furthermore, here's where you have to box clever, you need to find female and male allies, you need to verbalise you ambitious and you have to demonstrate your value to your organisation to get that promotion. A pro tip, if you’re thinking about trying to demonstrate your value for a promotion, go to that meeting with solutions and hard facts about you have improved a process, contributed to the bottom line or saved the organisation money. As someone wiser than me said recently, “facts are friends”, use them to demonstrate your value to your organisation.
My concluding thoughts are around helping to think about how are you going to feel when you’ve made it to the top? You’ve got that job title, you’ve had a pay rise and you are recognised as leading woman in your field. I hope that you feel comfortable and happy. Here’s something I’ve got to tell you to consider is that people will view you differently, some of the people that you thought were friends will fall away and some people will actively avoid you or not speak to you. So what I’m saying is that it is lonely at the top, people sadly will be afraid of your success. However it’s down to you as to how you wear that success.
Today I’m listing 4 tips to practice as female leader.
1 You’ve got to be resilient as leader
As a leader you have got show resilience and tenacity as you lead your teams. Recognise your strengths and grow your team to ensure you have the right balance of skills and personalities. Practice self care, be empathetic with your team and celebrate your successes. Also be humble when things go wrong and lift your team up rather than chastise them.
2 Say No to "imposter syndrome"!
Simply lean into your leadership role. Accept that you are worthy, talented and skilled. That is why you’ve got the job!
3 Be kind to others
Be kind to yourself and to others. Everyone needs empathy, someone to listen and to value their contribution to the team.
4 Be authentic and not afraid to show vulnerability!
Simply be yourself, be kind, say how you feel, and work to deliver collaboration and compromise in the kindest possible way. Be human and speak to people at all levels of your organisation. Don’t be lonely at the top!
I’ll leave end my blog with Katy Perry’s song Roar, and encourage Women to find their voice and “Roar!” https://youtu.be/UW5SMrURVbM