For those of you who know me, and have been reading my newsletter and blogs, you know I believe in authentic leadership. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that my mission is to support women to bring all of themselves into how they lead.
You don’t need to lose your femininity and compete with men to be an effective and successful leader; you can lead from the heart and, most importantly, be your best self.
So what’s the secret to authentic leadership?
What do you need to do to make it work for you?
What can you put in place to remove those feelings of failure when you compare yourself to other women in leadership roles?
The answer is very simple – you need to trust yourself.
Deep down you know that you have the potential and the ability to lead well, you just don’t know how to bring it out, or how to find the right way for you. You also know that you don't want to be like everyone else.
You want to be unique and to find your own way based on your strengths, skills and experience.
You want to lead in a way that motivates and inspires you as well as others, because its congruent with who you are.
Knowing and living this will give you the confidence you need to step up and speak out as a leader without losing yourself in the process.
“Learning to bring your whole self to your leadership is one of the most important things you can ever do for yourself as a leader.”
How can this help you?
I can say from years of experience that this approach is what will get you long-term results. This is what will ensure that you are able to deliver successful projects, manage, support and nurture your team and build effective relationships with your clients or stakeholders.
Last week I was talking with a client who had been struggling with a project milestone and her boss came up with a solution that they’d used before and wanted to use again in this instance.
It was quite an uncompromising solution and for my client it didn’t feel right.
She knew her stakeholders and partners, and understood their concerns and motivations and expected it to create problems in the longer term. Ultimately, she didn’t want to put this particular plan in place. She’d outlined an alternative plan with plenty of reasons why and evidence to support it but she was hesitant to share it with her boss.
She didn’t feel confident enough in her approach or her style of leadership.
Ultimately, she didn’t trust herself.
“Knowing and trusting yourself are the essential components of effective leadership.”
The importance of knowing yourself.
One follows naturally from the other. Understanding the power you have as a female leader in the workplace is crucial.
It’s not enough to have been on a leadership or management course, or read a book and learn the processes and templates that supposedly herald success. Effective leadership comes in the everyday things that you do, when you show up as the role-model that your team, customers and stakeholders are looking for.
It’s when you have assurance and confidence in your abilities that is not faked.
It’s when what you do and how you do it resonates with who you are.
The way that you show up as a leader and your personal style is something that is unique to you. You may not have thought knowing your style was important but it’s an intrinsic part of you as a female leader. I encourage you to make a commitment to get to know yourself and your style so you can start to trust yourself.
I recently worked with a client who had stepped into a promotion in her organisation that she thought was a great opportunity, but that she didn’t feel ready for. In fact, she confessed to feeling out of her depth. I supported her to work out what was comfortable for her as well as to try out different styles, so she could expand her leadership range in the way she felt confident and empowered in.
She was able to understand and develop her own personal style and after only four months felt that she’d almost outgrown the role that previously she’d doubted that she was ready for.
This could be you.
You could be taking the steps in your career or business that you want to take right now.
If these examples are resonating with you and you’re ready to make a commitment to yourself then I encourage you to make that commitment right now.
Find the right course or coach for you. This might be me or with someone else. What matters is that you start on the journey of understanding and developing your own authentic style – and watch how it transforms your career, your business and your life.
Are you ready to make a commitment?
If you're interested in exploring more about your unique leadership style and how to really play to your strengths, I'd love to welcome you to my FREE Masterclass: Secrets of Authentic Female Leadership; Women Who Lead With Impact.
I guarantee you'll get some lasting insights into the way you think about yourself now and most importantly how you want to show up and lead in the future.
Join me for this FREE Masterclass to:
✔️ Explore the eight different female leadership types and their characteristics
✔️ Identify which leadership style you can adopt to enhance your natural skills and strengths
✔️ Find out more about what makes you effective as a leader and the style that works for you
✔️ Identify and capture the true genius of your own unique leadership style.
I'll be running this Masterclass at a choice of times:
Thursday 25 February: 7.00pm
Saturday 27 February: 12.30pm
I look forward to seeing you there!
Best wishes. Jackie x
