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Embracing Your Leadership Role: 15 Effective Strategies For Women In 2019

Forbes Coaches Council
POST WRITTEN BY
Expert Panel, Forbes Coaches Council

The percentage of women holding leadership positions in government, education and business has grown steadily in the past couple of decades, but still lags far behind the percentage of such roles held by men. Many women still face a difficult climb to reach leadership status in their companies, and once there, some may struggle to overcome the preconceptions of colleagues and staff or a desire to prove themselves through perfection.

To be effective as leaders, women must embrace their unique capabilities and strengths, as well as be willing to draw on the tools and resources that any leader needs from time to time. We asked 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council to share their most effective leadership strategies for women in 2019.

Photos courtesy of the individual members.

1. Speak Up, Speak Often

Speak up and ask for what you want and need. The future belongs to those who ask for it. Work hard to build the critical muscle of assertiveness. Even if it is unnatural for you, do it anyway. Assertiveness is a learned behavior. Find a mentor who does it well, ask lots of questions and learn from them. Set mini goals for yourself, and practice. If you don’t ask, the answer will always be no! - Sharma Graham, ACC, M.A.D.E. To Lead | Courageous Personal Leadership

2. Look At Potential, Not The Past

Start paying more attention to all the opportunities surrounding women, instead of beating the old, tired drum of sexism and oppression. Old stories of our past will continue to block us until we shift our attention toward brighter stories that highlight our greatest potential. How will a sexist or chauvinist stop someone who pays little attention to them? Whatever we focus on expands. - Nina Cashman, Pave Your Way

3. Build Your Personal Board Of Directors

Think of 2019 as your year to create your personal board of directors to help you with your career development. Find a mentor who will invest time and energy into guiding you and one who will learn from you as well. Find a sponsor who will advocate on your behalf for stretch projects and visibility. Find a trusted coach who will support you and challenge you in your skill development. - Loren Margolis, Training & Leadership Success LLC

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?

4. Realize You Are Good Enough

How often do we question ourselves, our abilities or our decisions? If you ever find that you’re beating yourself up at the end of the day for the things left undone, the imperfections or even the struggle to balance it all, I encourage you to remind yourself you are good enough. Don’t let negative thoughts impact your career and life. Remind yourself daily if you need to that you are good enough. - Jessica Hernandez, Great Resumes Fast

5. Build On Your Strengths

Women and men often have different focuses in business. Identify your unique “super powers” and make sure they are clearly articulated and leveraged in your role. Organizations are moving at different paces in appreciating the value women offer, so it is important for us to keep doing great work, be appropriately vocal, amplify one another when we speak and focus on doing a great job. - Maureen Metcalf, Innovative Leadership Institute

6. Demonstrate Courage

Demonstrating courage by living by one’s unique style and approach is my hot tip for women leaders in 2019. Our recent midterm election results clearly show the appeal and power of a woman’s voice and perspective. Coupling leadership courage with a command of the current-state business reality will set the stage to engage others and gain buy-in to a new strategy. - Adena Johnston, D. Mgt., CCI Consulting

7. Embrace Your Natural Leadership Talent

As a woman, you have an advantage in leadership. Women posses many of the required EQ (emotional intelligence) factors needed to be excellent leaders. Embrace your natural leadership talent and do not try to emulate harsher “male” traits. It will not help you. Instead, be cognizant of your boundaries and enforce them with firm, fair diplomacy to those you lead as well as your peers. - Erin Urban, UPPSolutions, LLC

8. Stop Looking For Affirmation

Leaders have to become self-affirming. It’s important to recognize and take comfort in the value youve created. While all leaders want to hear they are doing a good job and need to be open to input, the quality of it tends to go down as you rise. You will receive more critiques or empty affirmations. A grounded sense of self-worth will protect you from cynicism or defensiveness. - Christian Muntean, Vantage Consulting

9. Remember Leadership Has No Gender

I dont coach women or men: I coach leaders. Of course, the ideas women need to consider when building their skills may differ from those of men. But they are not radically different. In 2019, I want female leaders to approach their development without an initial focus on gender. Embrace what you do well as a person and zero in on what the team needs, using skills applicable to anyone. - Leila Bulling Towne, The Bulling Towne Group, LLC

10. Don’t Be Afraid Of The Spotlight

One of the most prevailing fears is the fear of being seen, which disables us from showing up authentically when we cannot control the outcome. Putting ourselves in the spotlight can bring rejection or disappointment when we drop the armor. Yet the freedom of being ourselves is astonishing and self-empowering. It liberates the space around and allows others to unfold to their own true self. BE - YOU - TIFUL. - Kasia Jamroz, Alyka Solutions

11. Be Predictable

When you know your values, who you are is nonnegotiable. And that translates into a leader who is predictable and consistent. Now, being predictable and consistent is hardly what a woman wants to be known for, but it’s exactly the kind of leadership that inspires trust and confidence. When employees can anticipate a leader’s response, risk assessment improves and performance increases. - Teri Citterman, Talonn

12. Make Respect Inherent To Your Brand

Gaining respect within a group hinges on first giving respect. Making respect the standard by which you interact and integral to your brand entails the mindset: “I respect all.” Consistently use honest, but nonjudgmental, language. Honesty, together with a shift from adversarial to neutral language, builds authentic trust and respect among all. Collaborating and innovative problem-solving ensues. - Elaine Rosenblum, J.D., ProForm U®

13. Don’t Hesitate To Give Feedback

Be open, honest and direct in all your communications with employees, and reinforce these values with the whole team. Don’t be afraid to give timely and direct feedback to your employees, with no judgments. - Aaron Levy, Raise The Bar

14. Develop Your Strategic Thinking And Systems Knowledge

Effective leaders are able to look at issues from multiple angles, think long-term and understand the impacts of their decisions on all areas of the business and its people. Spending time learning from the diverse areas of business, from frontline staff to leaders in other functional areas, will not only develop your critical and strategic thinking, but also raise your profile and strengthen your relationships. - Jenn Lofgren, Incito Executive & Leadership Development

15. Learn To Be Selfish

Either by nurture or nature, women generally put ourselves last on the list, then feel selfish if we move up a spot or two. Stop it! Be selfish! Make time for and get to know yourself. Do what you want, and don’t justify it. Say “no,” and don’t feel guilty. Don’t do things to please others if it makes you miserable. You can’t give your best if you aren’t at your best, which is the authentic you. - Lisa K McDonald, Career Polish, Inc.

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