Leadership is not merely being designated as such and being in the corner office. It is about power, strength and the boldness to be fully in her presence where she is not necessarily always the target audience. When you are a woman who is about to enter into a leadership position, you are not only on a ladder that you are generally constructing on the way to the top.
The leadership process is a transformative process and such as it has immense rewards it demands preparation, self awareness and readiness to fight against the outer impediments and the inner insecurities. This is what no woman must know when taking that leap.
Your voice is More than You Think
The silent assumption that women have to prove themselves more than their male counterparts is one of the greatest obstacles women encounter in joining the leadership field. You may feel that you have to be twice ready, twice fluent and twice perfect. However, this is the reality: the point of view you have is important because it is your view.
Women have their own contribution to the leadership empathy, teamwork, and holistic way of solving problems. These are not weaknesses but they are strengths and these are the strengths that organizations are in dire need of. Prior to entering into leadership, it is important to remember that you are not in a position to be in a mold of someone. You come to put something new on the table. The magazines such as Influential Women Magazine are always covering the ways women leaders are transforming industries by being authentic in their leadership styles, and the LinkedIn group of this publication provides invaluable assistance to women who go through these changes.
Build Your Network Before You Need It
Being a leader is lonely at times, particularly when you are the only female in the room. That is why the development of a powerful network is not only useful but also vital. Begin networking with other women leaders, mentors who have already walked the road you are on and with other women who are in the same process.
Networking is not about the gathering of business cards or LinkedIn networks. It is about building real relationships with individuals, who can provide advice, encouragement, and a blunt truth. Participate in women leadership organizations, visit conferences and lack nothing to contact women whose professional career you envy. The women who have succeeded in rising to the top did not do so in isolation and majority are more helpful than you may imagine.
Confidence Is not a Waiting Game
This is a secret: most leaders are not always 100% confident in the new positions. The point is that they do it. Regaining confidence does not mean removing self-doubt: it is rather about living with it.
Practice confidence muscle prior to assuming a leadership role. This may require talking more during a meeting, accepting tough work or even just accepting what you have achieved rather than sweeping them under the carpet. Note down your victories large and small. Having objective proof of what you are capable of, you will have solid grounds to rely on when imposter syndrome sets in (and it will).
Also bear in mind that belief is built upon action not reflection. You do not have to be willing to be willing.
The Unspoken Rules
All organizations have some unwritten rules regarding how power should be used and to whom it should be influential and the actual process of making decisions. As a female leader, you will be doing well to be familiar with these dynamics. Note the way people hold meetings, who does talking and who listens and where the actual discussions are frequently held outside official channels.
It is not a question of politics being played in a manipulative manner. It is about being tactical and knowing the surroundings to be able to navigate it. The first thing to do when breaking stereotypes is to know what the stereotype is and then make a decision on how to act within the stereotype or break the stereotypes consciously.
Prepare for the Double Bind
Women leaders usually have to contend with what scientists refer to as the double bind of being too soft or too aggressive, too co-operative or not assertive enough. It is a no-win game, which may be tiresome. The trick is to understand that bias is there, and you should not allow it to be your guiding force in your leadership practice.
Chances are that you will be judged differently than the male leaders, and it is not your fault nor your problem to deal with on your own. You can do what you can by just staying true to yourself and being a leader who does so in a manner that is sincere to her. It will not please some, but that is all right. The right people the ones that are worth working with will respect you because of it.
Learn How to Control Your Time
Time management or more appropriately time mastery is one of the most neglected factors in the process of preparing to be a leader. People will all be fighting to have a piece of your time as a leader and unless you are conscious about how to guard your time you will burn out even before you start.
Precisely analyse your existing connection with time prior to entering the leadership. Do you struggle to say no? Do you overcommit? Do you take time to do strategic thinking or are you always fire fighting? Being a leader means you need to move away on doing everything and leave others to perform. This time and delegation mindset will be an effective attitude of sustainable leadership.
Get to know how to differentiate between urgent and important. Block time for deep work. And above all, secure time to yourself to rest, reflect and renew.
Build Your Leadership Philosophy
Take time to define leadership to you. What type of a leader would you like to be? Which values will be used to guide your decisions? What will you do in case of conflict, failure and success?
An effective leadership philosophy is like your North Star, when you are in a tricky situation or making tough decisions. It makes you remain the same and sincere even when you are under pressure. Write it down. Revisit it regularly. Let it evolve as you grow.
Educate: Learn Persistently
The greatest leaders happen to be life long learners. Read books, take courses, listen to podcasts, and be mentored: invest in continuous learning. Leadership does not come naturally and it is acquired and honed with time.
Be willing to listen to criticism, even though it hurts. There is nothing like learning through mistakes and those who are courageous enough to make us aware of our mistakes. Establish a learning culture not only to yourself but also to your future team.
Know Your Non-Negotiables
Make a clear understanding of your non-negotiable before entering into leadership. What are the limits that you have to stay healthy? What principles will you not sacrifice? Which type of working climate and culture do you require to succeed?
Understanding what you are not willing to compromise on will assist you in appraising opportunities in a better and more efficient way as well as safeguard you against one saying yes to roles that may look good on paper but would not suit you in practice.
Trust Yourself
Lastly, and probably the most important, have trust in yourself. Your experiences, skills and views are special to you and have made you reach this point. Yes, there will be challenges. Yes, there will be the times of scepticism. But you can do more than you are aware.
The world does not require women who are masquerading as men but women who come out as they are and present their full self to their work and lead with power and compassion.
Leadership is not the ability to be flawless. It is all about being intentional, genuine and devoted to improvement. When you are about to become a leader, you should keep in mind that you do not need to know it all. All you have to do is to be open to ask the right questions, be a student along the way and believe that you are at the right place at the right time.
