Women in Leadership – Going Beyond the New Rules of the Workplace
It used to be that coping skills were enough to survive the male-dominated workplace. All you had to do was to stay quiet and defer to the men in the office. Most women in leadership organizations have gone far beyond that these days. The current mantra is to a) be true to yourself, b) be a team player and c) do the right thing. That only gets you so far and so far is not what takes you into the realm of great leadership and top positions in a company. Now we are beginning to hear about the concept of authenticity. What is that all about anyway?
Authenticity goes way beyond staying true to yourself. It is being yourself. It is aligning your values with your goals and basing your future actions on that. It is finding your higher self and higher purpose and living at a totally different level. The problem is that our environment is no longer static, it is ever changing and we have to keep monitoring our beliefs and actions to see that they still fit the current situation. That means we have to take some time for our own self-reflection and we are not too good at that. It is important to do that self-reflecting so schedule some time just like you would schedule any other important appointment. This time it is an appointment with yourself.
Use this self-reflection experience to claim your own power. Learn to make your own decisions. Do things because you think they are the right thing to do not because your boss or coworkers think so. This may not be easy and people may react to it but hang in there. They will learn to treat you the way you teach them to treat you. They already do you know. Go back and see what you are doing that has taught them to treat you the way they do now. If you do not like it then unteach them and try something new. We are talking about your power and authority not anyone else’s. Take it back for yourself. It will not only help your self-esteem but it will boost your confidence too.