2023-03-08
"The truer you are to yourself, the greater your gifts will manifest themselves."
-- Tiffany L. Jackson
One of the benefits of working for a training organization is having ready access to an entire library of courses and on-demand products. Recently, I was lucky enough to participate in a live training event in Herndon, VA, for Course 3472, Women’s Leadership Transformation Training.
Four Steps to Maximize Impact
This course far exceeded my expectations, and I left the classroom armed with so many skills and ideas to improve my leadership abilities. Our instructor, Sharon Letovsky, outlined four key things that every woman in leadership should do to maximize the impact of their leadership abilities. I want to share them with you so you can also benefit.
1. Know your barriers to overcome them.
After recognizing women's challenges, we discussed how these barriers could impact our leadership ability and how to overcome them.
TO DO: Divide a piece of paper into two columns. On one side, list out all the barriers that you face in the workplace, whether they're external factors (for example, a lack of promotion opportunities or a "boy's club" at the executive level") or internal (like Imposter Syndrome). Then, in the next column, detail ways you could mitigate these barriers and think of how you might turn these into opportunities instead of obstacles.
2. Find your leadership style.
We also discussed our leadership styles and how we think we are viewed. So often, we are harder on ourselves versus how others view us...
TO DO: List 3 of your strengths and three areas you feel may be lacking. Ask a trusted colleague also to list what she feels are your strengths. You may be pleasantly surprised that you rate yourself as lacking in areas that others feel are strong.
3. Know (and embrace) your unique strengths.
Too often, women feel the need to portray a specific skill set to get ahead in the workplace instead of embracing their skills, qualifications, and personality. Yet, women bring unique skills to the workplace that need to be recognized. Hardworking, Smart, Kind, Patient, Supportive, Knowledgeable, Encouraging, Problem Solver...
Unfortunately, we hear, "you aren't aggressive enough" or "you are too nice" to advance. Wrong! Celebrate who you are and your contribution to the workplace.
TO DO: Write your unique set of skills on a piece of paper in bright, fun colors and post where you see it daily. Remind yourself what makes your leadership style unique and what sets you apart from others!
4. Women supporting women = Everyone wins!
By navigating the political landscape, we can positively team with others. Women supporting women is critical to our success in life and the workplace. We constantly challenge our way of thinking, look for opportunities to support others, and recognize our accomplishments and those around us!
TO DO: Look for one opportunity daily to encourage, coach, motivate, and compliment a fellow woman.
I highly recommend this class to all women in management or aspiring to develop into better leaders! Want to learn more? Visit our Transformational Leadership for Women course page and enroll today!
This piece was originally posted March 08, 2019 and has been reposted with refreshed formatting and links.
