Early in my career, empathy was my ace-in-the-hole management technique. I was all business when it came to helping my team on technical, process and performance issues, but if they had an emotional reaction or issue, I reverted to empathy because it was the easy thing to do. I learned that when I...
Women
3 Ways to Give Yourself Permission to Succeed
Many times the voice in our head holds us back. So it is quite often the voice in our head that needs to give us permission to move forward. Whether you're an entrepreneur or not, Elizabeth's advice will give you permission to do this more often! - InPower Editors Don’t stand in the way of your...
Assertive or Aggressive? There IS a Difference (in Leadership Communications)
"The minute I express my opinion clearly, I get labeled as aggressive." This may be the most recurrent refrain I hear from the women leaders I coach when discussing leadership communication styles. They report that if they hold back or are soft-spoken, they get run over in conversations. Yet if...
Selfishness or Self-sacrifice: Is That Our Only Choice?
Ever feel stuck between self-sacrifice and being a selfish b&%ch in the office? Too many women know what this no-win situation feels like. We really like how Leslie reframes this choice around "self-fullness." Don't get stuck, choose selfully! - InPower Editors “Even though my efforts helped...
Why Women in Leadership Must Change Our Narrative
With a virtual thud for women in leadership everywhere, the Catalyst 2012 Census of Fortune 500 companies hit my e-mailbox: NEW YORK (December 11, 2012)—Despite high-profile news about gender gaps, equal pay, and women on boards, once again the needle barely budged for women aspiring to top...
A Historical Perspective to Women in Leadership
For women in leadership perspective is everything. Even though sometimes reading the day’s headlines or encountering the accidental sexist at the water-cooler can make you feel like women aren’t getting ahead in leadership, this little retrospective may give you hope that things for women in...
Research Says: How to Stop Mean Girls in the Workplace
Gender Research Study: How to Stop Mean Girls in the Workplace (Harvard Business Review, 2009, Medina) Finding: Mean girls and workplace bullying are having detrimental affects on companies' productivity and bottom line. Note about The Woman Effect Research Index: This gender research study was...
Learn to Rock the Boat
Women are often caught in the paradox of wanting to "play nice" and the need not to "rock the boat." It can feel like a no-win scenario but Henna reminds us that the path out of this paradox is authenticity. - InPower Editors How many times have you stopped to reconsider what you wanted to say...
The Reoccurring Theme of Entitlement
Recently, I've attended two different events about women in the media. The first was Her Girl Friday's "Throw Like a Girl: Pitching the Hell Out of Your Stories." The other was the New America Foundation's panel, "Navigating the Pink Ghetto." Both looked closely at the gender disparity in the...
Want An Executive Job? 4 Tricks To Get Out Of The Weeds
In a previous post about job interview tips, I outlined the findings of several research studies about advancing your career – especially for professional women in leadership who want to land a C-suite executive job. The research basically pointed up the following: If targeting a C-suite job,...