Key Takeaways: Equality can’t thrive in a culture of blame; shifting from fault-finding to shared responsibility creates space for growth and understanding. Equality is more complex than just fixing individual bias—it lives in the intersection of beliefs, systems, behaviors, and culture, and must...
Key Takeaways: sorry can become a self-sabotage habit: The author shows how women often apologize reflexively—even when no harm was done—and how this "sorry‑itis" gradually teaches others to see us as less capable or confident. Owning your space means choosing stronger alternatives: Instead of...
Key Takeaways: Receiving feedback as a woman often means managing style critiques, not just performance issues: Women are disproportionately given feedback about how they behave—not just what they achieve. This makes receiving feedback more personal and often more difficult to process...
"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...
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...
Leaders are often told to be "humble," but this can actually work against women who are trying to get into leadership. Why? Not because humility isn't a virtue, but because some women use it to mask a lack of confidence and virtually disappear as a result. Think of this kind of self-effacement as...
What are the Pillars of Power? Last year, a company hired me to present “Leading With Grit & Grace” to its senior women executives. When the sponsor asked me to describe the content of the presentation, I said, “It’s about how women can wield their true power and influence more effectively.”...
From the Huffington Post today: “President Barack Obama may have a problem with confrontation, but First Lady Michelle Obama certainly does not. Ellen Sturtz, 56, a lesbian activist protesting President Obama’s delay in signing an anti-discrimination executive order, paid $500…at a private...
Say "no" to make your "yes's" mean more. It's that simple. - Dana Theus. What happens when you imagine saying ‘no’ to someone? Does your chest tighten or your stomach knot up? Do emotions arise? Anxiety, perhaps, or even panic? How do you react mentally? Maybe you get fuzzy-headed or think, “Oh, I...
“I know what I want to say, but HOW do I say it without getting ignored or killed?” In my experience as an executive coach, this question stymies women leaders as much as any other issue. Why? Because organizations often require women to operate within a painfully narrow stylistic range: nice, but...
