Secrets to Increase Leadership Presence for Every Woman Leader

Although women are often more educated than men these days, this success unfortunately has not translated to the workplace yet. With women holding only a bit more than five percent of the CEO positions at some of the country’s most successful businesses, it seems as if we have a long way to go before we achieve true, lasting equality. Luckily, analysts have recently been researching this phenomenon and exploring what we as a society can do to put women in power.

For many women, confidence is a huge issue. For a few years now, the fact that women constantly apologize has been brought to the forefront; there have even been commercials about this issue. Fortunately, there is a way to rectify this problem; simply be recognizing the habit, many women have learned to curtail saying “sorry” so often. Of course, this does not apply to instances in which actual apologizes are necessary; it’s more to address the multiple “I’m sorrys” that women say as they navigate the world, almost apologizing for the fact that they are taking up space.

Many of the aforementioned challenges are covered in Sheryl Sandberg’s book, Lean In, which focused on ways women can get ahead at work. Sandberg recommends that women develop a powerful voice; however, this voice should be uniquely their own. Women are encouraged to record themselves in some fashion, whether it’s watching video or listening to the way they speak. Many times, hesitations and inauthentic voices can be sensed by others. Making a serious effort to improve can remind us of all the opportunities we can take advantage of, whether we’re taking part in public speaking or merely talking to a co-worker. By raising our collective voices, we assure others that we will indeed be heard.

For many, the changes may come with some difficulty. It might take a long time to overcome years of societal programming, but women will reap the rewards in the end. Counseled to raise their voices hold their head high — literally — women are entering the workforce with a renewed sense of self and a newfound composure. Although the deck may still be stacked against them when it comes to promotions, there is a lot that women can do to improve their standing at work.

Christine M. Riordan

Written by

Leadership Author|Speaker. President|Adelphi University|New York. Mom to two teenagers|bulldog. Thoughts expressed here are my own.

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