From Devil Leader to Lioness Leader
“Why do some female leaders feel compelled to be that “cold b***h ice queen” style leader who everyone loves to hate, but gets the job done at all costs? And what was the reason behind one Female Devil leader’s determination to change?”
With these words, Carolyn Brand opened our last WaveMakers Connect event and we knew right away: This is going to be a TED talk. A great one.
Carolyn Brand is a Business Advisor and Strategy Consultant with over 25 years of experience in Leadership, Business Development, and Strategy Execution. She grew businesses and established strategic partnerships in global high-tech corporations, ranging from Rolls-Royce to B2B and B2C startups. Carolyn is also a passionate female negotiation trainer and a confidence mentor, and she doesn’t give just theoretical advice from a distance. No, she genuinely supports women by sharing her very own experiences and transformation story — the good and the bad and the ugly.
Have you ever heard the term “Devil Leader”? Carolyn borrowed the term from the popular 2006 movie: The Devil Wears Prada. The comedy romance narrates the story of Andy, a young graduate aspiring to be a journalist, who lands a job as assistant to one of the city’s biggest magazine editors, the ruthless and cynical Miranda Priestly — played by Meryl Streep.
So, what are the traits of a Devil Leader? And why are Devil Leaders so successful although everyone seems to hate them? Carolyn characterized the devil leader for us, taking an entirely new perspective:
- Highly motivated
- Strives for excellence
- Task orientated
- Delivers at all costs
- Takes the lead
- Challenges others and herself
- People want to hire her and People want to be hired by her to learn from her.
Sounds positive right? Exactly like someone who knows what they want. Carolyn reflected that she wanted to be that devil leader, but for a long time she didn’t realize why. Then it hit her: she was competing with herself in a male-dominated world. Making men feel nervous gave her confidence and strengthened her self-image. She wanted to be that powerful leader.
Throughout her life and career, she explored other concepts, including the lioness leader who nurtures her cubs and then steps back to see them become independent. These are some of her characteristics:
- Highly motivated
- Model behavior
- Demonstrates skills and behaviors
- Show how to lead, steps back
- Allows failures, failed hunt then no-one eats
- Recognizes potential and nurtures it
- Identifies learning possibilities
- Stays close but not overwhelming
Also positive, but would these leadership qualities lead to the same levels of success? The Devil Leader had a proven track record after all. Carolyn saw herself as that Devil Leader, alone on top of a snowy mountain looking for storms to fight in an attempt to prove herself. But she recalls the moment when she asked herself:
“How do I want my kids and grandkids to remember me?”
Only then, it struck her that she needed to descend this snowy mountain, cross the valley, and climb the right mountain — turning her into a strong and caring lioness leader!
Learn more about Carolyn’s inspiring story and get in touch with her: https://linktr.ee/carolynbrand
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