Ten Secrets for Women Leaders to Increase Visibility and Credibility
Being a leader should be one of the most rewarding careers you can do. The work is not only interesting and challenging, but it is impacting the direction of many people and the direction of your company. You can see that you are making a difference in something very big.
In this report, you will learn the key areas that women leaders must know to be successful within organizations. This condensed report provides the general trends identified from research of women and men in the workplace. As with any general trend, there are exceptions. It may not align with some of the information provided, and you are invited to read with a curious mind to see what new ideas you could explore in your own development process.
Secret No. # 1: build internal and external networks
This is important for both men and women.
This is an area that is a derailment for many people in mid-level management who do not take this seriously. It is important to build networks internally to develop allies and externally to increase their value to the company. You may think you don’t have time, but it can actually save you time when you need to call that partner for support on a big project with a tight deadline. The higher you rise in an organization, the more important it is to you to have strong networks. At higher levels, the emphasis of work is done more through people and their ability to influence and communicate effectively with others.
People with large networks can easily access and receive useful and timely information to help them achieve their goals. It is better to identify people in whom there is a mutually beneficial relationship based on common goals and interests. Who are two or three people with whom you need to develop a stronger relationship?
Secret No. # 2: sell yourself effectively, not aggressively
One of the things I see over and over with women is how they underestimate their accomplishments and believe that their good deeds will be obvious. However, they think, “This is easy and anyone with half a brain could do this.” Many women don’t see their key productive strengths and talents. Women must learn to see their strengths first, and to sell themselves effectively second, and how their specific accomplishments connect to business drivers.
Identify two or three of your key accomplishments. What strengths and abilities can you identify from these accomplishments? Check out the full report for tips on how to identify your strengths and sell yourself effectively.
Secret No. # 3: select a mentor within your company
This is a very important one! Don’t wait for the company to institute a program or if there is one and you are not part of it, find the people you value and start building a relationship. This may be more critical to a woman’s success than her male colleagues. In a study of people who reached the top ranks of organizations, the authors of Breaking the Glass Ceiling found that only 38% of successful men had mentors, but all female executives did.
A mentor can give you advice on what to do next in your career to advance, how to gain visibility and recognition, and how to play the game for your particular organization. You can do this informally without necessarily asking the person to be your mentor. A mentor can encourage you to take more risks and advocate for you in those closed-door meetings at the executive level. Who is someone you respect who might be available as an informal mentor for you? When and how will you approach this person?
Secret # 4 – Ask About Stretching Assignments
Women must often explicitly state their interest and willingness to take on unusual or challenging tasks. Otherwise, managers may assume they are not interested. You can use the work you have done on Secret No. 2 to identify your key strengths and present your ‘qualifications’ or readiness to take on more challenging tasks. Women can be caught in the double bind of being considered too ambitious. So you don’t necessarily want to tell your boss that you want their job. But in general, it would be acceptable to express your interest in taking on more responsibilities and demonstrate your ability to do so.
You can volunteer for visible projects that require you to push yourself and perform tasks that you haven’t had a chance to do in the past. Other ideas include: volunteering to speak at a program or conference, volunteering for an interdepartmental committee, attending company social events, and talking to people you don’t know. What action will you take in this area?
Secret No. # 5: develop strong communication skills and mastery of your emotions
Developing strong communication skills, mastering your emotions, and the ability to effectively handle conflict is another very important area for success. Once you reach the managerial level, your ability to influence and engage effectively with others is more important than your technical skills.
Enough research has been done on the importance of Emotional Intelligence (EI), which is a current term for a person’s ability to manage their emotions and effectively relate to others. In a 1990 study (by Hunter et al), 200 companies and organizations were examined. High performers were found to be 127% more productive than average performers. The competition research indicated that about one-third of the difference was due to technical and cognitive ability (IQ), while two-thirds was due to competition in the EI area. In top leadership, 4/5 of the difference was attributed to EI competence. All of this is to say that having competence at IE is one of the most important determinants of your success, and especially if you are in leadership.
Secret No. # 6: learn the rules of the business game and how to play to be successful
Business is still governed by the rules of team sports. The games we play as girls and boys influence how we “play” at work. Organizations are still heavily influenced by male culture. So for women to be effective in this field, they will need to visibly see the rules of the game and understand how to maneuver within that framework.
As girls grow up, girls learn to be dependent and boys learn to be independent. Competition is one of the key principles in the business game where winning is the most important thing. Even if you grew up playing with children, those experiences are minor compared to the influence of social norms. As girls grow up, they learn to be interpersonally competent and to develop and maintain relationships. Children, on the other hand, learn to subordinate relationships to aggressiveness, competition, and victory.
Research shows that behaving like a man will backfire. Women have a narrower band of acceptable behavior. The only important piece to remember is that for most men, business is a game. If you understand that it is not personal, you will be able to choose wisely your strategies and approaches for your success.
Secret # 7 – Know what it takes to successfully transition each leadership passage
In the book, The Leadership Pipeline, by Charam, Drotter & Noel, the authors identify six passages that require different focus and attention to successfully navigate through the passage. The six passages are 1) from Managing yourself to Managing others, 2) Managing managers, 3) Functional manager, 4) Business manager, 5) Group manager, 6) Company manager (CEO). Understanding this is not only critical to your success in progress, it is vital for you to understand how to approach development for those under your control. Skills, time application, and job values are different for each passage and there are signs of possible derailment each shift. For example, Step 4 from Functional Manager to Business Manager requires the ability to deliver inspired communication, build a strong team, understand how the company makes money, and develop strong leadership at various levels below you.
Secret # 8 – Know and manage your image
You want to manage how you are perceived. Some questions to ask yourself are: How do people in your organization perceive you? What kind of reputation have you established? What image are you portraying through your dress?
As a leader, it is more important to be respected than loved. You are called to make difficult decisions that will not necessarily please everyone. This is another difference in male and female culture that can create tension. As children, we are taught to get along and liking ourselves is important.
A word about business attracts. Make sure what appeals to your business is tasteful but doesn’t draw more attention to your sexuality, such as tight skirts, sweaters, low-cut tops, or ruffled clothing. The way you dress determines the overall message you send. If your makeup, hairstyle or clothes stand out, then what you are saying in an important conversation will be secondary. The general rule of thumb to follow is to dress for the job you want, not the job you have. See what successful women at the top of your organization wear and stick with that style. You can still have your own style, just remember that the unspoken dress code is similar to the team uniform and is another ‘test’ of how well you fit into the team.
Secret # 9 – Hire an Experienced Trainer
Hire a trainer who is familiar with 360 tools and other personality and work style assessments to get the vital factual feedback and how to use it in your development plan.
If you’ve never worked with a professional trainer, you might consider doing some research and contacting some experienced trainers for a sample training session. Many coaches offer a free 45 minute coaching session so that you get to know them and what to expect in the process of coaching with them. Working with an experienced coach can speed up your development and save you many difficult lessons.
Secret # 10 Know your long-term goals, maintain work-life balance, and support other women
Be clear about your long-term goals and how you will maintain the work-life balance that is right for you. If your goal is to reach the top executive levels, find out what commitment it will require, how it will affect your personal life, and what support systems you will need to implement. There are many ways to be in leadership and have a powerful impact. You may decide that you like being in a mid-level management position with the ability to influence many people and groups within the organization. Or, if you’re more suited to being a high-level individual contributor, like VP of Investor Relations, go for it.
It is important to your own happiness and satisfaction in life that you identify your key productive skills, long-term goals, and personal quality of life to determine the best career path for you.
In a Catalyst study of interviews with female executives, women noted that you can’t have everything. You have to decide the priorities of your life and make decisions. If you are married, it is important to have a supportive spouse. Many women pay for hired help to maintain child care, household maintenance, etc. Women are so adept at multitasking and handling many things for themselves and others in their lives that they often neglect to take care of themselves. You will need to be proactive in doing things to take care of yourself.
Support other women rising through the ranks to create collective support networks for all women. This is key to changing the culture and achieving a better balance between the male and female ways of approaching business.
