The key to successful female leadership? Knowing our similarities.
Democrat. Republican. Male. Female. Liberal. Conservative. Gay. Straight. Pink. Blue.
We live in a world where we’re all to quick to point out our differences, but when’s the last time you though about what makes us all similar?
I sat down this weekend and thought about the qualities of female leadership that set us apart from men and I realized something: we’re pretty similar. When it comes to women with a desire to excel and rise above, we’re no different from our male counterparts in motivation, drive and knowledge. While my business focuses on executive coaching for women, it’s more a function of identifying my target audience and building a community that’s inclusive among its members as opposed to being exclusive. I adore guys and I’m married to a great one. I’m lucky in that I get to see how awesome men are each and every day in my own life. And this got me thinking about female leadership in a whole new way.
Instead of looking at what separates us, I want you to focus on what unites us. The news has been filled with messages of hate and intolerance lately, so why not turn all that thinking on its head – and for good? Here are two tips to change your thinking inside-out. I’ve already made the shift to these and I’m looking forward to working with my clients who are focused on leadership in general, not merely the aspects of female leadership.
Inclusive is Key – As women, we have a delightful list of things that make us different from out male leader counterparts. Go ahead and make that list and then put it in a drawer. Now make a list of the things that you share as leaders with your male counterparts. Take THAT list and put it on the fridge. Tape it over your desk. Don’t miss reading it each and every day.
There is No Such Thing as “Better” – Men aren’t better than women and vice versa. Granted, we’re equipped to have kids and that’s a blessing of biology. It doesn’t make us better. When we’re considering our male counterparts, a key factor in building effective female leadership skills is to recognize that we all have something to share. There is no “better.” I’m not any better than anyone else, and remembering that we each take our paths to success is imperative!
