Emmeline Pankhurst, Marie Curie, Judy Garland, and Marilyn Monroe; for people everywhere, these should be household names along with many other inspirational females throughout history. Without being taught about the actions of brave women before us, we might never have experienced the opportunities that the women of our generation are presented with today. However, although times have changed and women nowadays have a much better social standing than our ancestors, some negative attitudes remain, especially in the workplace.
Despite overall progress, females still face many workplace-related problems like gender or racial discrimination, and some women are still being paid a lower salary than their male co-workers despite being in the same profession. It can also cause challenges for women wanting to climb the career ladder or aspiring for a job within leadership or management out of fear of discrimination or not being taken seriously. Nevertheless, it is crucial to have women in leadership roles, for the valuable perspective they bring and to challenge gender biases in a male-dominated world, especially as more and more businesses become aware of gender issues. Developing your leadership skills as a woman doesn’t have to be tricky, which is why we’ve created this article outlining a few ways for you to hone your leadership skills and empower yourself to become the best leader possible.
Enrol In Management And Leadership Courses
Consider developing your leadership skills by enrolling yourself in management courses or a women’s leadership development program during your free time. Developing leadership skills can be challenging as successful leaders are devised out of many different qualifications and credentials, and some skills can only be developed through experience. These are often referred to as ‘soft’ skills, which we teach ourselves as we navigate through life’s highs and lows, opposed to ‘hard’ skills, which we learn through the means of teaching and preparing us for a specific job. Women with quality leadership skills are often the ones who have a good balance of ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ skills and show initiative through attending various women’s leadership programs. Consider undertaking a women’s leadership course, which will help motivate, empower, and influence you into becoming the best leader possible and equip you with the relevant skills needed to succeed.
Work With Passion
The most victorious female leaders are those who lead with passion and motivate others to succeed. Victory is only achieved through a cohesive, well-oiled team, so it’s essential that you’re not only the driving force behind your vision but that you also drive the same amount of passion into your team so that optimum results are achieved. Undoubtedly, today it’s easy to spot someone in management who is only motivated by money and not the project at hand. Individuals like this are not something you want to aspire to be like, as your colleagues will quickly see through you, and you’ll lose a tremendous amount of respect. Therefore, by showing passion and demonstrating it in everything you do, you’ll motivate others to want to triumph and set yourself apart as a leader.
Reflect On Yourself Often
Another way you can strive to develop your leadership skills is by reflecting on yourself often and regularly reviewing your practices and policies. Successful leaders can pinpoint their weaknesses and strengths so that they know which areas they need to improve upon and others that don’t need as much attention. You could even ask someone that you trust or work closely with for a second opinion and see where they think your strengths and weaknesses lie so that you can gather an honest representation of your character. You might want to self-reflect on the following;
- Communication Skills: Do you feel your communication and listening skills are up to standard? Would others say the same? Do you provide your team with clear goals and regular updates?
- Empathy: Do you have an appropriate level of compassion for your staff members? If staff members come to you with a problem, be it work-related or personal, are you sympathetic, or do you tend to focus on yourself more? Do you put others first?
- Giving Feedback: Are you confident in your ability to provide your staff member’s feedback, whether it is positive or negative? Are you ethical and fair with your approach to feedback?
- Making Decisions: When it comes to decision-making, would you say that you do so quickly? Regardless of whether the decision is negative or positive, would you say that you ever doubt yourself or the decisions you make?
- Balance of Control: Would you say that you have a balance between controlling your team and allowing them to make decisions for themselves? Do you find it easy to forget about everyday tasks and concentrate on the job at hand until it’s complete? Or do you often find yourself trying to micromanage?
Being a woman in the world of work is all about finding your feet and establishing yourself in your workplace. Working with other women and building each other up is a sure way to be successful. Empower each other, and go forth with confidence that you are built for leadership, no matter the industry.