Here I was, standing in front of a full classroom of students, not quite fully ready to step into this new academic career. Everything in my past experience, from shying away from speaking up, to a predominantly behind-the-scenes corporate career, seemed to go against what I was about to begin. But I had to begin… so one word after the other, one practical application after the other, I transitioned careers from Big Corporate to Big Academia. Slowly but surely, I learned to reclaim my own style of leadership in a new career, a new space, and a new expression of purpose. And I’m glad to report I haven’t looked back ever since…
Many Obstacles to Women’s Leadership…
The Merriam-webster dictionary defines leadership as the “capacity to lead”. As a working mom and a woman of color, leadership was initially quite the foreign concept for me. It may also have been for you. I mean, the blatant under-representation of women, especially women of color, from the boardroom to the office and the front of the classroom, has not exactly been encouraging. As of 2023, women only held 10.6% of leadership positions at Fortune 500 companies. This is with only two Black women in leadership, including Thasunda Brown Duckett at TIAA and Roz Brewer at Walgreens. The plethora of societal biases plaguing the very existence of women in certain professional and entrepreneurial spaces has not helped either. Nor has the recent rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in light of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning affirmative action.
In an era where threats against women’s belonging in and legitimacy are over-abundant, it is fair to wonder how to lead. Or if we can even lead…Some of the most pressing questions around women’ s leadership have been:
How do you lead when very few of those who look like you are in positions of leadership? How do you lead when there is no blueprint or support for someone like you to lead?
And how do you lead in the face of constant change, threats to your very belonging, and societal biases questioning your very existence in certain spaces?
Yet, the leadership we see is not the leadership we can get…
Yet, when it comes to women’s leadership, could it be that what we see is not exactly what we can get? The thing is, when I used to think of leadership, I thought of it as being in a position of authority or power as traditionally defined by society. While this may be true in some cases, what occurred to me through my career is that while valid, this is only an external manifestation of leadership. Although not many women currently hold traditional offices of power and authority, many, if not, most women are natural-born leaders and naturally lead in their environments. Effective leadership skills such as communication, organization and consensus are innate to women. So could it be that the real issue is not so much to focus on having more women leaders, but rather to first help more women develop their own, already existing, capacity to lead?
Experience has taught me over and over again, that true leadership is not a matter of external positioning. Rather, it’s one of internal positioning. As working women and moms, much of the battle of reclaiming our authentic brand of leadership starts within. It starts with the reframing of our mindsets about what leading means to each and every one of us. It is in the development of our internal capacity to lead first, which then flows into authentic external manifestation.
Despite slow progress, women have been increasingly stepping into and reclaiming their own leadership. While there certainly still is room for improvement, women’s representation on boards has increased from 9.6% in 1995 to 30.4% in 2022. The share of women university presidents also almost tripled since 1986, reaching 32.8% in 2022. This progress is far from being negligible. It also encourages the work to develop more women’s authentic leadership capacities, even and especially in times of crisis.
If you have been wondering how to reclaim your own leadership in these uncertain times, here are three strategies you may want to consider:
Define your own brand of authentic leadership
What does leadership mean to you in this season of your life and career? This is a question I invite you to ponder not just every once in a while, but periodically and consistently. While it took a big shift for me to reclaim a sense of authentic leadership, it may not have to take as much for you.
Whether you are just starting your career, or in the midst of a personal or professional transition, now is as good a time as any to define your own style of leadership. Some questions you may ask yourself in the process include:
- What are your specific strengths and values, and how do they color the way you lead?
- What is your style of leadership?
- Which spaces are most aligned with your leadership, and which are not?
If you’re on your own leadership journey, I strongly recommend reading “Dare to Lead“ by Brene Brown. This book will help you become braver as you cultivate the courage to lead from the heart.
Develop a holistic approach to leadership
Leadership starts within. It is after all, the capacity to lead. So it cannot, and should not, be confined to the bounds of some office space, boardroom, or professional arena. As women especially, our leadership tends to permeate every area of our lives, from motherhood, to relationships and work. This is exactly what makes us capable of leading in very unique, authentic and effective ways.
As you reframe your own leadership, let it build up from everything you bring to the table as a working woman and mom. How you lead at home will impact how you lead in the workplace, and vice-versa. There are no compartments really. There are only parts that can and should integrate one with the others, like puzzle pieces that ought to work together to create a full, and fulfilling picture of a life well-lived.
Some questions you may ask yourself include:
- How does the way I lead at home or in my relationships inform the way I lead at work?
- What are the skills, strengths and values I bring to my leadership outside of the workplace? How can I repurpose them professionally? And vice-versa?
- What kind of leader am I in the various areas of my life? And how can I embrace a holistic leadership approach encompassing all the spaces I evolve in?
Adapt, pivot and change
Nothing remains the same. Developing your own capacity to lead is also developing your ability to adapt, pivot and change. From remote work to the advent of artificial intelligence, the world of work continues to evolve. So must we continue to adapt and evolve as well…
Transitioning careers has taught me invaluable lessons on the power of adapting, while remaining authentic to one’s purpose. As a matter of fact, had this transition not happened, I would probably not have stumbled upon my own capacity to lead. Change is often the catalyst that spurs us to step into areas of ourselves we may not have suspected, or may have previously minimized. So if there is an area of growth or change that you have been resisting, this may be your sign to use it as an opportunity to adapt, pivot and change.
Some questions you may ask yourself include:
- What are the changes that are happening in my personal and professional world?
- How are these changes calling me out of my comfort zone?
- What can I learn from and become through these changes as a leader?
If you’re looking to develop your capacity to adapt, pivot and change, “Who Moved My Cheese?” is an absolute read. This book offers a simple yet so effective approach to handling change and personal growth.
All in all, since the dawn of times, women have reclaimed leadership despite the fear and uncertainty surrounding them. Today is no exception. By reframing your own style of leadership, building it up from the sum of your life experiences, and developing your own capacity to adapt, you can do the same, on your own terms.
How are you leading in uncertain times?
The Corporate sis
