As more women step into leadership or find themselves leading when they did not expect to, a whole new set of leadership skills emerge which require attention. Women excel at communication, collaboration, and networking, but we may be a bit more inclined to avoid conflict or dodge difficult conversations. In addition as we manage multiple roles of parenting, care taking, and having naturally feminine tendencies, it can be a larger leap to transform our talents into the masculine expected leadership traits.
But what if we did not have to conform to the masculine model of leadership and rather developed our own powerful women’s leadership style. Male leaders do not expect you to be like them, but they and everyone you are leading require you to be confident, communicate with confidence, and have a powerful presence. The male leaders who are measuring you on what they see as strength or the ability to have command and influence are needing to see you lead powerfully where you instill confidence in others of your own ability and the ability to lead them as well.
Confident Communication for Women
Last week, I presented a workshop called Powerful Presence for a group of career and business women and one of the key skills we addressed was how to communicate with confidence. There are two aspects to confidence and it begins with being confident, but often there is also a gap in having confidence in oneself and communicating confidence to others. So how does a women leader develop the ability to communicate confidently?
- Clarity and Focus on the topic, key points, and outcomes are key
- Your posture and how you hold yourself matters
- Tone and upspeak matter as they convey confidence
- Preparation will make you feel more confident
- Certainty, being bold, and speaking with conviction are powerful
- Owning your power as a leader and stepping into the leadership role
There is a neuroscience to confidence so if you are a women leader who is not feeling confident due to being in a new role or a male dominated work place or event do not feel confident for personal reasons, it is important to build confidence first. As an American Confidence Institute certified Confidence Coach, I can share with you when women receive confidence coaching either private or as a group, they transform into being confident.
Powerful Presence for Women in Business and Women Leaders
Why did I call my workshop for career and business women, Powerful Presence? Our presence is how we show up, how we are perceived, and how we communicate both in body language and verbally. The word powerful is meant to convey not power over, but the power we have to instill confidence in others of our ability and also the power our own presence has in communicating to others.
Your personal presence is impacted by so many factors and in fact, just being in a new leadership role, a new job, or a brand new situation can alter our presence. Developing powerful presence as a women leader requires awareness, training, daily habits, and coaching. As a coach certified in the neuroscience of communication C-IQ, Confidence, and Women’s Leadership, this is the exact work I do with executive women and women entrepreneurs.
When you have confidence, communicate with strength, and have powerful presence, you transform your career, business, and the impact you can create in the world. Most of the time we do not even know how we are presenting ourselves and how small tweaks can have powerful shifts in our effectiveness as a leader and influencer.
Women’s Leadership, Stepping up to Lead, and Gender Equality
It is an exciting time in history for women as gender equality is in the spotlight, more women are running for office, women’s voices are being heard for the first time with movements like #metoo, and more women are stepping into leadership roles. Whether you are a women with a plan to lead or a women who finds herself leading when you did not expect to, all of us are be called on now more than ever to lead.
This year at the Women Deliver conference in Vancouver, I was able to hear Melinda Gates and Patricia Arquette speak at the Gender7 event put on by ONE. There were many other incredible women speakers that day who all demonstrated how they are leading and the impact it is creating in the world. From 2014 when women and children’s rights were 40th on the G7 summit’s agenda to 2018 when it became a priority, it is because there were only 2 women at the table.
In Melinda Gates words, “…we need more women stepping up to lead…and if we don’t we are baking bias into the system…”
Whether we are scared or under estimate ourselves or never saw ourselves as a leader, we are being called on to lead. We cannot shy away any longer and we need to take more risks so that our voices are heard, our influence creates much needed change, and for the future of every child and women who comes after us.
The vision of a better world was painted that morning by ONE with newspapers being handed out with headlines of equality, headlines of a world that would be amazing to live in, and a future where women globally had freedom to education, equal pay, and choice.
I created a podcast episode for all of you to experience the energy, insight, and hope in the room that morning. You will hear from Melinda Gates, Patricia Arquette and others as well as from me speaking from the perspective of a women’s leadership coach. You can listen in below.
Taking the Lead, Lead with Confidence, Present Yourself Powerfully as a Women Leader
Last week as I stood before a group of women who wanted to build their confidence, communication, career, and leadership, I shared a story of a local women politician who was amazing and should have been in office, but did not make it past the debate. This women was loved, she was popular, she had produced great results for a Greater Vancouver city, and she was a top choice; however, somehow when it came to debate night all I remember hearing the next morning is that she did not present herself well and performed poorly against her components.
This saddens me greatly because this women had the talent, she had the brains and the track record, and she was even well liked. It wasn’t even my riding, but I was hoping for her. The debate night, the night of pressure of presentation, of communicating powerfully, and instilling confidence in others knocked her out. When I heard the news, I knew this never should have happened and that she should have been much better prepared for the event. This happens far too often and it can be avoided!
As women we need to prepare ourselves to present, to debate, to handle conflict, to stand side by side with men and hold our ground, to be and communicate confidence, and to own our power with a presence that conveys leadership to others. You and every women is capable of this. It only takes the right coaching, preparation, training, and practice.
Let’s commit to all of us combining our brilliance and effectiveness of what we do to never be limited by our ability to confidently and powerfully communicate this to others.
If you need confidence coaching, women’s leadership coaching, or a coach to present yourself and communicate powerfully as a women leader, reach out by phone or email to [email protected] or 604 448-2410.
Take the step to lead for all those who need us to take a stand, have a voice, and lead our world to a better place.
You can also bring women’s leadership coaching and development to your company in Vancouver, B.C. with workshops on confidence, powerful presence, communication, and women’s leadership. Reach out here.
Connect with me on Social
