When you think about how you define yourself as a female leader, have you given any thought to how you have been defined by others? You may be surprised once you dig into this topic. It can often reveal the origin for some of the things you believe about yourself.
How were you socialized as you were growing up? Were you:
- Taught to be nice?
- Reminded to be polite?
- Often pressed to be lady-like?
- Told to be quiet or to wait to speak?
If you were socialized in this way as a child, you can find it hard to let these behaviors go as an adult – even when you should.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I believe in being nice and polite, but not if consistently doing so compromises your individuality or your ability to participate authentically in conversations and interactions.
And what happens if you abandon these behaviors? Do you get feedback that you are too emotional, aggressive, or the dreaded “b” word?
What if you could:
- Control the narrative about you to a greater degree?
- Decide how you want to present yourself – in a way that matches the situation and what you have to offer?
- Stop hiding behind how you were taught to behave, and instead show up more powerfully to highlight your own experience and point of view?
- Leave any interaction feeling that you were heard and respected?
This is truly possible, but it takes you to decide what you are willing to accept and what actions you are willing to take.
If this is a topic that grabbed your attention AND you have a pressing issue that I can help you process, let’s hop on a short, targeted call to work on it. I promise you will leave with a path forward that will provide you with a boost of confidence. You can book it here.