A CEO once told me it was my job to “sell hope.”
If I’m honest, I didn’t like it.
At the time, I was sitting in a C-level role, part of a leadership team navigating a significant transformation. The organization was evolving in ways that touched nearly every part of the business—our strategy, our structure, how teams operated, and how success would be defined moving forward. There was pressure to move quickly, to adapt, and to lead others through something that didn’t yet feel fully formed.
So when I heard the phrase “sell hope,” my immediate reaction was resistance.
It felt disingenuous. Like we were being asked to paint a picture that might not come true. Like we were leading people somewhere we couldn’t guarantee. And as a leader who deeply valued trust and authenticity, that didn’t sit well with me.
But over time—and through that transformation—my perspective began to shift.
What I came to understand is that selling hope isn’t about spin. It’s not about glossing over the hard parts or pretending uncertainty doesn’t exist. It’s about belief. And more importantly, it’s about helping others find belief when they’re still trying to make sense of what’s changing around them.
During that time in our organization, we were asking people to stretch in new ways. To let go of what was familiar. To adopt new ways of working and, in some cases, redefine their role entirely. And while we as leaders had been part of the conversations shaping that future, our teams were just beginning to process what it meant for them.
That gap—between where leaders are and where their teams are—is where hope either takes hold or begins to break down.
Because in that space, people are quietly asking themselves:
Where are we going?
Why does this matter?
Is this going to be worth it?
That’s where leadership shows up in a very real way.
If I’m being completely honest, part of my initial resistance to “selling hope” came from the fact that I hadn’t fully done the work myself.
I understood the strategy.
I could communicate the plan.
But I hadn’t yet connected to it on a deeper level.
And you can’t sell something you don’t believe in.
That realization was a turning point for me. I had to slow down and reflect—not just on what we were doing, but on why it mattered. I had to find my own connection to the future we were trying to create before I could expect anyone else to follow.
Because hope isn’t something you simply communicate. It’s something people experience through you—through your energy, your clarity, and your conviction.
This is especially true in times of change. Leadership insights continue to reinforce that hope isn’t passive—it’s something we actively create by helping others move forward with purpose and belief.
As leaders, we are naturally ahead. We’ve had more exposure to the strategy, more time to process it, and more context around where things are headed.
But if we move too far ahead without intentionally bringing our teams with us, something begins to shift.
It can feel like we’re moving confidently forward—clear on the direction, energized by what’s possible. But when we pause and look back, our teams are further behind than we realized. They’re still trying to understand, still processing, still questioning.
And in that moment, the gap between leader and team isn’t just about pace—it’s about perception.
When people feel too far removed from where their leaders are, they can begin to feel disconnected from the vision. They may question the intent behind decisions. They may feel like things are happening to them rather than with them.
And if that gap continues to widen, something even more important is at risk—trust.
Because when leaders appear too far ahead, without bringing others along, people can stop seeing them as someone to follow and start seeing them as someone they don’t fully understand… or trust.
Selling hope, then, isn’t about pulling people forward faster. It’s about staying connected enough to guide them forward. It’s about helping them see what’s ahead without losing sight of where they currently are.
So what does this look like in practice?
There are a few intentional shifts that can make all the difference when you’re leading through change:
We are leading in a time that feels faster, more complex, and more uncertain than ever before. Change is no longer a one-time event—it’s constant.
And in that kind of environment, hope becomes a stabilizing force.
Not as a slogan.
Not as a leadership tactic.
But as a responsibility.
Because whether we realize it or not, people are always looking to their leaders for signals. They are watching how we show up, how we communicate, and how we respond to uncertainty.
And in many ways, they are asking: Is there something here worth believing in?
If there’s one takeaway from my own experience, it’s this:
You can’t sell hope if you don’t feel it yourself.
So before you try to inspire others, pause. Connect to the deeper purpose behind where you’re going. Ground yourself in the impact you want to create.
And then lead from that place.
Because when hope is real—when it’s felt, not forced—it becomes one of the most powerful forces in leadership.
If this resonates with you and you’re leading through change right now, I’d love to connect. You can learn more about my work or start a conversation here.
A few weeks ago, I noticed the word “vibe” kept showing up everywhere.
You probably hear it all the time too.
“We had a great vibe.”
“The vibe felt off.”
“I don’t know… something about the vibe just wasn’t there.”
It’s one of those words we use casually, almost instinctively. We may not always be able to explain exactly what we mean, but we know when we feel it.
The vibe is vibing.
And lately, I’ve been thinking about it a lot—especially in the context of relationships and leadership.
At the beginning of this year, I set a personal intention: to make energy decisions.
Not ego decisions. Not obligation decisions. Just energy decisions.
After years of running my own business and working closely with leaders and teams, I’ve become more aware of how precious our energy really is. Where we invest it matters. Who we spend it with matters. And the energy we bring into a room often shapes what’s possible in that moment.
That intention came into focus recently during a simple coffee meeting.
A friend who knows my work introduced me to another woman in our community. She thought there might be some alignment between what we both do professionally, and I’m always open to meeting thoughtful, accomplished people who care about making an impact.
So we met for coffee.
The conversation was nice. She was smart, kind, and clearly passionate about her work. But as we talked, I noticed that I was working really hard to find the connection.
I kept trying to imagine how our work might overlap. I searched for ways we could collaborate or support one another professionally. I found myself asking more questions, digging a little deeper, hoping something would click. It never quite did.
When the conversation ended, I walked away feeling surprisingly drained. Nothing had gone wrong. She was lovely. But I knew that I had just spent an hour trying to manufacture a connection that didn’t naturally exist.
The old version of me probably would have scheduled another coffee. After all, she had been introduced to me for a reason. Maybe the next conversation would reveal something. Maybe I just needed more time to figure out how we could work together.
But I reflected on my intention for the year to make energy decisions. Honestly, the energy just wasn’t there.
For the first time in a situation like this, I made a different choice. When she suggested getting together again, I politely declined. Not because she wasn’t wonderful, but because the energy didn’t feel aligned.
That decision might sound small, but it felt significant. It was a reminder that energy is a form of currency—and we get to choose where we spend it.
Around the same time, I came across a preview of a new book by Adam Grant called VIBE which caught my attention. In introducing the book, he talked about something many of us have experienced but rarely stop to analyze … why some interactions feel electric while others fall flat.
He shared a story about a speaking event where he had to replace a conversation partner at the last minute. On paper, the two of them didn’t seem like an obvious match. They had different personalities, interests, and barely knew each other. Yet when they stepped onto the stage together, the chemistry was undeniable. People assumed they had been friends for years.
He couldn’t stop thinking about why that moment worked so well. What he realized was that connection isn’t really about how much time we spend with someone, it’s about how we spend that time.
In this case, his conversation partner—an actor—encouraged them to rehearse the rhythm of the conversation backstage. Instead of exchanging long personal stories, they riffed on ideas together. They created momentum and energy before they ever stepped in front of the audience.
Reading that, I found myself nodding along.
In my experience as a coach, the most impactful moments in my work often happen when that same kind of energy is present.
There’s a certain ease to those conversations. I’m not searching for the perfect question or trying to impress anyone with insight. I’m simply present—fully listening, curious, and engaged.
My client is leaning in, I’m leaning in and ideas begin building on each other. Something new starts to emerge in the space between us.
Those are the moments when coaching isn’t “work”, it’s “ease”. The conversation flows, the insight lands and the energy expands.
You could say the vibe is right.
One way I’ve come to think about it is that a vibe is simply energy made visible.
You can feel it in a room. You can sense it in a conversation. You know when it’s present—and you know when something feels off.
Why don’t we always trust that signal?
Often we override it with logic or obligation. We convince ourselves we should keep investing time because the relationship makes sense on paper. Or because someone introduced us. Or because we don’t want to disappoint anyone.
But the longer I do this work, the more I believe that connection is the true catalyst for impact.
When people feel a natural alignment in energy:
In a world that’s moving faster than ever, that ability to connect quickly matters.
We don’t always have months to build relationships anymore. Leaders are navigating constant change, packed schedules, and endless demands on their attention. Many of our interactions happen in short windows—meetings, quick conversations, brief collaborations.
In those moments, the energy we bring matters … your presence matters, your curiosity matters … and the way you listen, respond, engage with others sets the tone for what happens next.
Which means the vibe you create isn’t just a personal experience—it’s a leadership signal.
Energy is contagious.
When a leader shows up distracted or disengaged, people feel it immediately. But when a leader brings genuine presence, curiosity, and openness into the room, the entire dynamic shifts. Conversations become more real. People feel safer speaking up. Ideas begin to flow.
The vibe changes and with it, the possibilities for connection, collaboration, and progress.
So if you’re thinking about how this shows up in your own leadership, here are a few simple practices that can help.
Notice how conversations feel—not just what is being said. Are people leaning in or pulling back? Does the conversation feel open and engaging, or forced and transactional?
Energy often tells you more than words.
In a distracted world, presence is powerful. Put the phone down. Listen fully. Ask one more curious question. When people feel truly seen and heard, connection accelerates.
Pay attention to where ideas start building naturally. Those are often the places where collaboration, innovation, and impact are waiting to happen.
Sometimes the most important leadership decision isn’t pushing harder—it’s recognizing when the energy isn’t aligned and adjusting accordingly.
Lately I’ve been asking myself these questions:
Where does the energy feel expansive?
Which conversations leave me feeling energized and inspired? Which relationships create momentum instead of depletion?
Sometimes the most powerful leadership decision we can make isn’t about doing more. It’s about paying attention to the energy in the room - and trusting what it’s telling us.
If you are curious about how your leadership presence and energy show up for the people around you, I invite you to take my Heart Leader Assessment. It’s a simple way to reflect on the intentional energy you bring to your team, your conversations, and your leadership.
Your vibe might matter more than you think. 💜
There’s a phrase I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: “leaving it all out on the field.”
It comes from the world of sports, where effort, grit, and heart matter just as much as skill. It’s about showing up fully—mind, body, and soul—regardless of the outcome.
And after recently facilitating a leadership workshop for a client I’ve had the privilege to partner with for two years now, I realized that this phrase doesn’t just apply to athletes. It perfectly captures what real leadership looks like and what so many leaders are doing right now, every single day.
They are leaving it all out there.
The workshop was focused on Communication and Conflict—timeless and relevant topics, for sure. But if I’m being honest, it’s not the content itself that lights me up. It’s what happens around the content.
It’s the moment someone shares how they’re barely holding it all together but are still leading with heart.
It’s the pause when someone gets vulnerable enough to admit, “I can’t do it all—and that has to be okay.”
It’s the real, raw, unfiltered conversations that make leadership come alive in the room.
That’s where the magic is. That’s what keeps me coming back.
Before the session, I met with my client contact—someone I deeply admire—and she said something that stuck with me:
“Our goal isn’t just about results. We’re trying to create better human beings.”
And let me tell you—it shows.
This company is investing in leadership not as a means to an end, but because they believe leadership is the end. They care about their people as humans first—and it’s reflected in how their leaders show up, engage, and grow.
And they’re not alone. Companies that take this kind of intentional, human-centered approach to leadership development are seeing the benefits—not just in business results, but in wellbeing, culture, and connection. A recent Harvard Business Review article affirms this: when done right, leadership development can lead to personal growth, greater purpose and meaning at work, reduced stress, and a boost in mental health and happiness.
That’s not just a “nice to have.” It’s the kind of transformation that fuels long-term performance, loyalty, and resilience.
So what are these organizations doing differently?
After years of facilitating leadership experiences across industries, I’ve seen clear patterns emerge in the organizations that truly get it. The ones who create space for meaningful leadership growth—not just training—tend to share a few key behaviors:
1. They Focus on the Whole Human, Not Just the Role
The best organizations understand that leadership isn’t just about competencies—it’s about character. They invest in emotional intelligence, self-awareness, confidence-building, and resilience. They support not just the leader, but the human behind the title.
They ask, “How can we develop strong leaders and good human beings?”
2. They Create Space, Not Just Content
Content is important—but it’s not what transforms people. The most powerful development happens when leaders are given a safe, intentional environment to reflect, share, and connect. These companies create experiences that feel human, not corporate.
They prioritize honest conversation over information overload.
3. They Play the Long Game
The best leadership development programs aren’t one-and-done. They’re woven into the culture. These companies bring teams back together, reinforce learning, and stay consistent in their commitment to growing leaders at every level.
They know that real transformation takes time, and they stay in it for the long haul.
When I opened this session, I asked a simple question:
“What’s one moment recently where communication either helped or hurt your ability to lead?”
What followed was a flood of honesty. Stories of misalignment, exhaustion, overcommunication, and silence. Stories of leaders navigating hybrid environments, spinning too many plates, and still—still—striving to lead with clarity and compassion.
One leader said, “If we had a 28-hour day, that would be helpful.”
Another shared, “I’ve had to remind myself that if a few plates fall, it’s okay—it’s how I clean it up that matters more.”
That’s the kind of reflection that doesn’t come from a textbook. It comes from being in the arena. It comes from leading through complexity, change, and pressure—without having a playbook in hand.
One of my favorite moments came at the end of the session, when a participant summed it up with a twist on a familiar phrase:
“Well, sometimes you just have to make chicken salad out of chicken… stuff.”
Not an exact quote, but you get the idea.
That’s leadership. It’s messy. It’s imperfect. It’s about making something meaningful, even when the circumstances aren’t ideal.
People often assume I’m the one doing the teaching during these sessions. But the truth is—I learn just as much.
This particular group reminded me that while tools and models (like the SBI or LEAP frameworks we covered) are valuable, they don’t create impact on their own.
It’s the willingness of leaders to try the tools. To practice empathy. To navigate the discomfort of conflict with curiosity instead of avoidance. That’s where growth happens.
It’s not easy. But it’s necessary.
And for those organizations that recognize the value of creating space for this kind of work—bravo. You are investing not just in stronger teams, but in more resilient, connected, human workplaces.
If you’re a leader reading this and you feel like you’re spinning too many plates or wondering if all your effort is being noticed, please hear this:
You’re not alone. You’re not behind. And you are making a difference.
Keep showing up with heart. Keep having the hard conversations. Keep creating space—for yourself and others—to reflect, reset, and realign.
Because how you lead matters. And the impact you make? It’s bigger than you think.
Are you looking for ways to invest in your leaders beyond the typical training playbook? Let’s talk.
Click here to book a conversation and explore how we can create meaningful leadership experiences together.
Let’s help them leave it all on the field—and feel proud of how they showed up.
As we step into the new year, many of us carry the weight of rising costs, economic uncertainties and personal pressures. These challenges don't remain outside the workplace; they walk in with us each day and we are faced with how to navigate overwhelm.
I've noticed this firsthand in my recent coaching sessions. Despite having some downtime over the holidays, many of my clients have jumped straight back into the grind. Instead of easing into the year, they're displaying a mix of excitement and stress behaviors, with urgency and anxiety running high. It's as if there's no time to pause, organize, or gain clarity before diving back in.
This observation underscores a critical point: as leaders, we must balance supporting our teams with caring for ourselves. Let's explore how we can navigate both.
When external pressures mount, leaders have a unique opportunity to create stability and connection within their teams. Here are three actionable ways to support your team during challenging times:
Supporting your team is crucial, but you can't pour from an empty cup. Leaders face their pressures, which can lead to frustration, disengagement, or even burnout when these go unaddressed. Korn Ferry's recent article on the rise of Cranky Boss Syndrome highlights this growing trend among leaders.
Here are three strategies for self-care and personal growth:
When leaders invest in themselves and their teams, the ripple effects are transformative. Teams become more connected, aligned and motivated. Leaders, in turn, feel more equipped to handle challenges without succumbing to overwhelm.
This isn't about striving for perfection—it's about showing up with intention. Your ability to manage stress and lead with empathy can make all the difference in how your team navigates difficult times. While external stressors may not disappear overnight, the culture you create can provide a sense of stability and purpose that helps your team thrive.
You don't have to do it alone if you're navigating the challenges of leading through stress and overwhelm. Executive coaching can help you stay grounded, maintain a growth mindset, and lead your team with clarity and heart. Learn more about my coaching services and explore how coaching can support you on this journey.
One of the biggest challenges facing leaders today is meeting fatigue and the epidemic of unproductive meetings. When you ask any leader about their calendar these days, the response is often, "My calendar is unmanageable." It's not just back-to-back meetings, but sometimes two or even three meetings happening at a time.
Some leaders find themselves juggling multiple screens and logins, taking multitasking to the next level, but is it really?
In my own corporate experience, I spent hours upon hours in meetings, but I had an executive assistant who could help protect some small slivers of time each week on my calendar.
With the ever-increasing speed of change and the rising expectations for urgency, how can leaders be at their best? They plow through the day, switching contexts like crazy, leaving little room for actual work…or leadership!
As companies require their leaders to bring new thinking to the table, keep up with emerging trends and technologies that significantly impact strategy, and lead differently to meet the new expectations of a post-COVID workforce, leaders struggle to find a moment for a bathroom break or lunch.
Of course, we all have the opportunity to hold ourselves more accountable for our own time, our most precious resource. I've recommended and walked leaders through tools like the Eisenhower matrix, "start/stop/continue", and time tracking. These excellent approaches enhance focus, prioritize tasks, and manage time better. However, we've reached a point where companies need to more actively support their leaders in these efforts and in breaking the meeting culture.
We can delve into what's holding us back from setting boundaries or saying no. Still, it's less effective if leaders aren't provided with encouragement or examples of how to do this.
I've spent the last three weeks with three different clients in three states, discussing various leadership topics. The common theme that emerged across all these leaders' experiences and occupied the minds of everyone I spoke to was TIME — specifically, finding time on their calendars to do more: more of what's expected, more of what their teams need, and more of what makes them feel fulfilled and alive.
How can I find time in my day to lead ...and lead like I really want to? The desire to lead with intention is there, but stepping off the hamster wheel and making that desire a reality is incredibly challenging.
Shopify recently confronted this problem head-on by installing a calendar app to track the number of hours spent in meetings and their associated costs. By simply being aware of this data, they are on track to save $322,000 in meeting time costs in the first year alone.
During a discussion and facilitated brainstorming session about strategic priorities this week, one of my clients decided to focus on meeting and email overload as a strategy in itself!
Sometimes, awareness is all that's needed to drive change. Leaders are crying out for help as they feel conflicted, unprepared, and unsupported in giving their best in today's workplace. If we ask leaders to lead differently in this ever-changing world, organizations need to do something different to support them and their teams in this endeavor.
Support them in pushing back, support them in changing the trajectory of where we're headed, and support them in prioritizing the true value they bring to the table.
Here are four actions to consider in the fight against meeting fatigue at your organization:
What other ideas do you have to help leaders dig out of the meeting culture of today?
If you are ready to navigate these challenges and invest in your leaders, let’s connect.
I recently had an opportunity to host a leadership development session with an impressive leadership team in Chicago. When they gathered together for our custom workshop, it was the first time they had all been in the same room in two years due to Covid-19 and what transpired in the time that had past gave significant importance on the development of the leader as learner.
David, the CEO, worked with me to create a customized goal and topic for this leadership development workshop. He asked me to introduce strategies and tools to help his team be more open to new ideas, to “rethink” the way things had been done before, and to be curious problem solvers, decision-makers, and leaders. Based on these goals for the team, I curated an extremely relevant topic for leaders today – “Are You Learning as Fast as the World is Changing?”
To prepare for our session, I asked the team to read Think Again by Adam Grant. This helped them feel equipped to dig deeply into the concept of rethinking.
The key point of our session was this: In a world that never stops changing, leaders can never stop learning.
I helped the leadership team embrace their role as continuous, curious learners by questioning common responses to their current actions and situations. We interrogated the validity of “that’s the way we’ve always done it” to see that just because something has been done a certain way does not mean it can’t be done differently.
Change-capable leaders must grow and evolve with the world. The leader’s job is constantly learning – rethinking current policies, questioning current responses, and investigating new potential solutions.
When your talent embraces their role, leader as learner:
David, the CEO, and I also developed another important objective for this session: allowing people time to reconnect with each other.
We spent a little less time “doing” and more time “being.” This time was crucial to the team – allowing them space and energy to renew their commitment to the organization and their roles as leaders.
The face-to-face time we prioritized brought up many interesting conversations, including:
These discussions helped the leaders better understand their peers and themselves.
Our custom session – focused on seeing the leader as a learner – was a perfect mix of learning and applying new concepts AND time sharing about what work and life look and feel like in today’s environment.
Not everyone will be able to keep pace in a constantly changing and demanding world and business environment.
Really smart people are studying the “future of work” and reporting that 10% of jobs will be automated in the next year, and 50% of jobs will be automated in the next decade. Specific requirements must be met to survive and thrive in the present and near future.
Successful leaders of the future must be proficient in these 3 soft skills:
1 | Balance between doing & learning
How much time on your calendar is spent doing vs. learning? Finding the right balance between current business demands and continuous learning is hard. The fast-paced environment often distracts leaders from their best, discouraging them from being curious, innovative, active, and engaged learners.
Leaders are often head down, trying to manage customer demands, fire drills, and simply keep up. Given this reality, it is easy to lose sight of the importance of learning. But if you want to be successful long-term, it is especially important to practice continuous learning. The leaders who will thrive are consistently, intentionally learning.
2 | Intention
As leaders progress and advance in their careers, they become less comfortable learning. Not knowing something, asking questions, being curious, and reaching out to experts require them to be brave.
Not knowing the answer to a question does not make a leader unintelligent. However, not asking and not learning something new because they are afraid will cause leaders to miss on many beautiful opportunities. The access to knowledge is there, but as they get further along, they have to be even more intentional about learning.
3 | Active Listening
Active listening is a key to learning. It is essential to listen to the thoughts and perspectives of people from different backgrounds to rethink our own perspectives, biases, and judgments that keep us opening up to other perspectives and from learning. By listening more deeply – and not just responding with the first thought that comes to mind – we can respond more intentionally. This kind of mindset helps encourage a culture of learning and an environment for others to learn, share thoughts, and allow their ideas to flourish.
Are you and your employees ready to develop soft skills for the ever-changing future world?
If you’re interested in ensuring your team is growing and adapting to current and future demands, contact me to create and facilitate a custom leadership development session.
Your team will love digging into the topic “Are you learning as fast as the world is changing?” and your entire organization will benefit from this targeted, intentional development.
Women in leadership face different obstacles and challenges than their male counterparts. According to a Pew Research Center study, 43% of Americans agree that women in leadership positions are held to a higher standard than men. So those feelings you may have of needing to work harder to prove yourself or achieve better results just to be seen? They are real.
So what is a motivated, ambitious female leader to do?
We believe the workplace is better for everyone when there are more women in leadership positions. We also know that it can be a daunting task to take on heightened expectations and unfair bias on your own. So over the next few months, we’ll be posting all about how to overcome some of the major challenges you face as a female leader. We will focus on identifying the issues and giving you concrete, actionable steps to overcome each obstacle you may encounter.
Yes – it is harder to be a woman in leadership, but we can do hard things. And together, we can help improve the workplace for our colleagues and the generation of women leaders behind us. Let’s get to it!
One of the biggest struggles I faced as a leader in the corporate space, and a struggle many of my clients identify with, is being able to clearly and effectively communicate your thoughts and ideas in a male-dominated space. This is also one of the most common challenges for women in leadership.
One of the worst ways I see this struggle play out is through “bro-propriating.” Here’s what happens – You, the female leader in a group of men, share a solution to a problem. No one listens, and your idea is pushed aside, and everyone keeps talking. A few minutes later, one of the men in the group offers up the exact same solution you suggested… except this time, everyone is on board. The idea is heard and valued because it came from a male leader in the room.
If you’ve ever worked somewhere that allows (and even promotes) this kind of behavior, you’ve probably felt discouraged from sharing your ideas and possibly even internalized the subconscious bias against female voices.
When your voice is consistently diminished, devalued, or ignored, a few things can happen:
None of these are helpful or productive for you or your workplace.
I know when I personally felt unheard or devalued, I tended to react aggressively. I would talk over others, speak quickly, and make snap judgments, all in an effort to force others to listen. This is not my style. My value, knowledge, and skills were devalued by my delivery style, which led to me feeling even less appreciated and seen.
If you’ve experienced the struggle to be heard in a male-dominated group, you can probably also attest to the frustration and fear that comes with this particular challenge. You may have found yourself wondering – Do I really deserve to be here? Do I know what I’m doing? Should I just be quiet and listen?
But you don’t have to stop here. There are some simple, direct steps you can take to overcome the communication barrier and ensure your voice is heard, valued, and appreciated.
The first step in overcoming the challenge of communicating clearly and effectively as a woman in the workplace is acknowledging that this is a challenge. You need to put extra effort into this area of leadership in order to truly be heard.
Once you’ve acknowledged and accepted that this is an obstacle you want to overcome, there are some key steps to moving forward.
Stop Worrying and Start Trusting
You have to stop caring what others think. Your ideas are just as valid as the next person’s, and you need to start trusting your own voice. When you’re too wrapped up in worrying about what the group will think or if someone will judge you, you lose your power. Trust your skill. Trust your knowledge. Trust your voice.
Get Comfortable with Self-Promotion
Women traditionally find self-promotion to be a challenge. For most of us, it is much easier to celebrate and promote the people around us than it is to stand up for ourselves. The more comfortable you can get putting your ideas out there, the more people will listen. Be willing to stand up for your idea if it is questioned. Defend your position when it makes sense. Put yourself out there with confidence, even when it’s not your natural instinct.
Call Out Double Standards
The next time a male colleague cuts you off or starts to speak over you, calmly and confidently say, “Hold on. I’m not done speaking,” and resume the point you were making. If you find yourself the victim of “bro-propriating,” say something about it. You can use your sense of humor or be direct (find the style that works for you) but call it out. Remind everyone that you brought that idea to the table just a few moments ago and reassert out the value or appeal of your original suggestion. Even though you may feel angry or frustrated, you will be more effective if you can point out these inconsistencies and biases confidently, without resorting to yelling or arguing.
Communicating well in a male-dominated group is much easier and effective when you truly believe in your own voice. Start with acknowledging that most women in leadership face this same challenge – it’s not just you! – and then take the steps outlined to overcome this challenge and make a place for your voice at the table.
And if you need some support in implementing these action items or building your own belief in your value, you may consider working with a leadership expert who can help you improve your skills and sharpen your self-confidence. I offer one-on-one leadership coaching for executive and senior leaders, as well as new or high-potential leaders. I would love to help you identify your own unique leadership challenges - often the most common challenges for women in leadership - and work together to find solutions and help you show up as the leader you want to be.
"It will get done faster (and better) if I just do it myself!"
“Even when I explain in detail how to do it, it isn’t done right.”
I don’t want someone to think I’m dumping something I just don’t want to do on them!”
If you’re a woman in business leadership, you’ve likely made a statement like one of these recently.
Delegating is a skill that does not come easily to most leaders. We struggle with giving up control of the outcomes and worry others will see us “avoiding” work if we ask them to handle it.
But learning how to delegate with intention is one of the key leadership skills you need to master if you want to be a truly effective leader. Delegating with intention elevates your leadership and helps you empower and develop the people you lead. Done well, delegating might just become your new favorite task.
In practice, delegating with intention helps us combat our discomfort and unease with the practice of asking others to take on work for us. It’s important to remember that sharing the right work with the right people means that each person – you included – can focus on those things that add the most value.
When it comes to delegating with intention, you have two areas of focus:
So let’s see this at work...
You have a data set that needs to be sorted before you can use the data to make a recommendation to a committee about the next steps for a specific project. You also have a few memos to write, an employee review to complete, and some admin tasks. If you decide to do all of this work yourself, you know it will be done correctly, but it’s going to take you an entire day to work through everything.
The kind of delegating you’re used to (that feels uncomfortable) would include you calling up someone “beneath” you and tossing the work that you don’t have time for at them. No wonder that doesn’t feel great!
But you’re a woman in business leadership who leads – and delegates – with intention. So you think about the conversations you’ve been having with your team lately to see who might be a good fit for a few of the tasks you have on hand.
Samantha mentioned that she wanted to deepen her analytics skills in your last one-on-one, so you ask her if she can step in and support the team (and develop a skill she’s interested in) by sorting the data set. She’s thrilled to be trusted with a side project in her area of interest, and you’ve freed up some of your time.
You’ve noticed that Greg is an excellent writer, so you let him know you appreciate his writing skills and could use his help crafting a few key memos for the team. He completes the memos in a fraction of the time it would have taken you, and they are clearly written and easy to understand.
Because you’ve learned how to delegate with intention, you now have plenty of time to sort through the data Samantha aggregated for you and make a well-informed, insightful recommendation to the committee. You don’t have an endless to-do list dangling over your head, so you’re able to be more focused and intentional in the employee review.
Sure, the above scenario sounds great, but how do you start delegating with intention in your own role?
There are some key questions you can ask to help start putting this important leadership skill into practice. A skill important to develop for women in business leadership.
Learning how to effectively and intentionally delegate helps:
Delegating with intention is essentially a win-win.
“When you get the best from your employees, the company gets the best results."
– LEAD WITH HEART AND LEAVE A LEGACY
Asking employees to manage certain tasks will help them develop new and existing skills. They’ll also feel empowered and appreciate being needed. People want to feel valued – and delegating with intention is one of the best ways to help them contribute to the team.
When you give yourself space to focus on the things you are best at, your work will be even better. You can pour your time and energy into focused tasks, improve your own skills, and deliver excellent results.
Your organization will benefit in a number of ways when you start delegating with intention. First, everyone is involved in delivering better work – which improves the quality of the organization across the board. You’re also helping improve employee quality and satisfaction, which leads to better organization-wide results. In fact, highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability (Gallup).
You see the benefits and you’re ready to sharpen your delegating skills. I’m excited to see how this benefits you and your team! And to start dividing up tasks based on urgency and importance, I highly recommend using Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle.
You can click here to download a free guide to help you get started delegating with intention and improving outcomes. You’ll be delegating like a pro in no time!
“I would like to be less productive”, said no one ever! Often, my coaching clients are faced with overwhelming demands to increase the speed of decision making & delivery and caught up in that always-on / always-connected feeling – trying to keep pace by doing more, multi-tasking, context switching. While not intended, this approach can actually cause them to be less productive in the end.
It is so important to be present and mindful about what we are adding to our plate – prioritization is critical to helping us stay focused on high-value activities (the critical few things!) that drive successful outcomes.
Even more than that, a prioritization mindset is what will help us achieve our personal and professional best! When adopted, a prioritization mindset will create the space and energy to focus on the things that really matter.
So what can you do to adopt a prioritization mindset and how do you know when you get there?
As a leader, you hold true to the vision for the organization, you set the agenda and you make the rules. You establish boundaries and hold your team accountable to certain standards of performance. But are you giving yourself permission to set boundaries that protect your own happiness at work?
Boundaries set the tone for the emotional climate of the organization and reflect the behaviors you will allow and the culture you desire. When you set boundaries, you are making space for your personal goals and your best work as your best self.
If saying no is difficult for you, you may be drowning in a sea of Yes’s. Your to-do list is long and filled with tasks that weren’t originally on your radar and aren’t in support of the goals you set for yourself.
Know what matters to YOU – ask yourself these questions… does this request align to strategy or delight a customer? Does it play to my strengths, develop a blind spot, provides an opportunity?
When you say No, you are saying Yes to those things that excite you, advance your development, move you toward your goal.
It is easier to develop a complex solution than a simple one. Simplicity is hard but when it comes into focus, it creates abundance – in energy, time, meaningful work, health. It enables you to move away from complex, chaotic choices and begin thinking about your work and life in a different way.
Be intentional in looking for the simple solution, start planning ahead, stop watching so much tv, spend less time on social media. When you embrace simplicity, you embrace possibilities and become even more focused, confident, and committed to your direction in your career and your life.
When you feel depleted, you have nothing to give. It is easy to fill your time with the needs and priorities of others and activities you “should” do. Often personal priorities, self-care, “you time”, falls to the bottom of the list. If you are kind to yourself and consider your own needs, you will be able to show up fully for those around you.
When you commit to self-care, you are able to engage and contribute graciously so everyone benefits.
If you are stressed out, overwhelmed, or overcommitted, try some of these strategies. Developing and sustaining a prioritization mindset is one of the best ways to achieve more. More time and more energy to focus on activities that will help you reach your goals and achieve your personal and professional best.
Consider a professional business coach to help you narrow your focus, energy, resource so you can dedicate more of yourself to the few things that are going to make the biggest difference in your life!
