Business
Are the rules different for women in leadership? There are two honest answers to this. Yes and there shouldn’t be. If you’re a powerhouse women in leadership or you have goals to move into leadership, you need to understand how the game works. There is the reality we deal with (that the leadership model is predominantly male) and the fact that the best way to change that is from within. If we want to change the world’s view of what a leader looks like (and this sea change is happening) then more women need to step up and challenge the status quo. But, how do you do that when the deck might be stacked against you? My guest today says that women need to walk a tightrope to make their way into leadership. In today’s world (which again, we’re in the process of changing) women need to find that fine point in the middle between being seen as too weak or soft and being too bossy (or the other b word). And while she’s excited to see the changes coming, she’s spent decades helping women navigate this challenging walk. Grace Judson is a leadership coach with decades of experience in leadership. She works with leaders to help them not only understand the road ahead but also in understanding how to work with a team and identify different communications styles. In this episode, she shares amazing insights into how and why we communicate the way we do, the neuroscience behind our communication style, the long-standing male hierarchy at play, and what that all means for our opportunities as leaders. Specifically, she discusses the reality that women face today and we get right into what needs to happen to change this reality so that women are given equal opportunities to lead. Plus, Grace shares how we need to rethink our ideas around acceptance as individuals. And, women need to connect with their authentic selves and love themselves if they ever want to be confident leaders. “In order to be loved you have to be willing to be hated. That’s hard. If you want to lead, you have to be willing to be loved and hated or you’ll just be beige. Beige fades into the background.” That is her challenge to you. Don’t be beige. Learn to be more and accept that that is going to draw more attention and therefore, more strong opinions about what you’re doing. I thoroughly enjoyed my chat with Grace especially when we dug into the neuroscience and social conditioning that most women can actively reprogram to create the opportunities they are looking for as entrepreneurs and leaders. If you are looking to step into your power and want to know how to embrace your authentic self so you can pave the way to being a confident leader, then you don’t want to miss this episode of the Brilliant You podcast. Listen now. Thanks to Grace for a difficult and necessary conversation packed with empowering ideas. If you’d like to access her “5 Most Challenging Employee Types and How to Manage Them” booklet (or any of her other free resources) go to here: https://www.gracejudson.com/resources/ On social media, Grace is most active on Linkedin. If you need some help with the self-love and authentic leadership challenge - start by building your confidence. Grab my Confidence Kit at: Confidentwithnoapology.com Or email me to work with me or be on the show media@janetzaretsky.com