Whether you are already a woman in leadership or you are seeking growth opportunities in your current workplace it’s important to be constantly looking for ways to enhance your skills and performance. Read on to learn how to be a more confident woman in leadership and excel in your career.
Recognise and embrace your strengths
Working on your weaknesses may help you to grow but working on your strengths will help you to excel. Take time to reflect on your strengths and accomplishments. Focus on what you do well and build upon those strengths to maximise your potential impact. If we understand what we do well and do it even better it will be recognised and improve our chances of progression in leadership roles
speak up and share your ideas
Women’s voices are often not heard because women can sometimes fail to speak out. It can happen because you are an introvert or because you feel that nobody is listening. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas and opinions. Your perspective is valuable and can contribute to the success of your team and organisation.
develop a growth mindset
Embrace challenges and failures as opportunities for growth and learning. View setbacks as a chance to improve and develop your skills. Our brain is constantly growing and evolving we can learn new skills at any age and any stage of our lives and career. Be eager to grow and learn but also be eager to listen. Good listeners become good leaders. Stay up-to-date on industry trends and best practices. Attend conferences and workshops to expand your knowledge and skills.
build a support network
Surround yourself with positive and supportive individuals who can offer encouragement and advice. Connect with mentors and other women in leadership for guidance and support. Having a sponsor; someone in your company who wants you to succeed is also a good idea but at worst make sure the management team know who you are. If you don’t have an opportunity to connect with them on a day to day, go our of your way to bump into them, introduce yourself or get involved with a project in order to make a name for yourself.
Find the Right Environment To Grow
Unfortunately, in some industries it can be difficult for women to fill leadership roles with a big gender gap when it comes to leadership roles. It’s important that young women find healthy workplace environments and industries that prioritise internal growth. Within these sectors, individuals can hone their leadership skills to ensure better success when they eventually enter those roles.
Many medical clinics and health-care facilities implement various support systems and outreach resources to empower their medical staff and promote confidence. Resources like mental health treatment coverage plans, ergonomic and comfortable working environments, positive workplace cultures, departmental transparency, and more. When looking for an ideal company to launch your career, consider a business that prioritises your growth.
Allow Yourself To Fail
Women often face unfair pressures and expectations when in leadership roles. Worse still we put more pressure on ourselves to be perfect. Total perfection is unrealistic and an unhealthy standard to hold yourself to within the lens of your professional life and it is often one of the reasons women in business suffer from stress and overwhelm.
Remember to give yourself room to fail. It’s reasonable to make a mistake here or there as long as you accept that experience as a learning opportunity and continue to hone your skills! And if you work at a job that doesn’t tolerate any mistakes, chances are that the work environment is too toxic for proper growth.
Practice Self Care
Take care of yourself both physically and mentally. Prioritise your health and well-being to ensure that you have the energy and focus to be an effective leader. High performers have high performing habits, so create habits of productive, energy and presence in order to become the best possible leader and role model that you can be.
visualise success
Get a clear picture of the leader you are becoming. Regularly picture yourself succeeding and achieving your goals. Act as if you already are the confident and successful leader that you are becoming and work towards making that vision a reality.
become a self-advocate
If you desire further growth, you must self-advocate for your right to those opportunities. Voicing your professional goals and qualifications to higher-ups is a stressful, awkward, and sometimes difficult experience. However, it’s also an excellent opportunity to practice having tougher conversations and stretching out of your comfort zone. Ultimately, being a self-advocate will lead to more leadership roles and better skill development overall.
Becoming a more confident woman in leadership is about taking full responsibility for your life and career. Understanding that you are fully responsible for the outcomes, we often fall into the trap of blaming the environment we get burnt out and become cynical. Successful leaders are resilient and see setbacks and obstacles as opportunities and challenges. Don’t dwell on negative experiences or negative people, you are bigger than that.
Remember, confidence is a mindset that can be developed and strengthened over time. By embracing your strengths, sharing your ideas, and taking care of yourself, you can become a more confident woman in leadership and achieve your goals with greater ease and success and hopefully you get to inspire the next generation of amazing women leaders in the workplace!
