Leadership Is An Inside Job

Women have a wonderful capacity to be great leaders.  And, yes there is a glass ceiling through which you can smash.  If your listening to and/or reading the leadership gurus you will find it difficult to be a glass smashing, great leader, utilizing all of your potential. “Why?” you asked - because the leadership gurus are wrong.  They all focus on building your skill at collaborating with employees.  You are told that if only you pay attention to the development of the employee you will be a better leader.  That is a true statement; however, it is not where you start to build your leadership ability.  Leadership doesn’t start with an external focus; it starts with building your own internal foundation! 

Great leaders all have one thing in common.  They know exactly who they are and where they want to go.  They have mastered their self doubts and fears about what others will think of them.  Effective leaders are never ‘victims’. 

We all have life controlling patterns stored in our subconscious.  Based on my years of experience in coaching female executives and entrepreneurs it is highly probable that women have powerful life controlling patterns that are rooted in putting others first.  There is never enough time for you to find out who you really are – you are too busy doing more than your share at work and at home.  Speaking up and expressing your ideas, you were told, is not something that nice women do. 

If your goal is to be an effective and great leader, then take time to determine the mission for your life, a vision of how you want to get there, own your talents and use them toward accomplishing your goals that are in alignment with your mission.  Without the inner core of a personal mission, clear vision and ownership of your talents, collaboration becomes another word for dysfunctional nurturing and hiding your opinions. 

If your mission and vision are not written and in plain sight for you to see frequently, then they don’t count.  If you can’t repeat your mission at gunpoint then it has not become a part of who you are and it will always be easy to slip back into being the super-caretaker.  If you can’t boldly proclaim what your talent is and declare your value to your employer and/or family, then you are in hiding.  The world needs you, come out of hiding. 

Is that the tinkling of broken glass I hear?