Feminine Energy in leadership

Lulu Minns is an advocate for female leaders. She is the Founder of She Rebel Radio?, a community-driven podcast dedicated to women breaking conventional rules and creating businesses of significance. As I'm a bit of a rebel at heart, when I saw Lulu's radio channel, I could not fail to reach out.?

Hailed for "counter status quo ideas" and a "whole dose of feminine perspective",?- She Rebel Radio? ?has impacted women in business globally.?

She is also an award-winning coach and host of exclusive retreats for women entrepreneurs. Lulu works with solo entrepreneurs, from consultants to coaches and creatives committed to working with greater purpose and igniting social change.

I spoke with Lulu about her radio show and her business, and she shared some fascinating insights about the differences between female and masculine energy.

Why Rebel Radio?

Lulu explained, "I've always had rebel running through a lot of my marketing. And I probably had it without even understanding why. I was working in Canada with a coach exploring archetypes and your business. I resonated with the rugged rebel archetype.

Much emotion came up for me during this session. I have always been a rebel, and there has been much rejection in my life because of that. It comes naturally to me to challenge the status quo. I realised that I have always been a challenger, which is why women come to me. This was the main driver for me using the name 'Rebel Radio ?, which I have trademarked; it was such a natural fit."

There are negative connotations to being a rebel. In society, we don't want over-rebellious people because this might lead to complete chaos! But being rebellious can be very creative. Rebelliousness is about pushing the boundaries and innovating. There is a place for it, and we need to foster it.?

Lulu shared 'Rebellion can be much quieter than it looks on the outside.?

I have noticed that men are much more likely to break rules than women, and the reason is double jeopardy. Coming from a background in criminology and criminal defence, I noticed that women are doubly punished if we break the rules, not only for the rule that we've broken but also for breaking the status quo of what it means to be female. Therefore, women are less likely to break the rules and break convention.

The difference with female leaders

'Women tend to be people pleasers and, in many cases, have an underinflated ego', said Lulu. Lulu began coaching women in 2016, and after being a lawyer herself, she saw so many burnout women working in the legal profession who needed to reconnect with themselves.

She explains, 'Women from various professions were coming to me with very similar experiences. So, I began to teach about feminine principles of success. Women can be successful without feeling exhausted, which I found was often the case.?The world isn't balanced, and women do lead differently.

Contraction can be positive

One of the feminine principles that I teach is contraction, which is a key to expansion. Contraction is the energy of getting smaller and withdrawing.

But we don't value that in society, and for example, it is seen as a very negative thing in the economy. But the economy contracts and expands all the time. If anyone invests in stocks and shares, what they value is expansion, which is a masculine principle. Expansion can create an explosion, which can create a mental health breakdown. So, as humans, we don't need to be in expansion all the time. We live in a world that values the masculine energy over the feminine. Mother Nature will always force contraction if we don't listen; she's a powerful energy.'??

Changing the energy to be heard

Lulu has experienced the feeling that she should change her energy to be heard ‘As a female working in the legal profession, I felt at times I had to push forwards with a masculine energy to get my voice heard. ‘I found even as a court advocate, one of the male lawyers would interrupt me when I'm having a conversation with someone else, even though it was nothing to do with them’ It was exhausting at times.’

Female energy has changed, and if you look back to the 1980s, you might remember the big shoulder pads and women trying to emulate masculine energy. Fast forward to the present time, and the focus has shifted to being more authentic, but we still need to be closer to the balance of women and men leading in unity.?

Why do you host retreats for women??

Lulu shared, 'Because it's essential to create the language and the narrative in rooms with women. No disrespect to men, as I know they don't mean to do it, but having witnessed men at mixed events, their voice is heard. Men are used to having their voices heard, and women are not.

Women need a space to be heard without the masculine energy.??

My retreats are exclusively for female entrepreneurs and women in business. A woman's enemy is so often a lack of time, constantly creating and supporting others. The retreats provide a place away from day-to-day distractions and a space where women can do meaningful work on themselves.?

What drives Lulu?

'I want to see equality of women in positions of leadership and power, whether in their businesses, corporate and politics, because I know we have so much to offer. We've only scratched the surface of what is possible for women.?

I've always been an advocate for making sure that women's voices are heard. Because that's the only way we can change things and go deeper. The surface-level discussions are just not effective. It is great that the women's movement has become so mainstream, but it's been dumbed down.

Final words

Lulu emphasised the importance of having conversations and women genuinely supporting each other. 'I see much surface-level content on social media. True support is about diving into deep discussions. She also stressed the importance of taking time out.

'Every woman should take a break not just to rest but to do the deep work of exploring why they are here and what they can contribute. This will be very different for each person, and it's a very important evaluation to do in life.'

More about She Rebel Radio

"She Rebel Radio?" the UK's podcast for women leaders and founders seeking to break conventional rules and create businesses of significance.? We have been hailed for 'counter status quo' ideas and 'whole dose of feminine perspective'.? Hosted by Lulu Minns , a seasoned women's leadership and personal development coach, this podcast is designed to empower successful women in their 40s and 50s who may be grappling with a lack of direction and/or feeling overwhelmed by their next chapter.? Acknowledging the unique challenges women face, "She Rebel Radio?" provides tailored guidance and a platform for personal growth, helping remarkable women uncover their innate genius and confidently navigate the next phase of their lives and businesses.? Join us on this transformative journey toward empowerment and self-discovery.?

#womeninleadership #leadership #femaleleaders #leadershipcoach #lessonsinleadership

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