Soft Power

As I reflect on the topic of leadership, I believe that our understanding of it has been somewhat confused, perhaps due to the perceived glamour and prestige that comes with it. In today's fast-paced world, where leaders can no longer be expected to know everything, humility and self-awareness are becoming very crucial to success.

As more women occupy top positions, I hope we can begin to demonstrate what soft power can be, bringing in the need to nurture, guide, support, empathize, and unleash the power of the people within the organisation. I understand that these traits are not exclusive to women, but it's been observed that the corporate world and leadership outside of the home have been dominated by male traits for centuries. Even after eventually being given a seat at the table, women still feel the need to demonstrate more strength and adopt leadership styles that have male-dominated traits to be accepted and seen as strong leaders.

With the world becoming less predictable, the need for all leaders to embrace a better leadership style that includes vulnerability is now being discussed widely. I feel excited to be in leadership at a time in history when we can accept that a leader is human and should focus on curating the skills and talents of the people within the organization while providing visionary and courageous leadership. The skills required for leadership today include navigating the unknown and leveraging all the organisation's resources, both human and material, to thrive in uncertainty."

As you move higher in leadership in organisations, the bias to equate good leadership with masculine traits becomes more prevalent. This leads to a negative perception of female leaders, forcing them to feel the need to conform to such stereotypes. This is a major challenge for women who aspire to reach the peak of their careers.

My advice will be to show up everyday as your authentic self. Personal leadership is really important for women who aspire to overcome this because it will enable them to become aware of their weaknesses and to play to their strengths with confidence. Try to stay away from leadership advice that has a lot of undertone of masculinity and undermines the fact that you can be firm without being hard and soft without being weak. This is the strength that women bring to the table, and once we can understand our unique style, we can have the confidence and courage we need to bet on ourselves.

When women focus on being accepted and are unsure of their own strength, they tend to compromise and yield to the imposter syndrome that says you should be glad to be given a sit at the table. Try not to rock the boat!

It is also important to get a grounding on your perception of real power as you aspire to a top leadership role regardless of your gender. I recommend a book written by an amazing lady I had the pleasure of knowing, Janet Hagberg, titled Real Power. It is a humbling reflection on our journey through the 6 stages of power and our motivation to succeed at each stage of that journey.

I came across a book recently that I highly recommend to everyone in my circle. The book's title, "Ego is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday, may seem curious and intimidating, but it offers valuable insights. As you progress in your career and achieve success, it's natural to gain confidence and feel accomplished. However, with more success, there's a risk of becoming overconfident and feeling invincible. Therefore, it's essential to develop ways to stay grounded and connected to your more human and fallible side. This book provides numerous strategies for staying grounded and in touch with reality, making it a valuable read for anyone seeking to grow personally and professionally.

Overall, I would say prioritize impact over position. Find the courage to step out daily desiring to give it your best no matter where you are on the career ladder. Show up at work daily ready to lose your job if that is what it takes to get things done. People who are afraid to lose their jobs never get anything meaningful done, nor do they gain the respect and trust of their bosses. Extend grace to others around you, especially those in leadership. Don’t waste valuable time in the corridors where people only complain about what is not working and never contribute to the solutions. If you are invited to a meeting, you are meant to be there, so lean in, listen deeply, and speak up with wisdom and courage. Don’t pass off a chance to be part of the solution to something. Those who keep their heads down never get the chance to lift it up again. Leave it all on the table.?

Never hold back; always give it everything you have got. As I always say, work hard, play hard, and love passionately. Don’t be afraid to cry. To be truly successful in life, you have to be alive fully in every space you occupy. At home, at work, and at play. Once you know there is more to your life than the politics at work, you can find the grace to walk away at the close of each day, knowing it was just another day at work. Keep good friends who keep you grounded and make room for yourself to have a life. In the end, no matter how successful you become, it is only those who get a life outside work that truly win!