What Female Leaders Need To Know to Succeed

It’s no surprise that we live in a patriarchal society where male leaders dominate most industries, like politics, tech, and manufacturing. Increasing female representation in leadership roles is valuable because it leads to better problem solving, decision making, and lower levels of burnout. Female leaders often challenge traditional mindsets, which creates new opportunities to innovate. Not only that, but when Fortune 500 companies have higher rates of women on boards, they do better financially than those with less representation. In order to be promoted to these top positions, women have had to adopt distinctive leadership skills in traditionally male-dominated industries.?

So what are the traits that set them up for success? Read on to learn five ways women leaders do things differently to flourish in their position.?

Be Authentic?

Gaining their employees’ trust is essential to leading, and women know this. In order to gain trust, female leaders know that they have to be themselves, meaning they do their job without compromising their values and personality. Employees trust leaders who are themselves, and this trust makes them go the extra mile to get the job done. When authenticity is promoted throughout the workplace and demonstrated by leaders, it fosters individuals who are enthusiastic, motivated and engaged . Authentic leaders make the right choices when necessary because they have the skills and integrity to do so. They are also self-aware, genuine (they’re not trying to put on a front like they know everything), empathetic, and results-focused (they have a vision that their employees are on board with). Let’s face it, being phony is hard work! Inauthentic leaders lose interest in their job, experience low levels of job satisfaction, and feel depleted. Who wants to work for someone like that???

Ask For Help?

Asking for help (in any area of life) can be difficult. Leaders, just like anybody else in the workplace, still need answers and direction. For these individuals, there’s a balancing act of appearing capable yet gaining the knowledge for problems in order to succeed. Successful female leaders actually reframe their questions to show knowledge and insight on a topic , demonstrating that they’re a strong leader. They do this so they aren’t perceived as ignorant or weak for asking questions. For example they will ask, “Do you think X or Y is better applicable for this situation? Why is that?” Instead of “how should I do this?” Asking questions that show their expertise and awareness is an excellent way to seek advice and get answers without drawing attention to a perceived lack of ability or authority. Female leaders also ask questions as a way to create a collaborative and cohesive environment, discover what’s important, engage employees, and as a way to exchange ideas. One way they do this is by asking, “What do you think?” This allows employees who are minorities to have a voice and feel included. Overall, strong leaders know that they need to have humility and admit that they don’t have all the answers. Being self-aware and knowing when and how to ask for help, is key.??

Invest In Their Skills

Anyone at the top of their career has gotten there by investing in their skills. This means they invested time, money, and energy to level up their expertise. Most individuals aren't just “natural-born leaders,” they have gained the skills necessary to become one . Some of these skills include active listening, effective communication, critical thinking, providing constructive feedback, and motivating and empowering others. These skills can be learned with experience, but a proactive leader seeks them out from workshops, courses, programs, coaches, and mentors. Gaining knowledge from such diverse mediums will create a more well-rounded leader and give them a leg up for resolving challenges.

Have A Mentor?

If you’re leading a team for the first time or you’re leading a team at a new company, having a mentor will be extremely helpful. Finding someone within the company that you trust, someone that you can go to with your questions, someone who is in a similar position—or better yet someone who has previously been in your position—can offer you valuable insight. A mentor could also be someone from outside of your organization, someone with whom you have a natural connection, someone whose career trajectory you admire, and overall someone who will be there consistently for a period of time to provide guidance, support and feedback .?

Mentors are necessary because they can help build your confidence, guide you through challenges and help you reach full leadership potential. Mentoring in general is a great way to close the gender gap in leadership positions. Sure, you can learn skills and knowledge on your own, but mentors can provide you with their insights, context and experiences that you may not even know you needed. They can also offer solutions to problems you’re struggling with and help you build your professional network by connecting you with theirs. Mentors are priceless and successful female leaders know this.??

What’s more, powerful female leaders know the importance of being a mentor themselves. They want to see women thrive and realize their full potential, because they know the importance of “paying it forward.”?

Set Clear Boundaries?

Having a “work-life balance” at all times just isn’t always feasible, and female leaders are aware of this. They’ve worked long and hard to get where they are, and being in a senior role means the hours they work will only get longer. Maybe they can’t have the perfect work-life balance at all times, but they do know that having clear boundaries is an absolute must for keeping up their momentum, staying healthy, and remaining focused. Successful female leaders know that their lives can’t revolve around work 24/7 because if it did it would lead to burnout, mental health problems (like insomnia, depression, and anxiety), and low motivation. That's why they have clear boundaries in place which protects their personal space, builds respect, and increases productivity. This could mean not looking at their work email on the weekends, taking their lunch breaks (enjoying a meal, meditating, going for a walk, practicing yoga), and learning to say no (that includes to friends, family, and employees).?

Before they set their boundaries, female leaders decide on their priorities, whether it’s spending as much time as possible with their kids, trying out new activities, or having enough downtime to recharge, leaving them feeling refreshed and ready to take on new challenges at work. Next, they clarify their standards (e.g. if and when they respond to calls/emails/texts that are work related outside of their normal working hours, what kinds of work-related projects they’re willing to take on, how many hours a day they’re willing to commit to work, whether in the office or at home ). Lastly, they take responsibility for how others treat them by the boundaries they have (or haven’t) set in place.??

Being a female leader comes with a slew of responsibilities, challenges, and biases that can leave them feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and uncertain. But with the right attitude and skills, like remaining true to who they are, reframing how they ask for help, gaining leadership skills, having a mentor, and setting clear boundaries (and adhering to them), female leaders will be able to flourish in any industry (even the pesky male-dominated ones).?