A participant in NESLI’s Advanced Leadership Program shares her thoughts on integrity, authenticity and communication as a female educator.
Everything I am about to impart on leadership I either read in an article or got it from a movie.
Seriously.
Where else to get advice on how to speak, manage others, adapt and overcome than from those who write and act?
Let’s begin with ego: women are not boastful. They are less likely than men to blow their own trumpet. This is because lessons learned in childhood carry over into the workplace. It means women can be in danger of being a jack of all trades and master of none, simply because they like to be liked. (Okay, this is a saying from my Grandma Jo.)
This is not helpful if you are aiming for the leadership flag.
What is helpful to know is that leaders need to lead with their heart as well as their head. Women have this covered. They just need to know their linguistic patterns: social and status.
Integrity is key to your authentic leadership style, so know what you stand for, what you believe in and what you care most about. It all depends on your perspective and the values you practice. This will define you.
In other words, what you pay attention to becomes your focus – and vice versa. So pay attention to your tone of voice, the speed with which you say it and the volume you use. This is the ‘how’ of speaking. It is a vital component of being authentic. Why? Communication is paramount to enduring relationships, workplaces especially.
Be mindful of asking lots of questions – it can imply you know less. But then again, to be authentic ‘know thyself’ and invest time in your development.
Sorry you may be if you don’t.
Then again, it all depends on your core values, so go and make that cup of coffee and eat lunch with the boss. Just remember which linguistic pattern to use. And take credit for your own competence.It’s your pathway to the ‘sweet spot’.
Signed,
Another brick of the W.A.L.L. (Women As Lifelong Learners)