10 tips for women in leadership
April 29, 2009 by admin
Filed under Getting Ahead
Here’s the lowdown from women leaders who have risen to the top and seen it all:
- Be competitive. You have to want to win, and you have to act on that desire. No need to be nice.
- Don’t sweat friendships. It’s not about being liked. It’s about being valued and delivering results. Friendship may come, or not.
- Defend yourself. Protect the interests of your clan. Think of Nancy Pelosi back in a Republican-controlled Congress.
- Trust your gut. Consider what the naysayers are putting out. Then move forward anyway.
- Radiate confidence. Present yourself as in control and happy, says Oscar-winning film producer Cathy Schulman.
- Wrap yourself around success. Dismiss fear and anxiety. Make decisions using your best judgment.
- Help other women. Otherwise, there’s no way they’ll feel good about you or you’ll feel good about yourself. “We don’t have golf,” Schulman says, “so create other communities of support.”
- Hold out for good money. It’s not “filthy lucre.” Men decide on their futures considering the bottom line. You should, too.
- Make mistakes already. Give it your best shot. Take the plunge. Don’t obsess.
- Solve problems. If something on Schulman’s desk seems particularly dicey, she goes after that thing first. Big problems, she notes, are your best opportunities.