What do successful women know that you don't (yet) know? How did they get to the top? What are their secrets?
Related: The best career advice, from successful people to the top
We spoke to thousands of successful women for our book The Influence Effect:A New Path to Power for women leaders and discovered the five P who helped them get there:purpose, presence, preparation, power and positivity.
1. Purpose
Everyone talks about engaging in meaningful work. When we bring passion and energy to the work we do, it makes long days more tolerable. Most people understand this, but don't know what to do if they don't already have this sense.
I once coached a woman who was bored, listless and unchallenged. The work itself was fine; it paid off well and she had an easy routine to her day. Sounds good, right? No! After re-training, she decided that the status quo was no longer enough. An easy work schedule came at the expense of accomplishment.
After months of due diligence and strategic connection with key relationships (also known as targeted networks), she aligned herself in a completely different field than the company. She sought out and accepted a full assignment. She stepped out of the proverbial comfort zone and said Yes to an entirely different line of business where his skills were needed to create a new vision and mend a broken team.
Learning about the new business was only a marginal benefit compared to the opportunity he she had to contribute and feel purpose, passion and accomplishment again.
2. Presence
Imagine this:you are in a conference room. Everyone is seated and ready to go, except for the leader – a high profile and talented woman. She comes flying with her hair disheveled, her papers overflowing, her briefcase and bag falling over her shoulder, her laptop upside down and repeatedly apologizing while overexplaining her delay in excruciating detail. I was that woman!
Having frames isn't just a great wardrobe (although it's important to look neat and put together). It's about trust. Do you carry yourself with a solid posture? Do you show up fully and with a firm handshake? Can you make a point in a meeting succinctly and with a well-considered point of view?
Ask others how you present yourself and listen to feedback. Your presence is an attribute that you will never stop improving.
Related: Habits of 12 very successful women
3. Preparation
It comes in many sizes and shapes, but it can also be an Achilles heel for us. The key is to be prepared but not to drown in your preparation. Many women feel the need to keep their heads down and hope for good things to happen to them. One woman I met was on the verge of promotion through the partnership ranks. As I collected her feedback, it became clear that she missed key leadership opportunities and relationships because she spent excessive time in her office. She repeatedly told me that she couldn't attend key networking events because she was "too busy" or "too tired".
She was working harder instead of being smarter .
Sometimes prepping feels like buying an idea at a casual lunch. Sometimes that feels like time to prepare for upcoming meetings, or scheduling 50 minute meetings versus the full hour, allowing time to take a quick break, take notes from the previous meeting, and to mentally move on to the next commitment.
Remember that humans are not supposed to work like computers. Preparation is necessary, but create a routine to manage it.
4. Power
As women, we have a love-hate relationship with this word. In our book, we discuss the term “influence” as a way to embrace concepts of power and office politics while maintaining authenticity.
“Studies show that the imitation of male behavior does not does not translate into career advancement for women,” says Kathryn Heath, founding partner of Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. “We women don’t like unbridled competition, backroom deals, or business favors. We favor collaboration, inclusion and win-win results. The distinctive missing link is influence. »
Ask yourself if you are comfortable with your position of strength and your expert power (the one that comes from your knowledge and skills). The answer might be yes, but personal power is often a more nuanced skill. This is where influencing becomes a critical skill that we must learn to use effectively.
If we are to advance our personal, professional, and organizational agendas, we must influence others to achieve the success we want. .
5. Positivity
Raise your hand if you enjoy working with leaders who may be “Debbie Downers”. I don't know nor do most of the women (or men) I know. The work is hard, especially if you are passionate and determined. There is a personal investment here that can add emotion.
Many studies indicate that men confuse a woman's passionate argument with "emotional" character. Other studies suggest that women have a harder time “letting go” and staying positive. Our company calls this “restrained anxiety.”
As women, we need to work harder to overcome this positive perception deficit. Building a following is critical to our future as female leaders, and people want to follow positive leaders.
You've probably heard bits of this advice before. Now it's all about focus and intention. Which is more important to you right now ? Start there. Sign up others to help you. Unlock the hidden potential that stands before you. Good luck!
Related: Strategies for Women to Lead the Workplace
