Women face many challenges in developing and asserting their leadership style. Many struggle managing people and keeping their “good girl” image intact. Women leaders fear being too pushy and they don’t want to be ignored as well. It’s difficult to maintain a balance and find a style that’s efficient and suites your personality.
Experts say Leadership is a combination of soft skills and hard skills but if women managers act forcefully then people might think of them as acting too masculine and this may lead to a backlash. At the same time if women act in a traditionally feminine way then they are seen as weak leaders.
Leadership styles are often learned by observing other leaders and Women face a major problem due to the shortage of female leaders or role models. In this scenario women can observe the leadership styles of other male leaders but again the problem is that men cannot show how to navigate through stereotypes against women. Experts say that if there aren’t many female leaders to observe at your place of employment, then young women should join professional organizations to find good leaders and role models. These outside the office settings lets women try new leadership styles which they were not exposed to previously. Inside the office young women should enlist mentors and try to get feedback on their leadership styles and techniques. After every meeting, ask a your mentors what styles worked and what did not. Asking for feedback from a subordinate can be a potential mistake since it can indicate that you as a leader are unsure of yourself – this is a perception all managers try to avoid. In theory, these mentors could be either men or women, but young women should realize that male mentors may not be as aware of the unique challenges young women face in asserting leadership.
Leadership coaches actively encourage young women to take responsibility of their image by showing their activities at work in many thoughtful ways like giving presentations at office meetings. Women shouldn’t be satisfied by simply having their name in an important document. They should engage with superiors and colleagues, and display frequently their research and ideas.
Also young women leaders should ask their superiors to back them when others start having second thoughts about their abilities. Women should always ask their bosses to be ready to explain why they were chosen for this position and what skill set they bring along with them. Unfortunately many young women managers never ask for such support from their superiors.