How to Lead Assertively and Effectively

I recently spoke with a coaching client, Rosa, who is the executive vice president of  finance for a large corporation, about how to share her experiences with other women in her organization so they can develop their own success strategy.

She needs to articulate not only her strategic process but also her mindset in breaking through other people’s biases that could be obstacles to success.

Rosa talked with me about other people’s perceptions of women who had power and were extremely assertive. She said that like any good leader of any gender, it was important to develop relationships with her peers and employees and build trust.

“I didn’t back down around people who had issues with me being such a strong woman. However, I learned how to get what I needed done, by sharing with others why it was important to the team and the whole organization.  If I made it personal, they would fall back on gender stereotypes to justify their resistance. By including them in the “Why,” they had a stake in contributing to a successful outcome.”

Rosa said that too often women let  themselves be intimidated or so worried about being called the “b word,” that they try instead to be “nice,”  outline their leadership role too vaguely, or just become ineffective.

Her message to other women is to know what you want from your team, let them know why, and give them the power to get their work done in ways that work best for them.

-Simma Lieberman, "The Inclusionist"
Career Coach
www.simmalieberman.com