On the blog Professional Development Perspectives, Dr. Cindy Pladziewicz posted a profile of "a field guide for women leaders" written by Anne Doyle. In the book, Powering Up, Doyle interviewed 125 women leaders in business to get input on how they achieved their positions. The key findings are valuable advice for young women lawyers to begin to practice.
How do women achievers become leaders? Doyle's research suggests seven components:
- Discover your purpose. Know who you are, whom and what you care about deeply and lead from that awareness.
- Raise your voice. Get past your fears, especially of criticism from others, polish up your communications skills and share your vision.
- Break the rules. Doyle says that women leaders break the rules, but they do that with skill and knowledge.
- Claim power. Don't wait for someone to give you power. You have to claim it.
- Drink at dangerous waters. Travel, spend time with diverse people, interact with your rivals and take risks. According to Doyle, it is in these "dangerous waters" that leadership is forged.
- Get back in the saddle. Welcome and learn from setbacks and keep moving.
- Embrace the strength of your "womaninity." To fully understand this concept, you need to read the book. But here's the gist: Effective women leaders don't try to be one of the guys. Rather they "relax into their own skin" and bring to the leadership table their unique skills and strengths. They often approach things differently than the guys would, but are equally or more effective.
