Leading Women

Question

Power.  What is your initial thought when you hear or read the word, POWER?  Honestly?  My career goals include rising to Manage several groups of people and while leading is a primary characteristic of a Manager, I find that the word POWER seems to throw women off.  As a Manager, you are in a position of power.  You have to conduct yourself in a way that demands attention, respect and authority-be a powerful figure.  Are we moving in the direction to be more confident in our POWER?

aspoonmore · Answer

Like many words, POWER depends on what you do with it.  The word prompts negative thoughts, using power to raise the one over the many.

But I like to think about how to use Power and Position for good.  It was within my power to develop the members of my team, to streamline the processes that were cumbersome, to determine strategic direction to provide better customer service.  I had the power to reward strong contributions differentially, and provide clear messages to those who needed to up their game - and what the expectations were in that context.

Leadership, for me, is using the power and influence earned to improve that which needs to be improved, protect the stuff that is essential for success, and recognize strengths for future growth.  Power is what you do with it.

GirlBossanova484665 · Answer

We, who? The concept of power, and calling it by its name, does not throw me off in the least, but I know what you mean. I led, managed, supervised, hired and fired creative teams for 20 years. Now I find myself at the bottom of the heap, bc I dropped out and ran away to the woods for a few years. In any case, the hardest part of accepting power in the corporate sense is that it requires being the Bad Guy.  Or Bad Gal. It means holding people accountable and taking them to task. Sounds punitive, and sometimes it really is. The key is to set the bar high, offer rewards both seen ($$$$) and unseen (XOXO), call out misses and fails very early in the process, and attach consequences to actions. Women seem to struggle with being unpopular more than men do in management roles. But to wield power, you cannot expect to be everybody's pal (see: Michael Scott).

Katie Henderson Ladyboss752675 · Answer

Good advice above, IMHO. Just don't confuse the love of power with the power of love. You'll be ok.

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