The Power Of Leadership: 3 Key Behaviors
Cheryl Perkins
2021 Women’s Leadership Conference Breakout Speaker
For a long time, a woman’s career success was defined by how well she adapted to the male-dominated culture and business practices in her industry. As we work to elevate women in the workforce, it’s important to recognize the key behaviors of powerful and influential female leaders. Understanding these behaviors and incorporating them in your own practice can help you redefine what being a female leader means to you and propel you forward in your career.
Although there are many behaviors that can empower female leaders to achieve their goals, motivate their team, and create long-term, sustainable growth, in this article I’ll be sharing three of my favorites along with some journal prompts you can use to reflect on your leadership.
A Clear Vision & Persistence
Leaders who are successful know that nothing good comes easy. You must be willing to put up a good fight and be persistent to reach your goals — and you must know which battles are worth fighting so you spend your time, energy, and resources wisely. Female leaders who have a strategic plan and a clear vision for their future are often more successful because they can determine whether a decision will propel them toward their goals or push them farther away. This dedication to a specific vision helps guide them on their career journey.
While many companies have a mission or vision statement, developing your own personal vision statement as a leader can help you align your actions, words, and decisions with your core values to achieve your entrepreneurial dreams. Here are some questions you can reflect on or journal about to help you identify your vision statement as a leader:
What motivates or inspires you to take action as a leader?
What other leaders do you look up to and why do you admire them?
What qualities or achievements do you want to be remembered for as a leader?
A Commitment To Self-Growth
Leadership is a journey, and effective women entrepreneurs know this. They are committed to a life of constant learning, self-growth, and improvement. These women evaluate their progress continuously and are open to making the necessary changes to succeed. They don’t shy away from direct feedback or criticism. Instead, they take it with a grain of salt and seek to find valuable nuggets of truth that they can learn from. They also understand that their cup is never quite full, — even the best leaders don’t have the right answers to every question — but this doesn’t stop them from seeking knowledge and honing their skill sets.
Successful leaders keep studying and learning so they can adapt swiftly to changes in their industry and the marketplace. They may read industrial journals, books, and magazines, attend seminars, or take courses to continue pushing the boundaries of what they are capable of. Here are some journal prompts you can use to identify opportunities to grow as a leader:
What feedback have you recently received from a colleague, team member, employee, or professional that you didn’t want to hear? Reflecting on this feedback now, was there any validity to it?
How have you grown as a leader so far this year? What new skills, qualities, or opportunities have you cultivated?
How can you push yourself out of your comfort zone to grow as a leader this month?
Strong Support System
Successful female entrepreneurs nurture their personal and professional relationships. They strive to surround themselves with people who are encouraging, uplifting, and insightful. They also remove unnecessary negativity from their lives wherever they can.
By building a network of other strong women, you can develop supportive relationships with professionals who you may confide in, learn from, and collaborate with. Seek opportunities to meet with new people and network with other entrepreneurs to widen your social circle. Here are some journal prompts you can use to assess your current support system and identify opportunities to grow your circle:
Make a list of the people in your support system. Then, review the list to identify how many people you have in your personal support system and how many people you have in your professional support system. Is there room for one (or both) of these areas to grow?
Review your list again. This time, ask yourself if there are any relationships that need nurturing. Who haven’t you spoken with in a while? Try to engage in a meaningful conversation with them this month.
What is one thing you can do this month to expand your support system?
When women lean into their strengths as leaders, everyone benefits. Pushing the boundaries of what leadership looks like by embracing the female perspective and empowering other marginalized groups drives innovation, improves organizational strategies, and creates a more inclusive workplace. As you continue developing as a leader throughout your career, revisiting these journal prompts can help you track your progress, reevaluate your approach, and reflect on your victories.
If you’re interested in learning more about other key leadership behaviors of successful women that can empower you to create lasting change, join me at this year’s Women’s Leadership Conference on Thursday, October 7th at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. I’ll be hosting a breakout session on Leadership Behaviors That Will Transform Your Career at this year’s event. You can also follow me on LinkedIn and Twitter (@CherylPerkins) to keep up with the latest trends in innovation, business strategy, consumer goods, and leadership.