Reclaim Your Voice: Tips for Women at Work

Reclaim Your Voice_ Tips for Women at Work

Women in business have made significant strides over the past few decades, but there is still a long way to go. Many women struggle to have their voices heard in the workplace. In fact, a study found that only 8% of women find it easy to make their voices heard at work. and this can lead to missed opportunities and feelings of frustration and disempowerment. The good news is that there are steps women can take to reclaim their voices and assert themselves in the workplace. In this article, we explore some tips for women to help them speak up and be heard.

Stop Worrying About Being Liked

One of the most common reasons women hold back in the workplace is the fear of being seen as too assertive. As a result, many women opted to be intentionally invisible and avoided conflict with their colleagues. Consequently, they often ended up feeling well-liked but underappreciated. Women are often socialized to be people-pleasers, which can lead to a reluctance to assert themselves or speak up in a way that might upset others. To reclaim your voice, you must stop worrying about being liked and focus on being respected. This means being willing to take a stand, even if it means disagreeing with others or pushing back against the status quo. Remember, you don’t need to be liked by everyone to be successful.

Prepare What to Say and When

Another tip for women to reclaim their voices is to prepare what they want to say and when. This can be especially helpful in situations where there is a power dynamic at play, such as during a meeting with a boss or a client. By preparing what you want to say ahead of time, you can ensure that you get your point across and don’t get derailed by nerves or other distractions. It’s also important to think about when you want to speak up – waiting for the right moment can make all the difference in how your message is received. Remember, preparation is key to feeling confident and in control.

Build Good Relationships With Your Peers

Building good relationships with your peers is another key to reclaiming your voice. When you have strong relationships with your colleagues, you are more likely to feel comfortable speaking up and sharing your ideas. This can help to build a culture of collaboration and respect, which benefits everyone in the workplace. Take the time to get to know your coworkers and build relationships based on trust and mutual respect. Remember, good relationships are a two-way street – be willing to offer support and help to your colleagues as well.

Build Confidence With Our Empowered Mindset Workshop

Finally, one of the best ways for women to build confidence and reclaim their voices is to attend an Empowered Mindset Workshop. These workshops are designed to help women step into their power and develop the skills and mindset needed to thrive in the workplace. 

Corporate Class Inc.   I notice you never put a period after Inc … is there a reason?  offers an online or in-person Empowered Mindset Workshop to help women become more confident in their ability to speak up and be heard. The workshop is crafted to transform your perception, challenge your self-knowledge, and broaden your network by facilitating a collaborative environment. The interactive coaching sessions, incorporating neuroleadership’s scientific approaches, aim to generate tangible outcomes. 

In addition to our Empowered Mindset Workshop, we also offer a Women in Leadership Masterclass. This highly customizable and transformative 2-day program has been delivered to women in various Fortune 500 companies. The workshop is designed to be inclusive and interactive, providing participants with the tools they need to own their voice, project confidence, overcome barriers, advance their careers, and much more.

Contact us to learn more about our workshops and coaching for women in business.

Gender and Leadership: The Role Gender Plays

Gender and Leadership

Gender should not play a role in leadership because the most critical factor in effective leadership is a person’s ability to inspire, motivate, and guide a team toward a common goal. These skills and qualities are not limited to one gender, and anyone has the potential to be a strong and effective leader. It is essential to focus on an individual’s skills, experience, and suitability for the role rather than their gender.

In this blog post, we’ll cover why women are often overlooked as leaders in the workplace and the importance of female leaders. 

Women Are Under-Recognized in the Workplace

There are many reasons why women are considered underrecognized in the workplace. One reason is the gender pay gap, which refers to the difference in pay between men and women performing the same job. This pay gap exists in many countries worldwide and can be caused by various factors, including discrimination and biases against women. Another reason is the need for more representation of women in leadership positions. Despite making up half of the workforce, women are still underrepresented in top leadership roles, making it harder for them to be recognized for their contributions.

Additionally, unconscious biases can play a role in the underrecognition of women in the workplace. These biases can lead to women being overlooked for promotions or not being given the same opportunities as their male counterparts. It’s important to recognize and address these issues to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace.

Gender and Characteristics for Leadership

Leadership is a trait that is not limited to a specific gender. Both men and women can exhibit strong leadership qualities and be successful leaders. However, research has shown that particular leadership characteristics are more commonly associated with one gender over another when both genders have the capacity to exhibit these traits. For example, men are often seen as more decisive and confident, while women are viewed as more collaborative and empathetic. It is essential to recognize that these characteristics are not exclusive to one gender and that anyone can possess and cultivate these traits to become an effective leader. It is also important to strive for diversity and inclusivity in leadership, as having a range of perspectives and experiences can lead to better collaboration, more decisive and innovative decision-making, and better outcomes.

Does Gender Matter When It Comes to Leadership? 

When it comes to leadership, the most crucial factor is a person’s ability to inspire, motivate, and guide a team toward a common goal. The most influential leaders are those who can adapt their style and approach to suit the needs of their team and the situation at hand. Gender should not be a determining factor in one’s ability to lead, as any person, regardless of their gender, has the potential to be a strong and effective leader. It is essential for organizations to focus on an individual’s skills, experience, and suitability for the role rather than their gender.

Why Having Women in Leadership Is Important

Having women in leadership positions is vital for several reasons. First, diversity in leadership leads to better decision-making and problem-solving, as a range of perspectives and experiences are brought to the table. This can lead to more innovative and effective solutions. Additionally, having women in leadership positions is an inspiration for other women, breaking down barriers and negative stereotypes that may prevent women from pursuing leadership roles. As a result, It is essential for organizations to strive for gender parity in leadership to ensure that all voices and perspectives are heard and represented. 

Want to create a more inclusive and diverse workplace?

Invest in team workshops!

Corporate Class offers diversity and inclusion training workshops where our expert facilitators work with your organization to deliver high-impact content tailored to your business. 

Additionally, Corporate Class offers a 2-day, customizable executive presence workshop for women. Here, participants will learn how to own their voice, project confidence, rise above barriers, and much more. 

Contact the experts at Corporate Class to learn more about our workshops that will help you break down barriers and biases around gender and leadership!

The Top 3 Tips for Emerging Female Leaders

The Top 3 Tips for Emerging Female Leaders

Emerging female leaders face challenges that male leaders don’t face. Discover the top three tips for emerging female leaders here.

1. Practice Resilience

Life has a habit of throwing us curveballs. Despite the best laid plans, everyone goes through ups and downs – from everyday struggles to catastrophic incidents that reverberate longer-term. Every shift has a different impact on people, bringing with it a unique set of perceptions, powerful emotions, and uncertainties. While these difficulties are undoubtedly painful and challenging, they do not have to define you.

As defined by psychologists, resilience is the capacity to handle difficulties mentally or emotionally and quickly return to pre-crisis status. By readily overcoming the stress of tragedy and trauma, adversity, threats, or failure, resilient women not only recover, but often emerge stronger on the other side.

While there is a genetic predisposition to resilience, psychologists have noticed various characteristics common to resilient people, including:

  • Optimism and a positive outlook
  • An internal locus of control – belief that you are the author of your destiny.
  • The ability to regulate emotions
  • The capacity to view failure as valuable feedback.

Follow these best practices to develop your resilience:

  1. Beat the negative impact of stress with good nutrition, sufficient sleep, regular exercise, and mindfulness or other spiritual practices. Building your body’s reserves helps you avoid unhealthy outlets such as drugs and alcohol.
  2. Develop and nurture relationships with people who are trustworthy and kind and who acknowledge your feelings.
  3. Practice introspection and emotional intelligence. Be proactive in looking for ways to deal with the issue, learn from your past behavior, and constantly refer to your moral compass and personal values.

2. Have Humility

Not to be confused with being meek, submissive, or lacking self-confidence, humility is “absence of vanity or excessive pride”. As part of a leadership style, humility is an attribute of great leaders.

The positive impact of female leaders redirecting positive attention from themselves to the performance of the team inspires increased employee engagement, greater job satisfaction, and lower staff turnover rates. These successful leaders treat everyone with respect, admit their mistakes, share the credit for successes, and grow by learning from what others have to offer.

If one of your professional goals as part of the next generation of women leaders is to heighten your humility, here is an action plan:

  • Listen. Spend time actively listening to others. Be open-minded and curious rather than protective of your point of view. Not only will others feel heard and valued, but you will also gain a better understanding of organizational needs. Hearing the insights of your team members will help you to make better decisions about performance and new opportunities.
  • Acknowledge. Gratitude lets you channel your drive back into the organization and leads to an optimistic, humble state of being.
  • Ask. Humility includes acknowledging that you don’t have all the answers. Women leaders who are humble ask for help, are open to innovative solutions, and seek feedback regarding their performance. This further serves as inspiration for a culture of personal development in the workplace.
  • Reflect. Review your actions to keep yourself in check. Those in top leadership positions are often mentors and coaches. You may find yourself slipping into those roles in situations when allowing rather than pushing would be more appropriate.
  • Accept. Women’s leadership ambitions focus on constant improvement. As valuable as that is, there is also a need to accept what is without judgement. Move from “seeking approval to seeking enlightenment”. Only once you dispassionately recognize your strengths and weaknesses can you appreciate and dovetail the competence and contributions of peers and employees.

3. Play to Your Strengths (Not Your Weaknesses)

Following on from the last action above, berating yourself for your shortcomings is counterproductive. But that does not mean that you shouldn’t strive to do better.

Globally, business leaders agree that focusing all your energy on fixing your weaknesses is a distracting and frustrating use of your time. Identifying what strengthens you and then cultivating your strengths will empower you. Playing to your strengths helps you to flourish and build a successful career in your leadership role.

If you want to step into your power with confidence, join fellow emerging female leaders for our Women in Leadership Masterclass. Contact Corporate Class Inc. for more information.