The women in leadership session by Rebecca Shambaugh was one of my favorite sessions during Learning 2021 last year, so I did not hesitate when I saw her colleague Kerry will be presenting this year! Powerful message and important takeaways.
108 Expand the Lens of Leadership: The Opportunity for Women to Rise
Speaker: Kerry Preston, Senior Facilitator & Executive Coach, SHAMBAUGH Leadership
My takeaways:
- Excellence does not equal perfection. You do not need to be A+ in everything (tell this to my Asian parents LOL!). Identify areas that you are willing to be a B. Practice self compassion.
- “As you rise, may you lift…” Champion others. Bring others along. As women leaders, we can start shaping culture. Pull up a chair, invite others to dance. Make others feel comfortable and that they belong.
- Thoughts -> Feelings -> Actions -> Results. Reframe those disempowering thoughts we have into empowering thoughts.
- Related to #2 and #3, when we notice disempowering thoughts in others, support them to help them see the other side!
- “May I suggest that instead of saying you’re busy…that you are in high demand?”
- “I’m noticing that…”
Other notes:
- Why now? The opportunity is here today, as we come out of the COVID tunnel. The lens of leadership is changing rapidly.
- Reframe: “I’m so busy” vs. “I’m in high demand”
- Why is there a “leaky pipe”?
- Stories in our head. Thinking matters.
- Access to relationships
- Ladder of Interference (what we see + our lens/upbringing/bias = our interpretation)
- What else could be true?
- What are we actually seeing (what can be captured on camera?)
- What assumptions are you making?
- What to do as women leaders?
- Starts with illuminating YOUR light, to light up those around you.
- Be more of who you are naturally. Authenticity.
- Instead of just feedback, feed forward as well. Share your expectations.
- QTIP – quit taking it personally.
- Cognitive diversity. Talk to the person that irritates you and see their perspective.
