Cracking the Code: Unveiling the Patterns of Successful Women Leaders

It is a different trajectory for men and women when it comes to career progression. Gender Equality is still a goal to be reached in many organizations and so even today the way a woman navigates her career varies to her male counterpart.

In my leadership mentoring work with successful female leaders and interactions with women holding leadership roles in organizations, I have come across some common patterns which have been present in these women. The patterns have enabled these women to be where they are and become who they always wanted to become as leaders.

Sharing a few here for you to know you are not alone, even these women felt the baggage of gender inhibitors. What created a difference was how they navigated their gender inhibitors.

Patterns of Successful Women Leaders:

Asking for help
These women asked for help at home and at work with lesser guilt and shame. They created a support system especially at home so that they could focus on their career without the burden of guilt. It takes a village to raise a child. However in today's context, this village is not 'free'. These women ensured they had the resources to pay for this 'village' and not feel alone in their motherhood journey leaving behind work which they loved so dearly. They built a system where judgement of the society did not affect them. The foundation of their progress was working on the guilt, shame and judgement which comes up when you make work a priority along with raising a family.

Treated career as a tree rather than a ladder
These women are proficient with the so called 'male' domains - understanding finance, technology and business skills. When you treat your career as a tree, you grow sideways first and then upwards. This sideways growth may mean upskilling in a way which is not just your domain rather holistic skills required to succeed as a leader. These women were not afraid to follow non-linear unpopular paths to success.

How they made their team members feel
As a leader, these women believed 'The most important thing is the impact you have on the teams you lead.' They did not focus only on the impact in terms of numbers, but also how their team members felt after going home at the end of a working day.

Sticking to their feminine power
Most of these women stuck to their inherent style of leadership as a woman rather than mimic a male counterpart. Empathy and Emotional Intelligence are the greatest strengths exhibited by these women leaders.

Trust
Their career was built on trust. They built trust with their team, their clients and their boss. Honesty and transparency were key ingredients of their journey upward.

What has differentiated these leaders from the rest of the crowd is mainly owning themselves proudly in who they are rather than following someone blindly. This has been the litmus test.

As you read through this piece, think about some of the women leaders that have influenced you and your career progression journey. What according to you made them successful leaders? And most importantly, how did they make you feel?

How do you want to shape your leadership journey from here?

Much love,
Pradnya 

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