TechHR
ex
L&D
UNPLUGGED
Sphere
About Us • Contact Us
People Matters ANZ
People Matters Logo
Login / Signup
People Matters Logo
Login / Signup
  • Current
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Magazine
  • Research
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Podcast

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

 

 

  • HotTopic
    HR Folk Talk FutureProofHR
  • Strategy
    Leadership Csuite StrategicHR EmployeeRelations BigInterview
  • Recruitment
    Employer Branding Appointments Permanent Hiring Recruitment
  • Performance
    Skilling PerformanceMgmt Compensation Benefits L&D Employee Engagement
  • Culture
    Culture Life@Work Diversity Watercooler SheMatters
  • Tech
    Technology HR Technology Funding & Investment Startups Metaverse
  • About Us
  • Advertise with us
  • Become a sponsor
  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • Write For Us

Follow us:

Privacy Policy • Terms of Use

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

People Matters Logo
  • Current
  • Top Stories
  • News
  • Magazine
  • Research
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Webinars
  • Podcast
Login / Signup

Categories:

  • HotTopic
    HR Folk Talk FutureProofHR
  • Strategy
    Leadership Csuite StrategicHR EmployeeRelations BigInterview
  • Recruitment
    Employer Branding Appointments Permanent Hiring Recruitment
  • Performance
    Skilling PerformanceMgmt Compensation Benefits L&D Employee Engagement
  • Culture
    Culture Life@Work Diversity Watercooler SheMatters
  • Tech
    Technology HR Technology Funding & Investment Startups Metaverse
Cultivate your inner power to become a better leader

Story • 12th Mar 2022 • 3 Min Read

Cultivate your inner power to become a better leader

Leadership#GuestArticle#BreaktheBias

Author: Anjali Mahajan Anjali Mahajan
12.9K Reads
The phrase ‘Leaders are born, not made’ may not hold true for many of the leaders we know of, or work with.

Today, we see many instances of women breaking the proverbial “glass ceiling”, across their professional and personal lives. Moreover, women leaders are more likely to be transformational, empathetic, function as role models for peers and subordinates, be good mentors and coaches and authentic communicators. Also, according to Hay Group (division of Korn Ferry) women score 86% higher than men in emotional self-awareness. It is also a well-known fact that organizations that have gender-balanced teams and women in leadership positions also have a more flexible and empathic work culture that relates to all of the organization’s stakeholders - the diverse customers, employees, and partners. 

However, while organizations are increasingly carrying out their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies, laying down policies and strategies to empower women across all levels within the organization to grow – the ability to be the change, to have the power to lead, must come from within.

The Power to Lead Must Come from Within – How?

The phrase ‘Leaders are born, not made’ may not hold true for many of the leaders we know of, or work with. The converse of this statement, however, does hold true. Leaders are not born but are made through the constant and consistent hard work and zeal to succeed, supported by guidance by the right kind of people surrounding them. Thus, in order to master self-leadership, one has to focus on certain aspects. 

First, Know yourself. Ask yourself as an individual, what do you want from yourself? – as a human being first, not as a wife or daughter or mother or as a professional. Once you have the answer to that, you have the clarity of the direction you want to take in your life. Here, be honest to yourself in following what you truly wish to be or do. Follow the callings of your heart and do what you feel is right for you rather than what is expected from you.

The second aspect involves remembering your dreams and aspirations before you were given all the relationship titles of wife, mother, etc., and the responsibilities that came with those. You need to go back to those times when your only focus in life was to study science to become a doctor or an engineer or to start your own technology firm. And from there, start articulating new dreams based on your new realities.

Last, but definitely not the least, is to evaluate your options, priorities in life very carefully before taking any life-altering decisions. Many times, women quit their jobs because they feel that they are unable to give time and attention to their family, their children, only to regret the decision later in life. This can lead to blame games and discord in one’s relationships.

Roadmap to Cultivate the Inner Power to Become a Better Leader

This process of self-empowerment cannot happen in a completely controlled environment nor in isolation. It is a part of the self-actualisation process that happens almost synchronously with the events and lessons one learns from the external environment one exists in. Thus, it happens at two levels: organizational level and individual level.

At organizational level: Over the recent years, organizations have deepened their focus towards establishing robust and sustainable Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) strategies and are making conscious efforts to support women across the hierarchy to grow both professionally and as individuals. Some of the policies and initiatives here include mentoring and coaching of women by women leaders, re- and up-skilling to expand their expertise, second career options to those returning to work, female-centric networking groups, flexi-work models, provision of childcare at office site, sabbaticals due to family commitment/crisis, etc. 

At individual level: The change has to come from within to break through the stereotyping and challenging the traditional molds. To do so, women need to be a judge of their own destiny, choose the career path they want, even if it means starting afresh in a completely new industry or profile. Also, they need to raise their voices to be heard and seen and break the myths that they do not possess the requisite qualities of being an effective leader. They must find like-minded people who can guide, mentor, and support them in their professional journey. An important task here is for women to know when to draw the line between professional and personal obligations to ensure that one does not have an adverse impact on the other. Here, it is imperative to be clear and open about their aspirations with their family members who can be one of the strongest support systems in helping one achieve their goals, no matter how hard it may be.

To sum up…

It is important for women to understand that power to lead or power to change lies within themselves. They should not worry about living up to other’s expectations of them but focus on their own dreams and ambitions, while finding a balance between their personal and professional lives. In short, they must stand up for what they believe in and be the change they want to see.

 
Read More

Did you find this article helpful?


You Might Also Like

Did Microsoft's leadership let Skype crumble?

STORY • 6th May 2025 • 3 Min Read

Did Microsoft's leadership let Skype crumble?

LeadershipTechnologyBusiness#HRTech#HRCommunity
The trust factor: What leaders should know

STORY • 29th Apr 2025 • 5 Min Read

The trust factor: What leaders should know

LeadershipExecutive EducationTalent Management
Leading the way to a sustainable tomorrow

STORY • 22nd Apr 2025 • 3 Min Read

Leading the way to a sustainable tomorrow

Leadership#ESG#WorldEarthDay
NEXT STORY: 4 campus recruitment best practices to increase candidate diversity

Trending Stories

  • design-thinking-hr

    Skype is dead: Did Microsoft's leadership let a billion-doll...

  • design-thinking-hr

    Keeping the C-suite in the C-suite - how do we reduce execut...

  • design-thinking-hr

    Return to office: the legalities

  • design-thinking-hr

    The trust factor: Why modern leaders can’t afford to overl...

People Matters Logo

Follow us:

Join our mailing list:

By clicking “Subscribe” button above, you are accepting our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Company:

  • About Us
  • Advertise with us
  • Become a sponsor
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use

Contact:

  • Contact Us
  • Feedback
  • Write For Us

© Copyright People Matters Media Pte. Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

Get the latest Articles, Insight, News & Trends from the world of Talent & Work. Subscribe now!
People Matters Logo

Welcome Back!

or

Enter your registered email address to login

Not a user yet? Lets get you signed up!

A 5 digit OTP has been sent to your email address.

This is so we know it's you. Haven't received it yet? Resend the email or then change your email ID.

People Matters Logo

Welcome! Let's get you signed up...

Starting with the absolulte basics.

Already a user? Go ahead and login!

A 5 digit OTP has been sent to your email address.

This is so we know it's you. Haven't received it yet? Resend the email or then change your email ID.

Let's get to know you better

We'll never share your details with anyone, pinky swear.

And lastly...

Your official designation and company name.