SEIZE THE OPPORTUNITY

It’s impossible to respect, value, and admire great leadership if you can’t identify what makes a leader great. Because of this, the identity crisis that
exists in today’s workplace is something that women leaders in particular have been facing for much too long. While the tide is changing and more women are being elevated into leadership roles, there is still much work to do. As of July 2013, there were only 18 female elected presidents and prime ministers in power around the globe. In the business world, women currently hold only 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEO positions and the same percentage of Fortune 1000 CEO positions. As women continue their upward trajectory in the business world, they have yet to be fully appreciated for the unique qualities and abilities they bring to the workplace.

Competitiveness amongst themselves may really be about looking for validation — an identity that matters and a voice that is heard. Successful
women leaders don’t rely on favors; they earn respect and truly believe they can influence their own advancement by serving others. Consummate team players, they also seek to prove their value and self-worth by exceeding performance expectations. Looking for respect more than recognition, the most successful women leaders don’t seek to become the star of the show — but they enable others to create a great show. In other words, being in the spotlight is not what drives them – but rather it’s the ability to influence positive outcomes with maximum impact.

One thing is certain: women leaders understand survival, renewal, and reinvention. They have grit and are not afraid to fight for what they believe in or an opportunity to achieve something of significance. They believe in what they stand for, but that doesn’t mean they won’t put their ideas and ideals to the test. For them, doing more with less is simply a matter of knowing how to strategically activate those around them.

While women leaders have their productivity secrets, it’s not secret where they come from: the leadership traits that women leaders naturally possess are the most undervalued.

EMBRACE THE APPROACH

The dive-in-principle is not about being overly aggressive or focused on self-promotion. It’s more the opposite. Diving-in is when you know that each
decision you make towards being your most authentic self can potentially be that defining moment in your career that propels you forward as you reach for success and significance. Diving-in is about trusting yourself enough and making that conscious choice to enable your most natural skills and characteristics to build momentum for your personal brand.

Mastery of the dive-in principle helps you avoid the traps of workplace politics, complacency and fear – as you learn to channel your awareness, instincts and natural capabilities to most effectively see, sow, grow and share the opportunities before you. The best women leaders are opportunity experts who take action to seize the opportunities that are right in front of them. Unfortunately, opportunities seen are not always sown because we spend too much time doubting ourselves, searching for validation and/or lack the confidence to be accountable — thus losing momentum and valuable time in the process.

When you don’t dive in, others will force their way upon you and this is when your personal brand becomes most vulnerable to risk or failure. When you learn how to dive-in you gain a clear line of sight that enables you to influence growth, innovation and opportunities – because you can now see “beyond the obvious” and beneath and around workplace conversations and other employee engagement dynamics. You are now in a powerful position to develop and live your personal brand at full strength.

When you dive-in, it’s a commitment to self-discovery – a journey of defining yourself as a leader and how this will shape the manner in which you will serve others by consistently elevating your natural skill sets, capabilities, and industry know-how. When you dive-in, you are not only doing it for your own advancement but equally for the betterment of others – employees, clients, industry, board members, community, etc. Diving-in is not about self-promotion – but about how you consciously and strategically manage your personal brand as a leader and as a great role model, mentor, and “platform” that both women and men can depend upon.

The dive-in principle is centered on the following six fundamental truths – GLG’s six characteristics that define the 21st century leader – that will enable women to reach their full potential in their quest to discover their defining moment and desired leadership influence in the workplace. Each characteristic serves as a tool that allows you to measure your ability to manage your personal brand and course correct along the way. To naturally thrive as a leader, you must become more aware of the following six characteristics – that come most naturally to you – in order for your personal brand to awaken to its full potential.

Characteristics

See Opportunity in Everything Characteristics – Live With an Entrepreneurial Spirit

Anticipate the Unexpected – Work With a Generous Purpose

Unleash Your Passionate Pursuits – Lead to Leave a Legacy