Use Confident Language That Says, “I Can Do It!”
 
 
The “impostor syndrome” is more prevalent among women than men. You know, it’s that nagging feeling that any minute people will discover that you’re not up to a task. Relax, most of us feel that way when we accept a challenge—even a small one.
 
If you’re a woman, you know how often this self-doubt occupies your mind. It occupies a man’s mind too, but to a lesser extent. And, here’s the important fact, men don’t voice this OUT LOUD. You know what a man says when faced with self-doubt:  Of course, I can do it!
 
Now, the first tip for you is to stop vocalizing your self-doubt. The second tip is to substitute strong words for your weak vocabulary whenever you feel doubt creeping up.

 Be Confident, Cover Your Self-Doubt [4:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Business and Emotions (In Control) Are A Good Mix   

Nearly every female executive I’ve talked with has admitted to crying at work. Their stories usually follow the same pattern. 

They tell me, “I burst into tears—early in my career—and was mortified at what I was doing. I had lost complete control of myself. It didn’t matter what other people thought of me as much as what I thought of myself. I have to make sure this NEVER happens again! “ Then each woman then began to develop her own techniques to put into action whenever she felt this might start happening again. And the good news here is that the high-level executives I talked with said they’ve learned to control this behavior.    I’ll give you 7 steps to follow and a Tip of the Week.

 Is It OK If Big Girls Cry In The Office? [8:27m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

You Have To Resort To Trickery   

There are a few things that all women seem to notice and all men don’t see at all. Alright, alright, I know I can’t say “all.” But it’s pretty nearly “all” whenever I speak to a large group of men and women and I ask this question: “Raise your hand if you’ve been in a meeting when a woman made a suggestion and no one seemed to notice?” Pretty nearly every woman will raise her hand and sadly nod her head—meaning it was her—and the men will be dumbfounded that this is the situation. Honestly women, we can’t blame the men, because they aren’t even aware of this behavior. 

 When Men Won’t Listen To You [4:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Women’s Intuition Is A Valuable Tool  

Research has shown that women can more quickly decipher facial expression, moods, and voice tones. My advice to women is, “Don’t let this intuitive talent go to waste. This is a valuable tool you can use to your advantage in business. Remember that it’s next to impossible to put your intuitive feelings into words, so don’t let others push you into that time-consuming canyon. My Tip of the Week will help with your explanation to others.    

 Women’s Emotional Insight [6:22m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Assertive, Not Aggressive, Works Best For Women
 
 
 Women know how important communication is—and sometimes just knowing that causes a problem. Let’s say you’re anxious about talking with someone under your supervision. He, or she, is not doing the job as you’d like. You need to point out the problems, but you’re worried about coming on too strong—too aggressive, and you’re worried about the employee’s reaction. In a effort to minimize repercussions, we often add a few sentences here . . . and a few sentences there . . . and pretty soon, the message is lost.
 

 Communicate Without Losing Your Authority [5:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Don’t Hurt His Masculinity
 
 
I’ve told you before, women don’t have it easy—it’s not a level playing field out there at work. Men do have it much easier, but that’s no reason to ignore their difficulties! In fact, ignoring their difficulties can cause a world of trouble for you!
 

 Warning For Women Working With Men: Don’t Wound The Bull [5:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Collaboration For Good Leadership
 
 
I’ve been receiving requests for more information on leadership styles for women. Of course, the same leadership style will work no matter if you’re a man or a woman, but the questions have been phrased to indicate many women are not comfortable with the autocratic style of leadership, where the leader dominates the team with a one-sided approach to reach an objective.
 
If you’re not comfortable with that style, there are other choices. Collaboration is one that many women tend toward—what I mean is they can be really, really good at it!

 Leadership Using Collaboration [6:35m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Mars-Venus Stereotypes Are Barriers To Women’s Advancement?
 
“Men and women aren’t planets apart, but their stereotypes sure are!”
                                                                        —Nancy Clark
 
 
In the recent past you could attract a lot of attention by saying women are different, very different, from men. It was a quick jump to assume that women are nurturing, and that maybe men are not—or that women show empathy, and men do not. It has become a sad state of affairs. As with all trends, this one went too far and now it’s time to reconsider.

 Mars-Venus Stereotypes Are Barriers To Women’s Advancement?: Play Now | Play in Popup

Can Television Change Stereotypes?

In the US there are two weekly shows competing for the popular television audience: Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle. They have a bit of something for everyone—which is what, I guess, is needed to catch people’s attention in the television market. They also have something in common—they both show executives who are women—women who can take charge.   

 Should We Thank Cashmere Mafia & Lipstick Jungle? [4:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

Do We Still Have A Glass Ceiling Because of Stereotypes?   

I think we have a problem at work, but just in case I’m exaggerating, I’ll give you the statistics and let you decide.  In the beginning, or at least for a very long time, women have been 51% of the population. In 1950 women made up only 29% of the workforce. Today women are half our workforce (46.5% to be exact). Half of our midlevel managers are women—that sounds fair to me. But, and here’s the big but, women are only 15% of the top two tiers in the Fortune 500. So let’s do the math: Men are 85% and women are 15%. That’s a huge difference—discrepancy—handicap. At least in my mind it is. How do you feel about this? (Your comments are important to me.)  What do you surmise is the reason for the 85-15 Handicap? 

 How Bad Is The Gender Gap At Work? [7:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup