Picture this: You’re about to lead a major presentation, and you’re doing that thing I call the “Professional Woman’s Pre-Meeting Meditation.” You know the one – where you’re mentally rehearsing how to sound confident (but not bossy), friendly (but not frivolous), and authoritative (but not aggressive). Oh, and don’t forget to smile! But not too much.
Is your head spinning yet? Mine too.
My client Sarah is a brilliant VP of Operations who recently told me, “I feel like I’m always either the Ice Queen or the Office Mom – there’s no in-between!” Meanwhile, her male colleague Bart regularly shows up to meetings in a hoodie, talks in sports metaphors, and is praised for being “authentic.”
