If speaking up for yourself at work feels a little awkward, you’re not alone. Maybe you’ve done something amazing but downplayed it like it was no big deal. Or you’ve needed support, but convinced yourself now wasn’t the “right time” to ask. Sound familiar? Let’s talk about two essential career skills that often get a
Have you ever found yourself saying "yes" to a project when your plate was already overflowing? Or apologizing profusely before declining a meeting? If you're nodding along (or maybe even wincing a little), welcome to the club! As women leaders, many of us have earned black belts in the martial art of stretching ourselves too
"Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes." - Oscar Wilde (who clearly made enough mistakes to know what he was talking about) Let me tell you about my recent Zoom fail. There I was, delivering what I thought was a brilliant workshop on executive presence, when a participant kindly messaged me: "Deb, we
Wendy. Leslie. The other Leslie. Michael. Ellen. Signy. Priya. Ben. Mark. Juliann. Every female leader needs a support system to thrive – and those names represent (a subset of) my support system. I'm talking about our own personal cheerleading squad - the unsung heroes who have our backs, lift us up, and help us soar
You know, those gut-wrenching moments when a project flops, a promotion slips away, or a client takes their business elsewhere? I do. We all do. And bouncing back from setbacks can be extra challenging for women. No, it's not just in our heads. Research shows that we often face higher scrutiny and harsher judgment for
Saying "no" at work can feel harder than solving a Rubik's cube blindfolded while riding a unicycle on a tightrope. Research shows that women struggle more than men to say no, especially in the workplace. A study by Stanford professor Laurie Rudman found that when women declined requests, they were perceived as "less likable" and
As women, we bring something special to the leadership table, especially when it comes to handling conflict. The Center for Creative Leadership found that we're 40% more likely to use collaborative approaches during disputes and 35% more likely to seek understanding before taking action. I know I strive for this with clients and colleagues (and
As women, we face a unique challenge when it comes to public speaking: the double bind of being expected to project both authority and warmth, confidence and relatability. It's an unfair and often unconscious bias, but one that can leave us feeling like we're constantly walking a tightrope between being "too much" and "not enough."
