career DEVELOPMENT
10 Secrets for Women Leaders to Increase Visibility and Credibility
By Lynn Matlock Hicks
Not only is the work interesting and chal- lenging, but you are impacting the direc- tion of many people and the direction of your company.
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Secret #1 -- Build networks internally and externally This is one area that is a derailer for
many mid-level management individuals who don’t take this seriously. It is impor- tant to build networks internally to devel- op allies and externally to increase your value to the company. You may think you don’t have time, but it can actually save you time when you need to call on that ally for support on a big project with a tight deadline. The higher up you go in an organization, the more important it is for you to have strong networks. At higher levels, the emphasis of work is done more through people and your ability to effec- tively influence and communicate with others.
People with large networks can easily
access and receive timely, useful informa- tion to help them accomplish their goals. It is best to identify individuals where there is a mutually beneficial relationship based on common goals and interests. Who are two or three people you need to develop a stronger relationship with?
Secret #2 -- Sell yourself effectively, not aggressively One of the things I see over and over
again with women is how they undervalue their achievements and they believe that their good works will be obvious. Or, they think: “this is easy and anyone with half a brain could do this.” Many women
54 PROFESSIONAL WOMAN’S MULTICULTURAL MAGAZINE
eing a leader must be one of the most rewarding careers you can ever do.
do not see their key productive strengths and talents. Women need to learn how to first see their strengths and second effec- tively sell themselves and how their spe- cific accomplishments connect to the business drivers. Identify two or three of your key ac- complishments. What strengths and skills can you identify from these accomplish- ments? See the full report for tips on how to identify your strengths and effectively sell yourself.
Secret #3 -- Select a mentor within your company
This is a very important one! Don’t wait on the company to institute a pro- gram or if there is one and you’re not part of it, then seek out individuals you value and begin to build a relationship. This may be more critical for a woman’s suc- cess than it is for her male colleagues. In a study of individuals who made it into the senior ranks of organizations, the au- thors of Breaking the Glass Ceiling found that only 38% of successful men had men- tors, but all of the women executives had them. A mentor can give you advice on what you need to do next in your career to move forward, how to get visibility and recogni- tion, and how to play the game of your particular organization. A mentor can en- courage you to take more risks and be an advocate for you in those closed door meetings at the executive level.
Secret #4 -- Ask for the stretch assignments
Women must often explicitly signal
their interest and willingness to take on unusual or challenging assignments. Oth- erwise, managers may assume they are
CELEBRATING 11 YEARS OF DIVERSITY
not interested. You can use the work you’ve done in Secret #2 to identify your key strengths and pitch your ‘qualifica- tions’ or readiness to take on more chal- lenging assignments. Women can get caught in a double bind of being seen as too ambitious. So, you wouldn’t neces- sarily want to tell your boss you want her job. But, it would be generally acceptable to voice your interest in taking on more responsibility and demonstrating your ability to do so. You could volunteer for visible proj-
ects that require you to stretch and accom- plish tasks you haven’t had the opportu- nity to do in the past. Other ideas include: volunteer to speak on a program or at a conference, volunteer for a cross-depart- mental committee, go to company social events and talk with people you don’t know. What action will you take in this area?
Secret #5 -- Develop strong communication skills and mastery
of your emotions Developing strong communication
skills, mastery of your emotions, and the ability to effectively handle conflict is an- other very important area for success. Once you reach management level, your ability to effectively influence and relate to others is more important than your technical skills. There has been enough research out
now on the importance of Emotional In- telligence (EI), which is a current term for a person’s ability to manage their emo- tions and relate effectively to others. In a 1990 study (by Hunter et al), 200 compa- nies and organizations were examined. It was found that top performers were 127% more productive than average performers. The competency research indicated that
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