Hi Ya’ll Jennifer Ledet here with quick tips for women who want to live and lead by design rather than default.
This week is all about key takeaways, biggest ah-has and oh-wows from my workshop with Women at Amazon. Yep. Amazon, and I was humbled to have women leaders from around the globe in my session, which was titled Lead by Design: Build Your Leadership Brand.
So even if you don’t work at Amazon, you CAN learn a few things as if you were participating in the session.
Here are a few nuggets that really resonated with participants.
Tanja said “I really loved the idea, ‘All leadership begins with self-leadership, and all self-leadership begins with self-awareness.'” This is absolutely key to building your brand. I like to say it another way: Who Before How. You have to figure out who you are at your core so that you can intentionally create your authentic brand.
Vikram said “The metaphor of your place at the table resonated with me.”
So in the program, I shared that … Growing up, I can remember going to my Mimi’s house, (my grandmother), for holiday dinners. I was something like grandchild number 32 in the lineup, (can you say big Catholic family?), so I was always relegated to the kids’ table. Fact is, I never quite made it to the grown-ups’ table.
Fast forward well into my adulthood and I suddenly had a realization. Instead of owning my seat at the C-suite conference table and owning my BRAND, I was still metaphorically at the kids’ table.
And you know what was the worst part? It’s that I was the one putting myself there. I was unconsciously NOT stepping into my power, nor was I leaning into my potential.
I think that many of us are unconsciously clinging to the conditioning we received in childhood. And this is another area where self-awareness comes in. When we can really reflect on our experiences and become aware that we’re putting ourselves at the kids’ table, we can intentionally choose another way to show up.
Become obsessed with self-assessment. This is not so you can beat yourself up, but so that you can continuously improve. Here’s a simple process:
Reflect on your experiences
Remember that each of us has a leadership brand, and everything you do is either contributing to or taking away from your leadership brand. Authenticity and consistency are key.
So ladies of Amazon and leaders alike – I will be posting lots more content on the topic of women’s leadership on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and here on the blog, so be sure to hit follow, subscribe, and like so you don’t miss a beat!
Until next time, be Smart, be Savvy, and always just a little bit sassy!
You might also like:
Women’s Leadership Collective: Flourish in the Face of Change
The Best-Kept Secret of High Performing Teams
Lead Yourself and Your Team Out of the Land of Stuck
Jennifer Ledet, CSP, is a leadership consultant and professional speaker (with a hint of Cajun flavor) who equips leaders from the boardroom to the mailroom to improve employee engagement, teamwork, and communication. In her customized programs, leadership retreats, keynote presentations, and breakout sessions, she cuts through the BS and talks through the tough stuff to solve your people problems.
