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Women Leading Change—And How You Can, Too

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Isn’t it crazy how, in the course of a few weeks, our reality can be turned on its head? Suddenly, our normal ways of working, socializing, and living are out the window as many of us stay home and do our part to flatten the curve. This is a moment in time when we are all co-dependent on one another. No one alone can fix the problem. We have to do this together.

Navigating change is always challenging, but when you’re navigating change in uncharted territory like this, it can feel especially daunting. However, as women, we have a secret power within us that helps enormously during times of crisis. It’s simple, and it’s innate: It’s our feminine strengths. 

I recently spoke with the Chief Marketing Officer at Salesforce, Stephanie Buscemi, who agrees:

“A lot of the leadership qualities required right now happen to be in the wheelhouse of women. People need effective communication more than anything else, and women tend to be very strong communicators. People want transparency, to have their expectations set, to decisively make decisions and take action. Women have a high EQ. They are great readers of people and people are in challenging times, and being on the pulse of that is more important now than ever. I look at so many of the women I work with, and these are their strengths.”

I like to call it “pivoting with positivity and proactivity.” Women aren’t daunted by crisis; we’re poised to look forward, think outside the box, and find solutions. When the world zigs, we zag. To explore this further, I spoke with Dr. Cindy McGovern, who is the CEO of Orange Leaf Consulting and an expert in organizational communication. Like Stephanie, she says that women are primed for this type of situation:

“Women are crisis managers by nature. We are intuitive and pay attention to our emotions and to the emotions of others. During a crisis, we can leverage that talent into leadership. And right now, people are looking for leaders.” 

So, how can we step up to the challenge? In her book, In Every Job Is a Sales Job, Cindy outlines a five-step process for success in sales — and it can also be applied to lead change: 

  1. Make a plan. A lot of uncertainty surrounds a crisis like the current pandemic. But how you react to it doesn’t have to be random. Sit down—by yourself or in a virtual brainstorming session with your most-trusted team members—and figure out what’s possible for your business, your team and yourself. Then make a plan to take advantage of those possibilities.
  2. Look for opportunities. If your business is temporarily closed and your clients are sheltering at home, you probably won’t be able to sell much, if anything. Is there something else you can do? Can you work on your business plan or your annual plan while you have the time? Can you touch base with clients and colleagues whom you haven’t had time to chat with for a while? Can your business create, deliver or publicize an off-brand product that might help hospitals or stock empty store shelves? Don’t sit and wait for the crisis to pass. Be part of the solution.
  3. Listen. When people are isolated from their social and work circles, they need others to talk to. Lend your ear. Your own employees need you. Your friends do. Local businesses do. Listen and learn what you can do to help. Then do it.
  4. Ask. Do you need help, either with your own isolation or with a project that your team can do virtually? Ask for help. Don’t assume others are too busy to help you. They’ll make time. It will give them something to do besides worry.
  5. Follow-up. I’m back to gratitude. Tear yourself away from the TV or whatever else you’re filling your days with and write some thank-you notes to clients, friends, family and others who have helped you over the past year. Take a few minutes to let them know you’re thinking about them; that you hope they’re well; and that they matter to you.

There is always a silver lining in pivot moments, especially when it comes to showcasing the qualities that rise to the top in times of crisis. These include empathy, compassion, listening, team-building, multitasking on steroids. This time is shining a light on the importance of soft powers. I would love to hear: How are you leading with your feminine strengths?

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