Do you know what the 12 habits are that hold women leaders back?

We need more women leaders. ​ ​And to have that happen, we need to know more about what holds women back.

Whether you are a woman leader or you are a leader of women leaders, the 12 habits identified by Hegelsen and Goldsmith, in their book titled “How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back From Your Next Raise, Promotion or Job,” give us important insights into what holds women  back.

The 12 habits—take note
Read through the following list of 12 habits. 

Go slowly. Take a few moments to reflect on each item as you move through the list. 

Then make note of which 2-3 habits might be holding back you or one of your direct reports.  

1.    Reluctance to Claim Your Achievements.
2.    Expecting Others to Spontaneously Notice and Reward Your Contributions.
3.    Overvaluing Expertise.
4.    Building Rather Than Leveraging Relationships.
5.    Failing to Enlist Allies from Day One.
6.    Putting Your Job Before Your Career.
7.    The Perfection Trap.
8.    The Disease to Please.
9.     Minimizing.
10.   Too Much.
11.    Ruminating.
12.    Letting Your Radar Distract You.

Women don’t realize
Many times, women have a feeling that something is holding them back, but they aren’t quite sure what. This list helps articulate what is likely getting in the way. 

Once articulated and pointed out, women often respond with, “Wow, I didn’t realize that,” or, “Oh my, I do that, too.” Armed with this information, women can make a conscious effort to build new, more successful habits in earnest.

Address hurt feelings early
When determining which habits might be holding yourself or a particular woman back, be aware that when women first realize that they need to change, it’s almost automatic for them to start by feeling hurt, discouraged or undervalued. If not addressed early, this can be painful and result in wasted time spent being hard on themselves and feeling guilty.

Put energy into what you can control
Another important step for women getting ready to make change, is to put their energy into what they can control. To get feedback and realize what got them to their current level of success won’t get them to their next level. 

It’s also valuable for women to understand that ambition is not a bad thing, even if they might be criticized for being “too ambitious.”

Stories about real women
What I like about “How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back From Your Next Raise, Promotion or Job” is that it is filled with stories about real women who were committed to rising in their careers, but were blind to the behaviors and habits that were actively keeping them stuck. 

These are patterns  that I have seen within myself and other women leaders whom I have coached for the past 20+ years.

Now that you are armed with your holding-back patterns, you have a real opportunity to make change.

Here are three next steps available to you.

1.    Get in touch with me at 612-598-6614 or Rita@WiseLeader.net to talk about how one one-on leadership coaching could support you in getting to your next level of leadership.
2.    Get in touch with me to talk about joining an Executive Women’s Change Leadership Roundtable and how the year-long Roundtable experience could support you in replacing your hold-back patterns with new patterns that will get you where you want to go. https://www.wiseleader.net/executive-womens-change-leadership-roundtables.html
3.    Go get the book How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding You Back from Your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job

Then rise to your next level of leadership in 2019!
We need more of what women leaders have to offer!

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Upcoming Workshop

Take advantage of this one day change leadership workshop coming up in January. It’s an opportunity to work with my colleague, Nan Gesche, an instructor from the University of Minnesota, to experience the nuances of leading change through an insightful simulation.  The fee is very reasonable. Seats are limited. I highly recommend it!

Workshop Details

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