The old (white, male) leadership paradigm is broken. Here's how we defy it.

We have a real problem. The world is suffering from a lack of women in leadership. There is a belief that women are to blame.The patriarchy blames women: “Until you learn to climb the ladder that WE built, you’ll never get ahead.” Conform, comply, or get left behind. Women blame women: “Look out for that one, she’ll push you right off the ladder to get herself to the top.”We blame ourselves: “What’s the matter with me? Why do I suck so much at climbing?” When we’re not busy blaming women, we’re blaming the job itself, our manager, the CEO, the company. So, we think the solution is simply to find another ladder to climb. THEN maybe once we find a ladder in a different area code, we won’t be so exhausted/burnt out by the journey. The screwed up thing about ladders is - there are only two directions - up or down. So, it seems like there is only one choice, right? Up at all costs. Even if it’s a struggle. Even if your hands are covered in splinters. Even though it’s a lonely journey - with room for only one. Pretty crappy right? The truth is, there is more than one way to “get to the top.” More than one way to lead. And you’re damn sure not going to find YOUR way by climbing someone else's rickety ass ladder. Let. Their.Ladder. Go. The more you strive to fit into a leadership model that doesn’t represent you, the more stuck and full of self-doubt you will feel. When we dare to defy societal expectations to comply with a system that wasn’t built to include us, not only do we change the face of leadership but our individual journeys become a hell of a lot more satisfying.So how about this instead… You bring more (not less) of who you are to how you lead. Who you are, your identity, your lived experience.Yes, even the parts that society has trained you to check at the office door. When you do this you will know how to tune out the noise of other people’s opinions and to tune into yourself. When you begin to see yourself as a leader and make choices accordingly, trust and knowing will replace your doubt. A path ahead that is unclear and uncertain will feel full of possibility. If this idea gets you fired up, join me and @aliciajabbar for a 7-week virtual leadership program where you'll learn exactly how to do this. It all starts August 12th. Check it out here: https://www.insideoutincubator.com/the-rebellious-leader

The old (white, male) leadership paradigm is broken. Here's how we defy it.https://www.insideoutincubator.com/the-rebellious-leader

The old (white, male) leadership paradigm is broken. Here's how we defy it.https://www.insideoutincubator.com/the-rebellious-leader