Leadership is Feminine: Punishment vs. Accountability

Leadership is Feminine

For most women, when we are invited to study leadership the teachers, scholars, authorities and models are primarily… men. We are indoctrinated from the time we are born that men are the leaders and that natural male characteristics are the strengths you must also possess to be a good leader. Powerful. Strong. Authoritative. Direct. Assertive. Decisive. These and so many more are attributes that are typically associated with the male model of a leader. And so, for the better part of the last one hundred years as women have made their way into the fold, in a variety of leadership roles, we have learned and studied to walk the way of a men to achieve success. Women dismiss their own knowing because we’ve been so indoctrinated in male leadership models. We dismiss what we know for what others tell us to be and how to be seen. There is another way to lead. To be in alignment. To not feel like an imposter. It’s time for the reimagining of leadership. That’s not to disparage any of the progress that has come before us. Progress is progress. For those of us who stand in the footsteps of the women who came before us we are here because of their courage, bravery and resilience. I wonder instead if women equally looked to the characteristics they learned from their mothers for leadership. I wonder if we were taught to lean on different qualities to drive success. I wonder what might happen then? The traditional qualities of mothering are communication, nurturing, listening, strength, support, grace, and yes… love. What if to be the best leader you can be as a woman, you integrated the best of both? This is how women will stand with integrity in their role as leaders. As women, we can be assertive, direct, powerful, and authoritative but we need not only rely on those attributes for success. After 25 years of watching and studying leaders, I can tell you that for sure many traditional male attributes are effective in the short run, but they typically only serve a few. Whereas, when leadership is feminine. When the leader possesses the strengths of femininity and grace the results are for all. This podcast is my like my gentle request and invitation to my fellow female leaders that we reclaim the world leadership as one that is a feminine definition. That we continue to work with all of our allies to build organizations and systems that include more support, collaboration, grace and communication. And that we do so not because we are uncomfortable with the more traditional male-dominating models, but because we truly do know that leadership is a feminine strength and attribute. And the world needs more of us leading. Now more than ever.

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Punishment vs. Accountability | S02 Ep10 0

Jan 31, 2022

Holding others accountable, especially employees, is one of the biggest and most common issues leaders face. Why is it so hard to get people to do what you want or assess performance and address issues? Why is holding people responsible so uncomfortable? I believe the core issue is this: We associate accountability with punishment.

Borne from the traditional masculine authority figure dynamic, we anticipate or associate a penalty exacted for an offense. We see this throughout society in various forms. And although punishment is a form of accountability, it isn’t the type needed nor desired in business. It is neither relevant nor applicable. What we need and desire from those we lead is ownership, obligation, and investment in the outcome. We need proper accountability. So how do we nurture that desired environment of personal responsibility? To start, we must disassociate punishment from accountability.

What You’ll Learn

Defining proper accountability
- The origin of punishment within accountability
- Emotions and personal investment triggers
Dirty vs clean accountability
- Remembering the purpose of having employees
- Divorcing emotion: loyalty, love and poor performance
Accountability is professional commitment
- Being held to account for ability is rare
- The uncomfortable place of being the first
- Clear expectations, clear agreement, and not meeting them
Earning their way up? or earning their way out?
- Neutral, not personal; steering clear of punishment
- Navigate with maturity and addressing commitment
- Sort your emotions before acting

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What You’ll Learn

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