I do not believe that – Think like a man = be successful! But what does? I decided to follow my feelings on this topic. A leadership congress, this week, helped me on the way!

My turning point

In my last blog post, I shared my thoughts from an early stage of my career! Fortunately, experience, self-confidence, new female role models and research gave me the inspiration I needed. It is okay to be a true female leader. On the contrary, being a female leader can be an advantage.

This was my turning point:

• Sheryl Sandberg launched her book Lean In. We are not bossy, we are bosses! A good colleague bought several copies, which we all read and shared at work!
• Anita Krohn Traaseth launched her blog Tinteguri. She, at the time, as the CEO of HP Norway, shared her thoughts and leadership ideas. Instantly, she become a role model for many women. And, can you believe it, she sent weekly e-mails to her employees with smiley faces 🙂
• Aase Aa. Lundgaard became the CEO of Deloitte Norway. The only female CEO of the big 4 here in Norway. A strong woman with a clear vision and bold decisions. She is also active in the public debate, making us proud!
• We grew fast from one to five female partners (Anne, Katrine, Kirsti, Eva and me <3)  in the consulting department of Deloitte Norway! Suddenly, I was not the odd one out. The partner group has now a mix of men and women. We have different backgrounds and a variety in age. A diversity, a balance and different opinions which move us forward. Along this road, we had a project called «Women and career in Deloitte». We analyzed the as-is situation and developed a goal and a set of action points. We soon realized, the action points were addressing the company as a whole, men and women. The implementation lifted the whole organization.
• I got clear feedback and advice from my colleagues at work! They like my leadership style, but also gave me some corrections ;)!
• I became a twin mother! Wow! It has changed my life completely! I got a new self-confidence and new perspectives on my life. 110 % proud and very conscious on how I, now, am a new role model!

One voice, one hour, dozens of messages

This week, I attended a leadership congress. One speech moved me. A strong female CEO, in a senior male dominated sector part of the public sector, shared her story. No slides, just her, her story and her words. She said:

• I am a leader, just like my male colleagues, it is not about gender.
• My leadership style is personal, but be conscious.
• As a woman, you will meet many hurdles defined by the communities expectations. Choice of education, decisions about kids and career, behavior in the boys’ club and many more. Believe in yourself!
• Men earn trust by their position, women must show that they are good enough, before they earn the same level of trust!
• You need to be able to hang in there!
• It is all about the balance!

My conclusion

I often look to research. It gives me a foundation and I find that research strengthens my conclusions. This time, I decided to listen to my heart:

• It is NOT about being a man or a woman, but your personal leadership style.
• It is about balance and diversity. A longterm successful leadership group has diversity.
• It is about industry, position and the setting.
• It is about being human!
• It is about knowing your female values, and use them wisely according to the situation.
• It is about analyzing the situation and being conscious about your leadership style.
• It is about learning from the best and the worst leaders.
• It is about listening to your organization, being open to new ideas and learn from history.
• It is about leaning in, but also about leaning out and seek advice from your power friends!
• It is about stepping out of your comfort zone.
• It is about knowing your vision and goals.
• It is about going all in.
• It is about trusting and being yourself!

So my encouragement to you, sisters, be the best version of yourself!

And, hell yeah, I put on that lipstick on wherever I am! Even though, I was advised, that it would ruin my career.

Aaah… it felt good to write this blog post!

Did you like my story? Please feel free to share it in your social media!

Have a wonderful Saturday!

Cecilia 🙂

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