by Amy Hou | Jul 13, 2016 | Challenges, Confidence, Women in the Workplace
I wanted to share this article from the Harvard Business Review, “To Seem Confident, Women Have to be Seen as Warm.”
It details a fascinating study which suggests that, in order to be viewed as confident (read: worthy of promotion), women need to display not only competence, but warmth and nurturing qualities. Men, on the other hand, are judged solely on the perception of competence.
This is a huge issue for women, workplace culture, and promotion practices. What do you think?
by Amy Hou | Apr 22, 2016 | Confidence, Leadership, Professional Growth, Skills, Women in the Workplace
A recent article in the Philadelphia Business Journal offers “2 ways women can develop their leadership presence.”
Want the thumbnail? 1) Tout your accomplishments, and 2) use technical/numerical terms to discuss the impact of your work.
Read the article, then re-visit my thoughts on how to establish your executive presence here.
by Madeline Bell | Feb 27, 2016 | Career Change, Confidence, Professional Growth, Starting Out
When I am asked about my career journey, I often tell people that the continuous theme has been saying yes to every opportunity, even when it has been outside of my comfort zone. When someone offers you the chance to do something new, even if you’re not 100% comfortable, just say yes. Find a way to get yourself up to speed and transition to the new challenge. There are many ways you can do that, either by coaching, peer mentoring, reading relevant articles and books and networking with people who are experts. Two resources that have been particularly helpful for me have been The Leader’s Edge, an executive coaching and consulting firm that helps women expand their leadership skills, and Barbara Pachter of Pachter & Associates, one of the world’s leading experts on business etiquette and communication.
Years ago, when I was Vice President of Clinical and Family Services, I was asked to take over revenue cycle management. I did not feel confident in my knowledge of this area, and had no technical skills to rely on, but knew it was an opportunity for me to learn another side of the healthcare business. I said yes. My next step was to find people more senior to help me learn. I read a lot, talked to people in the departments that made up revenue cycle, and worked hard to get myself up to speed. Eventually, I became more confident over the course of several years. When I took on this new responsibility however, it did not come without sacrifice. I had to give up a few other departments that I was managing, and it was some of the work that I loved most about my job. But I knew that I wanted to get out of my comfort zone, and so I traded that for a new challenge.
I continually give this advice to women I mentor, but I also continue to live it myself. I was recently offered the great honor of joining the Comcast Corporate Board. Although it was certainly a goal of mine to join a corporate board, I did not expect the opportunity at this point in my career. I worried that perhaps taking on this new challenge while simultaneously getting up to speed as CEO of CHOP was too much to take on. But I’ve spent my entire career in non-profits, so this is an excellent chance to get out of my comfort zone. I don’t have a background in the technology, communications, or entertainment business but I believe that by studying, talking to experts, and finding someone on the board to mentor me that I’ll be able to bring important learnings back to my organization while growing my own competencies.
Additionally, I’ve learned that leadership skills can often transcend technical and industry experience. As I was reading through Comcast materials, I started to realize many of the general concepts were similar, and began to feel like I will be able to use my skills and leadership abilities as a former COO to bring value to the board. I think often times, women don’t give themselves credit for what they bring to the table outside of technical skills. You don’t have to be proficient in something to take it on, in fact you should always be pushing yourself to do not just the things that you’re familiar with. That’s what stepping outside of your comfort zone is all about. I’m truly grateful for this next challenge, and I applaud Comcast for adding another woman to their board.
I recently suggested to a woman I’m mentoring that she identify 3 areas in her work that are intriguing to her that she doesn’t already know about. I said she should find people to talk to and learn from, and then tell them she’d be interested in any openings that may come up. It can be hard to take on more, but I’ve always found that you can find bandwidth by delegating to other people. Why trade something you are great at and may love for something you know nothing about? It’s all about gaining experience and perspective. When you’re feeling unsure, just remember that in a year or two you will know this new area, and it will be a part of who you are and what makes you effective in your job. It can be hard to know your own potential, and by stepping into area that you are not comfortable with you ultimately learn what you’re capable of, which is the ultimate confidence booster.
by Amy Hou | Jan 29, 2016 | Challenges, Confidence, Starting Out, Women in the Workplace
I was recently mentoring a very accomplished woman physician scientist participating in a one-year leadership development program for women. In the course of our discussion, she asked me if I’m ever in situations when I am the only woman in the room. I told her about a meeting when a colleague leaned over and whispered, do you realize that you’re the only woman in the room? I responded – I do now!
The point is, being the outlier in the room was not on my mind until he mentioned it. From that moment on, I was quite conscious of my difference. How does our awareness of being “the only woman” influence how we behave, not to mention lead, within groups?
During the mentoring session, this scientist mentioned to me that she is in a national group of researchers and is, you guessed it, the only woman. I asked her if she is the one taking the minutes of their discussions together, and she replied with an emphatic Yes. She told me it had been mentioned that she does the lion’s share of the work behind the scenes while the men in the group are taking more of the credit and visibility. She asked me how she could have approached this situation differently.
Group projects take a huge amount of ‘little’ tasks like minutes-taking, organizing meetups and following up with action items. I told this woman that, rather than raising her hand to a task (or several tasks), go into the meeting with a sense of leadership over the division of labor. Take action to ensure that note-taking and all the other little tasks are assigned equally among the group’s members. Anticipate what will need to be done and speak first. Remember, there are no ‘default’ note-takers.
Finally, it is good to take credit for your group’s work. Taking credit is how you acknowledge all the experience you’ve gained, both to yourself and to others. As women, we are taught to internalize certain notions of ourselves: good manners, good penmanship, humble with accomplishments, the list goes on. But self-promotion is only ugly when it isn’t earned. If your group has done a good job, then you have done a good job, and you can feel good about promoting yourself for it.
How have you approached being the only woman in the room? What are your methods for self-promotion? I’d love to hear your stories.
by Amy Hou | Jan 5, 2016 | Confidence, Leadership, Public Speaking
[Photo courtesy of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia]
A young female administrator I was mentoring asked me to describe executive presence and how she might practice it for an upcoming presentation. I thought I would share my response here, with the hope that it provides concrete tips for establishing yourself as a confident, effective leader.
What You Wear
Presence is a state of mind communicated through the body. Certainly there is a component of executive presence that relates to what you wear. Do you feel put together? Are you dressed appropriately for the occasion? A good rule of thumb is that it is better to be overdressed than underdressed, and simplicity is better than overstated or ‘loud’ clothes. Like it or not, among executives, first impressions are very important.
How You Feel
Clothing and being outwardly assembled will help with first impressions, but confidence in yourself will take you through the entire encounter, whether it is an important meeting, presentation, or interview. “Owning” who you are and the position you hold is more important than any wardrobe choice. Stand tall. Get the imposter feeling out of your head and take charge of your presence. Prepare well so that you are comfortable with what you are about to do and say.
The Way You Speak
Executive presence is communicated to others through tone of voice and posture. Try to find a balance between professional formality and a degree of relaxed comfort. I know that may sound difficult, but there are some discrete ways of carrying yourself that can help:
- sit up straight;
- talk with your head up;
- project your voice;
- and don’t be afraid to interrupt if it seems appropriate to the room – you’re adding to the conversation.
Executive presence is about your attitude of confidence, ownership and belonging as well as doing what you need to do to look the part.
Your Elevator Speech
Executive presence is not just a feeling you hold to yourself; it is also about taking certain actions to establish your credibility with others. One way to do this is to create, practice and use an Elevator Speech to introduce yourself effectively. It should be brief but assertive of your accomplishments – no self-deprecation! Include your name, current title, primary responsibility, and something impactful about your work or your organization. My elevator speech goes like this:
I’m Madeline Bell. I’m the CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where I manage a 2.5 billion dollar corporation with over 13,000 employees. We’re a globally recognized healthcare provider and were recently named the #1 children’s hospital in the country.
It might sound like bragging to you, but to make a lasting first impression with a busy executive in just a few seconds, it is absolutely essential to include memorable, impressive details about yourself.
Executive Presence in Action
Presentations
When giving a presentation, pretend that you are telling a story to a good friend outside of work. Keep your arms down by your sides. Find two or three people in different areas of the room (one on the right, one on the left and one in the back, for example) and just make eye contact with them. This is a simple way to appear relaxed and like you are talking to the entire group. Remember to take a deep breath and pause before you start speaking, and watch your speed! Most people tend to talk too fast.
Meetings
The first time I attended the CEO Council for Growth meeting, I went into the room resolved to speak. If I didn’t speak at the first meeting, I knew it would be that much harder for me to assert myself in future meetings. I wanted to set the tone with the rest of my colleagues that, despite being one of very few women in the room, I was comfortable being there and I knew the value of my voice and perspective. I paid close attention to my body language (some of which felt unnatural for me, frankly), and I sat towards the front of the table.
When you join a regular meeting, don’t wait until the sixth gathering to make yourself heard to the group. It is so much more difficult to alter the group’s dynamic to include your voice and presence once it has been established without you. Remember: you belong there.
Here are a couple resources about executive presence which I’ve found helpful and interesting along the way:
by Amy Hou | Dec 14, 2015 | Challenges, Confidence, Professional Growth
From The Business Journals comes this interesting video on using positive self-affirmations to approach challenging situations.
