It’s International Women’s day and today, Dr. Tracy Alloway joins the show to discuss myths that many women still believe or have been taught their entire lives.
MYTH: Women have to act like men in order to be effective leaders.
• When women are passive/avoidant leaders, they are more likely to experience stress and burnout.
• Interestingly, the same pattern isn’t true of male leaders.
• It seems counter-intuitive, but a lack of leadership actually leads to more stress and burnout if you are a woman. In other words, doing nothing as a leader is bad for your mental health.
Take Away:
• Focus on your success. Think of a time when you have overcome a challenge. The next time you find yourself second guessing your abilities, stop and think about a specific event when you were successful.
• Right side up. If you are a right-hander, use your right hand when you are communicating an important statement to your team, a friend, or your significant other.
Why does this work? Researchers from Stanford University found that right-handers tend to associate right-handed gestures with positive ideas and leftward gestures with negative ideas. The opposite pattern is found if you are a left-hander.
You can find out more by purchasing Dr. Tracy Alloway’s book Think Like A Girl.