If the leadership development program for women in your company isn’t working as well as you’d hoped…

It could be because in order for the programs to work, they need to be optimized on several levels.

First, the organization has to support the program and the potential of women, and also fully embrace that there is a strong business case for this initiative.

Second, the team must also support the growth of women by helping them to take on projects that are new for them and get their feet wet so they stretch out of their comfort zone.

Third, we, as women, also need to stand up and say, I want X, and I am here and open to receiving the help I need in order to reach my goal.

Of these three things, the one we can most easily control, of course, is the last.

We must stop believing that simply by being present, putting our head down and doing the work, that we are projecting that we are ambitious and that we want and deserve ‘that thing’.

We may be projecting that. Or, we may just be projecting that we like staying late in the office so we can get those company-sponsored dinners. 🙂

Rather than leaving it open to interpretation, let’s actually raise our hands, open our mouths, and say what we want and deserve.

I invite you to join me in my supportive Facebook community – dedicated to ambitious women who want MORE in their career – where I share useful, non-aggressive tips, tools, and strategies for catapulting your career: toniapatterson.com/community . I look forward to connecting with you there.