Founder of Ogunte, supported over 3700 women-led startups, high impact women social entrepreneurs, impact angels and campaigners. Passionate about the Gender Lens on Investment. Helps you see the world from a different perspective and manage your transitions.
Hello! Interesting question with a lot of optional answers possible! If the question is primarily about yourself (whether you are a woman or not), you might want to define what leadership means to you, how you have demonstrated it in the past in any shape or form and the impact it has had in your life, and your connections (stakeholders, friends, staff, etc.)
Based on that reflection, the choice is yours to define the type of leader you want to become and
1- with the help of other leaders, from the same gender or not, mixed or women-only, explore your own particular style. (That would be peer-mentoring).
2- try out your own leadership "persona" in a different context, industry, paid or volunteering experience, with people you maybe wouldn't particularly connect to instinctively, that's the open innovation context.
3. And finally, based on your priorities, life or work context, i would also look at how you embed/express your values and leadership style in all areas. (Years ago, i led a fulfilled life as a professional and realised my values didn't have any space to express themselves at home, it felt very unbalanced.. My leadership persona was a ghost at home... I learned to address this successfully with
1) a 1-2-1 coaching programme
2) connection to peers during a Common Purpose programme.
If I were to work with youon this topic, we would most probably explore ways women find their mark, feel comfortable with their values and find ways to express these values and be connected to them everywhere in their life (as much as they can). And what needs to shift, transform, go, to make this happen!