WOMANITION MAGAZINE Womanition2017_Magazine_ForWEB (old) | Page 24

Coach, Mentor, Speaker Darlene Schindel The Rise of Women Leaders There is a movement underway – and women are at the forefront. This movement is happening because women are talking to one another, spreading ideas within the community, and most of all, peer support is leading women to do what they always knew was the right thing. Women are creating what Seth Godin describes as ‘tribes.’ “A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea.” You can’t have a tribe without a leader, and you can’t be a leader without a tribe. People want connection and growth and something new. They want change – and women are primed to provide that IF they pick up the torch of leadership. There are groups of people just waiting to be energized and transformed. As a female leader, you only need the desire to make something happen. WHAT IS YOUR DESIRE? If you don’t have that desire, that is alright. Sometimes it’s OK not to take the lead; sometimes it’s OK to let someone else speak up and show you the way. The key is knowing that if you WANT to lead, then you can. It is easier than ever and the world needs what you have, your ideas, your passion, your creativity. But if this isn’t the right moment, and it isn’t the right cause for you, then hold off. “Generous and authentic leadership will always defeat the selfish efforts of someone doing it just because she can.” (SG) Leadership isn’t difficult, but we have been trained for years, especially as women, to avoid it. If we begin to realize that we already have all the skills to make a difference, and that we don’t need to wait until we have the right job, or build the right organization or move up the corporate ladder. We can start right NOW! Understand, that to be a great leader, we must first be a great person. We must lead ourselves first. Only then will we get to a place as a person where we can lead other people. It begins with self-awareness. This is where we begin to become conscious as to what is truly important to us in life – showing leadership, actualizing our potential and doing our part to transform the world through the work we are doing and the person we are becoming. Self-leadership has been described as the ‘silver bullet’ for organizational success. The future belongs to our leaders, regardless of where they work or what they do. LEAD WHERE YOU STAND. Transformational Leadership Coach, Mentor, Speaker DARLENE SCHINDEL, RN, BSCN, MHS, CPC www.darleneschindel.com [email protected] Phone 780 940-1496 22