WOMEN: You CAN lead!

Women make three choices in leadership:
- they take it on agressively and never look back, not worrying about being called a Big B Word
- they take it on and try to play by a bunch of men's rules or fit in or seduce the boy's club
- they don't take it on at all

As the nearly bald blonde exercise chic used to say: "STOP THE INSANITY!" There has got to be a better way. Can't a woman be a leader and still be feminine. Can't a leader be a woman and still be effective without being called a "witch"?

Are we ever going to get over the fact that just because a woman stands her ground, stands up for what she believes is right and conducts business as business - she is not to be called or seen as a bitch? Enough already.

Women, we are just as guilty on this front. We call other women this label. In fact, we do it sometimes before our male counterparts start slinging the mud. Are we being our own worst enemy here in proliferating the stereotype? Yes, we are and it's time we let go of it. Let's learn how to lead without worrying so much about the labels. Let's focus more on the skills insead of the stereotypes. Let's get promoted because we earned it and not because we were brave enough to bare cleavage or begged for job based on gender.

Women: you CAN learn to lead and the only rules you need to know are your own. You CAN lead and not be lumped into this overly feminine, nicey nice category. Boss's have to be bold and brave sometimes. Your gender doesn't have to prevent it, in fact with our ability to empathize, lift others up, and separate issues (that almost sounds like a bra commercial) we should be darn good at leading! I think it's time we got started doing what we should be good at.

Here's to your leadership, contagious or otherwise,
Monica