Despite there being plenty of evidence to prove women in leadership positions help improve a company’s growth and financial return, there is still a strikingly low number of women rising to the top in the workplace.
For women who are looking to achieve their full potential, and ultimately become the CEO of their own careers they need to find a place to start. The first step towards filling these roles is to gain leadership experience. Break the glass ceiling with these ten tips.
- Speak with your Supervisors
If you’re unsure about where to find leadership opportunities at work, the perfect place to start is by asking your supervisors. Since they’re already in a similar role they’ll have the resources and knowledge to help you get on the inside track for projects that can help you gain valuable leadership experience.
- Don’t Wait, Take the Initiative
Better yet, don’t wait for your supervisor to suggest a project for you to work on, suggest one yourself. Present your completed plan and offer to help lead the team in its execution. Not only will your boss be relieved to have the extra support, but it will also show them you’re ready to take on any potential leadership opportunities that come up down the line.
- Sign-up for a course
A quality of a good leader is knowing where your strengths are and where you can continue to improve. Consider taking a course to enhance your existing skill-set, or perhaps even sign up for a workshop being offered by your company. Showing you have a deep desire to grow both personally and professionally is an indicator that you are ready to step into more leadership roles.
- Become a Volunteer
Gaining leadership experience doesn’t have to stop at work, there are plenty of opportunities to develop yourself as a leader while also giving back to the community. Think about the types of things you are passionate about, whether that’s the environment, gardening or even music. Once you know how you’d like to help, find out if there’s a volunteer-based organization to join and if the opportunity arises, offer to take on any leadership roles that are available.
- Get involved at work
If you’re hoping to specifically get noticed by your peers at work as a leader, then connecting with a workplace volunteer team is a great place to start. It’s possible there won’t be any teams to join, but don’t get discouraged, use that as an opportunity to take initiative and talk to your boss about starting one. This shows you are invested in the team while also giving you the chance to gain valuable leadership experience.
- Be an active member of your community
Outside of volunteering there are plenty of ways you can get involved in your community. If you are concerned about food insecurity — start a community garden. Knowing how to organize, plan and gather a group of people around a unified objective is an important skill for any leader to have.
- Plan an event
It can be big or small, but planning an event not only helps you develop leadership skills but also means you get to have fun while doing it. Offer to plan a group camping trip or be the wedding planner for your friend, anything where you have to take charge of the execution from beginning to end.
- Stretch your legs a little
Consider becoming a team captain for a local club or sign up to be a referee. There are plenty of ways you can develop skills as a leader while being involved with sports. And who knows, an opportunity to gain leadership experience within the organization itself may arise.
- Help the family
Finding ways to help out your family can be both rewarding personally, but also give you the chance to develop invaluable leadership experience such as stress management, empathy and planning. Consider looking after a loved one who needs some extra assistance, or organize a reunion for all your cousins.
- Do something for yourself
In order to be a successful leader, you must know when to take time for yourself. Think of a large personal project you can do and create a timeline to complete it from start to finish. Holding yourself accountable to personal goals will leave you with a sense of fulfillment and help you refocus on what’s important.
For more information about how to gain leadership experience, check out the full article on the Triple Pundit website.
Girl Pow-R, a pop rock group of girls ages 11-16, believes in the power of creating strong female leaders. Our aim is to empower girls to be themselves and make a positive impact on their communities by taking on more leadership opportunities. For more information, contact info(at)girlpow-r.com.