The idea that we need to conform to a predetermined leadership mold is outdated and ineffective. Margie Warrell’s (2019) work shows that the most powerful leaders are those who embrace their unique qualities. For us as first-gen women, this means recognizing that the very experiences that made us feel like “outsiders” have cultivated a depth of resilience, empathy, and strategic thinking that is invaluable in leadership.
Five Shifts to Exercise Your Leadership Power
- Act Your Way Into Confidence. Don’t wait for the feeling of confidence to magically appear. Leadership confidence is a byproduct of action. Speak up in the meeting, volunteer for the visible project, apply for the stretch role. The action comes first; the confidence follows.
- Claim Your Identity as a Leader. How you see yourself shapes how others see you. Stop thinking of leadership as a future title and start embodying it as a current practice. Visualize yourself in a role of influence. Make decisions from that mindset today.
- Reconnect to Your Daring. Over time, institutional barriers can cause us to “dial down” our ambitions. Reconnect with the bold vision you had for your career. What small, daring step can you take this week to move toward it, even if it feels uncomfortable?
- Lean Toward Calculated Risk. We are often wired for safety, but career advancement requires intelligent risk-taking. The key is to take calculated risks. What’s the potential upside? What’s the worst-case scenario, and can you handle it? You’ve overcome long odds before. Trust in your ability to navigate this.
- Own the Impact of Your Difference. Your first-gen perspective is not a weakness to hide; it’s a strategic advantage. You understand nuance, anticipate challenges, and build bridges across diverse groups. Lead in a way that empowers, collaborates, and nurtures courage. This is the communal leadership style that modern organizations desperately need.
Your path has equipped you with a form of intelligence that cannot be taught. It’s time to stop seeing your difference as a hurdle and start leveraging it as your most powerful leadership tool. The workforce doesn’t just need you to succeed; it needs you to lead.
Sources
Warrell, M. (2021, August 27). Women: Own the difference your difference makes. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/margiewarrell/2020/06/15/brave-women-rising-why-we-need-more-women-leading-with-courage
