Speaking and Communication for Aspiring Women Leaders

I was recently in discussions with a senior male leader about a communication program for his company of over 80% male employees. He and his wife had kindly hosted me for dinner the previous evening.

“Why do you have a course on male/female communication?”, he asked skeptically. “I mean, it’s the 21st century. Do we really need it?”

I paused for a second and asked, “Do you understand your wife, Bill?” (Name changed to protect the innocent.)

“No”, he said, smiling sheepishly. “Point taken”.

We kept the course in the program.

I liked Bill. He was a well-meaning and sincere leader committed to hiring more women into his technology-based company.

But as a woman leader who has spent much of my career in male-dominated fields, I have learned firsthand that, regardless of the century, men and women very much do communicate differently. And it matters.

• It matters when you’re trying to advance ideas.
• It matters when you need to influence other leaders.
• And it definitely matters when it comes to performance, pay, and promotions.

Through much trial and error, I learned how to adjust my communication style to be more effective as a woman leader – all while staying true to myself.

Are you ready to claim your confidence by using the power of:

1. The words you choose
2. The tone you use
3. Your body language cues?