Women in Leadership: Jo Miller

I recently interviewed Jo Miller, CEO Women’s Leadership Coaching Inc. to talk about women in leadership. Today, women make up over 50% of the workforce, are entrepreneurs, hold key leadership positions and serve on board of directors. Miller will give us her insight into the challenges women face in the workplace, how to overcome these obstacles and become a more empowered leader.

Miller is founding editor of BeLeaderly.com, keynote speaker at the upcoming ProjectWorld & World Congress for Business Analysts 2014 conference in Seattle. She will be a keynote for session entitled, “Become a Person of Influence" and you find her website here at www.womensleadershipcoaching.com.

Check out what Miller had to say:

IIR: Jo, exciting to have you at ProjectWorld! How would you define a person of influence in today’s organization?

Jo: An influencer is someone who has a goal or a vision that they’d like to achieve that is bigger than they can accomplish alone — meaning they must engage, motivate and inspire others to collaborate and help out in order for that goal to be achieved. To be an influencer you don’t need a leadership job title or a team who report to you, in fact, I would volunteer that no-one gets promoted into leadership without first showing that they can positively influence others.

IIR: You’ve interviewed women worldwide; what do these up and coming leaders tell you are their top three leadership challenges in business? 

Jo: By far the biggest frustration that emerging leaders tell me they deal with is office politics. Most leadership books won’t tell you this, but it is one of the biggest career-killers if you don’t find a positively way to navigate it. Ignoring it is not an option, because you’ll get passed over for career opportunities if you don’t “play the game.”

Next, for women especially, making their value visible and not being the best kept secret in the organization. Women have a tendency to work hard, deliver outstanding work, then go on to the next task without pausing to make sure their work was visible to higher-ups.

And finally, in a world where promotions are increasingly rare and everyone needs to collaborate cross-functionally to get stuff done, I would say that influencing without authority is a big challenge many up and coming leaders need to figure out.

IIR: What was the impetus for you to start your coaching business and focus specifically on women leaders?

Jo:   Coming from the corporate world, where I had tried unsuccessfully to find a roadmap or guide on how to advance up the corporate ladder, I knew there was a need. I also met too many women with leadership potential that outshone their current positions, and saw the talent pool that was not being tapped. I realized that companies would be better off if they had a way to connect with that untapped potential, so I started creating coaching programs and workshops that gave women a roadmap to break into management and leadership positions.

IIR: Tell us about your new book “She’s Got Clout; How to Become a Rising Woman of Influence. How can we get a copy of your book?

Jo: I’m still working on it! The book will focus on the topics I teach in my one-day Poised for Leadership workshop. It’s a set of core competencies for employees who want to break out and establish themselves as emerging leaders in their organizations. Topics include how to gain visibility and reward for your accomplishments, navigate organizational politics with savvy, and build a reputation as a leader or expert.

IIR: Project Managers are making the shift to become project leaders leading global teams. What are your top three leadership tips for these project leaders?

Jo: 1. Don’t wait for positional authority: look for opportunities to act, identify leadership gaps, and take the lead. 

2. If you want to increase your influence, start by building a network of relationships with people that support you in your career and leadership goals. When people know you and trust you, you don’t need to cajole or persuade them to help you out: they are happy to collaborate and help out a friend.

3. Enlist senior-level sponsors inside and outside your direct management chain. Sometimes all it takes to influence something is having a highly influential individual give it their blessing.

IIR: Projects and politics are like oil and water; they don’t always mix. Give us a little insight on your workshop you’re facilitating at ProjectWorld about Office Politics. 

Jo: In my workshop, we will talk about why you should not ignore office politics (even though most people really, really don’t like it). There are some compelling career advantages enjoyed by people who have the skill of being “positively politically savvy”, like being more promotable and less likely to derail. I will define that skill, and share some very practical tools that help participants build their political savvy, from understanding the dynamics of power and influence in their organization to understanding the unwritten ‘rules of the game.’

IIR: Women have the skill sets, integrity, character and experience to lead; what is holding some women back from breaking through the glass ceiling? 

Jo: That’s a big question! And perhaps one not answerable in a short blog post, but we are lucky to live in a time when a lot of research is being done. Why aren’t women breaking into leadership in larger numbers? For one, our corporate workplaces are rife with unconscious bias that sets women at a disadvantage. And our workplaces are not always female-friendly at that critical point when employees start getting promoted into management ranks, meanwhile their home lives become very complex. Thirdly, there are some simple, practical skills that don’t always come naturally, but that women can develop in order to make their value visible for consideration for higher-level assignments.

IIR: What is the AHA moment for women after they take your training and use your leadership coaching system? 

Jo: One such aha moment is not to let their management make career choices for them! That they can be the driver of their career, and take charge of their career trajectory.

IIR: What advice would you give to women who are looking to take the next step to advance in their careers? Are there networks or associations you would recommend women join to network and help gain an advantage to move forward in their careers?

Jo: I recommend not just joining the relevant associations in your professional area, but being an active participant. Take a leadership role! You will get to meet and speak with the movers and shakers in your industry, and if you play your cards right, they will become your mentors, sponsors. You will develop a world-class personal board of directors.

Want to learn more about this topic and network with PM and BA professionals like yourself? Don’t miss ProjectWorld and World Congress for Business Analysts 2014 in Seattle this fall. For more information about this event, click here: http://www.iirusa.com/projectworld/pricing-info.xml

How to Go From a Positional Leader to an Influential Leader

If you’re in a leadership role, it’s always a good practice to assess how you got there and where you’re going. Are you satisfied with your performance as a leader, or would you like to hone your skills, and become more effective? Are the people who report to you productive and happy? Or do you feel disconnected from them?

One way to become more effective is to make the transition from being a positional leader to being an influential leader. Positional leaders are people who only lead because of their title or position. True leadership is getting people inspired because of who you are, not what job is listed on your business cards. Influential leaders can motivate through action, not title. It is important to know which type of leader you are.

Positional Leaders Often Lack the Human Touch

Positional leaders depend on their title, power or position to influence people and get them to listen to them. Because they have not developed the traits required to lead others, they are leaders in name only. They draw their importance from their job title instead of their job performance. Positional leaders simply don’t have the human touch when it comes to recognizing others’ goals, needs and motivations – and are therefore less effective, and in some cases, completely ineffective.

Influential Leaders Draw Others In

On the other hand, influential leaders are powerful, whether or not they have real power. They tend to be natural leaders, whom others go to for help, advice or just to have a question answered. Influential leaders are connectors who make those around them work harder. They tend to seek consensus, value others’ opinions and listen intently when someone is speaking. Finally, influential leaders draw people in, and are open to their ideas.

Influential leaders care about their work. Howard Schultz, founder and CEO of Starbucks returned to his position when the company began to struggle. Under his leadership, the company once again began to flourish. Schultz further exemplified influential leadership when he led over 140 top American executives to boycott contributing campaign funds to incumbents. Though these executives didn’t work for Schultz and were just as powerful in position, he was able to influence them.

Which Type of Leader Are You?

There are specific traits that can help you define your leadership style. Positional leaders tend to feel defensive when others’ opinions differ from theirs. They feel as though they should be more influential than others based on their higher position within the company. They are not always receptive to hearing ideas from lower level employees.

Influential leaders love giving credit where credit is due. They are big on collaboration and open to hearing the opinions of their team. Someone who is willing to mentor a young employee is most likely an influential leader.

To test what sort of leader you are, think back to the last time that you were complimented on the work of your team. Did you take all of the credit or praise everyone’s hard work? Positional leaders might feel that they deserve the credit simply because they were in charge. Influential leaders would feel proud of what the entire team accomplished. Fortunately, with some effort, positional leaders can develop into influential leaders.

Four Ways to Become an Influential Leader

·         Gain Respect By Giving Respect

Influential leaders give respect and are highly respected; positional leaders struggle to earn respect. So first, assess how much respect you demonstrate to others in the workplace. Do you respect your direct reports as much as you respect your boss? If not, you can be sure they know that. Focus on giving everyone the same respect you give your superiors.

·         Your Actions Speak Louder Than Your Words

Remember that your employees are watching you, even when you think they are not. Someone will notice when you take the time to say a few thoughtful words to an employee who’s having a tough time. Someone will see you holding a door open for the person behind you. Someone will most certainly notice when you cut someone off in the company parking lot. When you have the opportunity to do the right thing, by all means do it – and not just because you hope someone’s watching.

·         Build Trust By Being Responsible

Earning the trust of your employees is essential to being an influential leader. Trust is built when you clearly mean what you say, do what you say you’re going to do, and take responsibility for both – even when your words or actions turn out to be wrong.

·         Tell the Truth

Credibility is an undeniable trait of an influential leader. Whether you are selling a product, pitching a new idea, or motivating your employees to a higher level of performance, your audience needs to believe that you are telling the truth. Most people are simply bad liars – so to avoid completely losing your credibility, always tell the truth.

Make the effort to become an influential leader, and you will make it happen. You’ll earn the respect of your employees – and even more important – you’ll feel their respect. If you’ve been a positional leader thus far, the transition may take some time. Luckily, it will be well worth your effort, as you watch your team flourish under your influential leadership.

Ryan Sauer is a writer and editor for Bisk Education in association with University Alliance. He actively writes about project management and organizational leadership  with a goal of helping professionals succeed in leadership training.