We are diving headlong into the topic of leadership.  Grab your metaphorical popcorn; start your commute or head out the door on a walk- this one is thought provoking!

SHOW NOTES

Our co-host, Crina, is on a mission because, in her words, so many people are impacted by the “people in charge.” Today’s episode is an exploration of leadership, exploring why it’s so darn crucial in our modern jungle of responsibilities.

Newsflash from the Fortune 500 universe – it’s raining women CEOs – relatively speaking anyway! In January 2023, the Fortune 500 list had a glow-up moment with more than 10% of companies now led by women. Finance, healthcare, retail – you name it, women are turning corporate landscapes into their own VIP parties.

Leadership is a dance of focus, influence, perspective, and emotional connections. According to the leadership maestros, Marcus Buckingham and Ashlee Goodall, the secret sauce is meeting the “we” and the “I” needs of your team.

But how do we get that secret sauce of the “I” and the “we?”  Project Aristotle, actually a deep look by Google on what makes better teams, reveals the magical ingredients, from creating psychological safety (no public shaming, please) to modeling dependability and providing crystal-clear structures.  The societal expectations we women often wrestle with? Turns out, those are the very things making women fantastic leaders. Decades of psychological research agree; when women lead, magic happens. Dr. Alice Eagly’s studies reveal that women make better leaders, with a dash of transformational leadership and out-of-the-box thinking.

We know leadership can be stressful and University of Southern California research finds that women make better decisions than men when under stress. Ladies, our brains are like stress-proof shields, managing cortisol like wizards handling wands.

Women leaders make work better.  Women leaders aren’t just breaking glass ceilings; they’re transforming the leadership landscape into a place where there is more ease, meaning and joy.