A Letter to a Woman Leader
Dear Woman Leader,
First off, I want to let you know I see you. I see your hard work, your commitment, and your constant striving for excellence. I know this year has been hard on you and you've kept going. I want to honor your amazing growth this year and your ability to figure out really difficult things. There have been days when you wondered how you'd do it, but you did it.
You are intelligent, resourceful, and making positive change happen in the world. Thank you for using your brilliance to make this change possible. You are a change-maker!
Research from Leanin.org says, "A crisis is looming in corporate America. The Covid-19 crisis has disrupted corporate America in ways we’ve never seen before. No one is experiencing business as usual, but women—especially mothers, senior-level women and Black women—are facing distinct challenges.
One in four women are considering downshifting their careers or leaving the workforce due to Covid-19. Without bold steps, companies could lose millions of women and erase all the progress we’ve made toward gender diversity in the six years of this study."
I also see your heart and I know there are words you need to say in order to honor yourself. You need to speak up about what you need to do next in order to: stay healthy, happy, productive, and lead well. You cannot continue to operate in a survival or burnout zone without it leading to negative health issues (and we don't want that!). I know this because I too have been there and sometimes I even fall into those negative patterns when faced with extreme stress. It's lead me to 3 cancer scares, adrenal fatigue, and hurt relationships closest to me. I promise you, I am not speaking in hypothetical situations. I've lived this and I know what the negative impacts can be.
Today I want to remind you of your brilliance and strength. I want to remind you of how far you've come and how much you've overcome to get where you are professionally and personally. I also want you to check in with your heart. Yes, your heart. I know many times as you hear about "leadership" no one says check in with your heart, but I believe your heart and intuition will guide you with your next answer and help you fulfill the highest good. So, what does your heart say? What would bring you more joy? What do you need to stop doing? If you can, journal it out. Let it all out. This process will help you evaluate where you may be stuck and what you truly need to do next.
Friend, you are doing a phenomenal job. Actually, you are doing more than enough. And now it's time to step back and re-evaluate what you need to stop doing to move toward making you feel whole again. When you feel whole your energy will make everything work easier and you'll serve the highest good. What you need to say "no" to and how you need to take care of your wellbeing. This will help you LAUNCH to the next level of leadership. Exceptional leaders honor their needs and use their voices to make positive change happen.
You can do this!
I believe in you. *virtual hug*
Allison Liddle