Women Empowerment For Leadership Through Mentoring

“The very fact that there are less women in leadership sustains the perception that attaining leadership is hard for women.”

Steph Webster and Ruki Kurukulasuriya, Medium

Women empowerment and women leadership is an ongoing topic of discussion for many decades. You might ask why still?

We are not happy to be the ones to tell you this. Even today, a man’s and a woman’s climb is different up the corporate ladder. While a few hurdles that have faded to some extent with the progress of society, not inequality and double-standards.

The result acts as a deterrent for many high-potential women leaders. 

A dated outlook towards women has cost our society and the corporate world unfathomable losses. We don’t even know how much or what inventions, discoveries, strategies and outcomes we could have been enjoying the fruits of, but we aren’t. 

Weili Dai, Director and Co-founder of Marvell Technology Group explains it very well in her quote:

“It is pure mythology that women cannot perform as well as men in science, engineering and mathematics. In my experience, the opposite is true: Women are often more adept and patient at untangling complex problems, multitasking, seeing the possibilities in new solutions and winning team support for collaborative action.”

Coming back to women empowerment and women leadership attainment, how do women with potential leadership qualities get up there? 

Also read: 5 Step Guide to Find a Mentor at Work

The answer lies in standing strong, accepting the true you, and knowing when to take the right steps for growth and progress. 

Jess Lee, Co-founder & CEO of Polyvore says, 

“I’ve always been a bit of an introvert, but just because you don’t fit the classic mould doesn’t mean you can’t be a leader. You just need to find your own style and someone with a similar style who you can learn from.”

You know what this means, right? Essentially, the answer also lies in mentoring! 

Lourdes Martin-Rosa, an American Express OPEN adviser adds value to this point, 

“A mentor will help build leadership, value and character. Having someone guide [you] and provide expert advice [on] the day-to-day business challenges is extremely beneficial.“

Given such importance of good guidance and mentoring, we are here to guide you to find a mentor who will help you climb up the ladder. 

Also read: Top 3 Resources for Mentoring that Your Organization Needs

Here are 3 important thinking tips that can guide you to your suitable mentor:

Understand why you look up to your potential mentor: 

Once you shortlist someone as your potential guide and mentor, this is the most important question you need to ask yourself. Your mentor is a person who will share your professional perspectives and would understand the goals and vision you have for yourself.

Once you have picked out your potential mentor, instead of directly asking if they will become your mentor, we suggest you invite them out for a coffee and put the idea forth more subtly and constructively. 

Gauge each other’s comfort level:

Mentors and mentees go a long way, like partners. So when you are communicating with them in the first and second instances, understand each other in terms of comfort. It’s important to evaluate whether you both can work and interact with ease as they’ll guide your career.

Try starting with a single project first and then extend as per your comfort and understanding. The primary intention here is for you to best absorb knowledge and guidance for success.

Will they provide accurate professional guidance?

Mentors are not necessarily coaches. We all know that. With mentorship in place, you should be able to find your answers with ease. A good mentor needs to be a skilled listener, perceptive and observant, non-judgmental, compassionate, and provide guidance when asked. The mentee, on the other hand, must be open to new perspectives, act on the advice, and prepare to change and transform. We hope these points help every woman find the right guidance for attaining success.

Safra A. Catz, Co-CEO of Oracle says, 

“I like to say it’s an attitude of not just thinking outside the box, but not even seeing the box.”

We are looking to see more and more women in leadership roles, not even seeing any boxes! And for that to happen, effective mentoring is beyond essential. 

Also read: 5 Reasons Why You Need a Mentor