When you think of leaders you admire, what are their qualities? Perhaps they fearlessly speak their minds, or inspire others by setting a powerful example.
The good news is that you can develop these skills on your own. And there’s no need to wait for a promotion at work to get started. Getting involved social change is a fantastic way to practice leadership skills.
How? When it comes to gender equality, we have a few ideas for how you can lead for change:
Do you do backflips when you hear the word “leadership”?
Does your inner critic tell you you’re just not cut out for it? That you simply don’t have the experience needed and aren’t in any position to tell others what to do?
But what if being a great leader isn’t about having all the answers or always being in control? What if it’s about listening and collaborating? Working through networks instead of hierarchies?
When I started playing football as a young girl, I had no idea how far the game would take me.
But what I knew was that I loved it and that I wanted to be a part of it. Yes, there were days that were hard and made me want to quit, but I’m grateful that I didn’t. Whether it has been as a player, an NFL coach, or even getting my doctorate in Sports Psychology, all of the strength and fortitude I needed to succeed came through playing sports.
Sports make girls feel better about themselves!
Can you think of the last time you were body shamed?
I can. It was two months ago at a hair salon. I had taken a vacation day and there I was sitting in the salon chair, so excited to try out a new style. It was a teaching salon and the instructor was looking to show the student what might be a good style for me. As I made suggestions and showed photos of what I like, they were speaking as if I wasn’t even there – “don’t cut it here – look how WIDE that makes her neck look!”
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