Own Your Future

Be intentional, prioritise your wellbeing, stand in your own authentic power, and lean into your strengths. Own your future.

It is important that all of us begin to act as an ally or sponsor, and help women achieve leadership positions. Help, inspire, and challenge them to share their aspirations.

Encourage their development, help them become intentional, and support them in taking ownership of their career. We should all aim to use our power and influence to advocate for talent and diversity in the rooms where decisions are made.

One of the things I experience when I coach women is that only a few of them are intentional about their aspirations and career. It is no secret that the most successful people are the ones who take ownership of their career and act with intention. If you know where you want to go, you are more likely to create a plan and be prepared for the challenges and changes that will come your way.

Women tend to be caught up in a likeability trap and take on tasks that are leading nowhere, even though organisations appreciate and benefit from these tasks. Be strategic when it comes to thankless or non-rewarding tasks, especially those men are not asked or expected to perform. But it is also about being intentional about what you want to achieve. My experience is that women who act with intention do not attract these dead-end tasks to the same degree, and they are also more likely to be regarded as leadership potential.

Intentional women are more likely to project confidence and assertiveness.

The debt that isn't real

If women have a good relationship with their leaders, they often feel they are in debt to them for opportunities they rightly deserve. "I really like working with my leader. She gave me this role, so I don't want to disappoint her by moving to another one right now." This kind of statement is a regular visitor in coaching sessions. I usually reply with a specific question: "How will you react if your leader tells you, three months from now, that she has accepted a new opportunity and is leaving?" The reaction and answer are always the same — a long pause, then: "That is a really good question. I see your point."

Women tend to build personal relationships and, in doing so, forget that it is first and foremost a professional one. Women don't owe anyone anything. This doesn't mean we shouldn't invest in relationships at work — we absolutely should, and Gallup research has documented that having a best friend at work increases our wellbeing and engagement. But it shouldn't stop women from accepting a new role or opportunity. If the relationship is a good one, it will continue.

How your leader responds is not within your control or your responsibility. If they have true leadership potential, they will be happy for you and support you regardless. Happy to see you flourish, having developed the core skills under their leadership that now open new doors for you. I have never heard of leaders playing games of guilt with men who resign or seek new opportunities. But I have been told, heard, seen, and experienced this as regular leadership behaviour when it comes to women. One senior female leader, resigning after three years in her role, was told by her CEO: "I am very disappointed to hear that you are leaving after only three years in this leadership position."

If your leaders or organisation haven't done all they could to make you want to invest more of your valuable time with them, then it is time to leave, and hold on to your resignation. If you have learned all you can from being part of your organisation, then it is time to leave. If you believe you can still develop, learn, and grow, then stay — but be intentional. Own your career.

Seven ways to take ownership of your career

Be intentional in talent discussions, job interviews, internal opportunities, and conversations with leaders, mentors, and sponsors. Begin to act more and react less. Share your aspirations and intentions with others. Leave leaders who don't acknowledge your talent and potential, and focus your energy on what is within your control. Don't expect others to have your best interests at heart — your talent and expertise shouldn't only serve your leader. Use your growth mindset, and keep learning, developing, and adapting. And stop drifting: take ownership of your career, and get a coach.

You can read more about our coaching programme, Own Your Future, or contact us.

A final comment: I am aware of how structures in our society and organisations limit equality, and how we continue to neglect equity. I have deliberately focused here on how being intentional can be a gamechanger for women in achieving what they rightly deserve. I don't believe it is women's responsibility to create equality and equity — it is, and will always be, a leadership responsibility. We all have a part to play in making sure more women are promoted into leadership positions. The content of this piece is also relevant for men; they simply haven't been the focus here. It is written from my experience as a coach whose work is primarily with women who are leaders, or who are aiming for leadership positions.