Kate Mason, PhD on LinkedIn: It’s Been a No Good, Very Bad Week for Women Execs (2024)

I don't take any of it for granted. 💫

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What is the biggest confidence killer?Ironically, it's trying to "be more confident", especially if you're a woman.Confidence as a concept gestures towards a hyper-masculinized version of power. Think: loud, deep voice, firm handshake, wide stance, big opinions.It can be subtle, but it's there.This subtle gendering can inhibit people from "stepping into their confidence" or whatever, because they might not feel like they can't or don't want to subscribe to those ideals.It also does a disservice to men who might not feel that mode is a good fit for them.Going to dive deep into what you can do instead soon - stay tuned.💡 I'd love to hear below if this resonates for you.♻️ Repost if you think it's useful for your network.🔥 Follow for more ideas like these.#powerfullylikeable #communication #career #careertips #communicationtips #confidence

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Something I'm writing about in my book is an idea I'm calling Imposing Syndrome.It's the default to become deferential and small in the face of perceived power, and it's when our self-awareness of our own likeability limits our ability to exercise power or get what we want. Imposing Syndrome often shows itself when we need to hold space by sharing an opinion, asking a question, taking up someone's time, or even sharing our accomplishments. We fear being an imposition and origami ourselves to the smallest possible size. We hope that if we're good enough, thin enough, small enough, fast enough, cute enough, maybe that'll be the path to success. Maybe, we think, not imposing is the secret to maintaining our likeability: if we tread softly forever, no one will be put out or upset by our asks. Maybe, just maybe, if we silently submit and acquiesce and execute and keep our heads down, no one will even notice we're here. In Parm Kaur's words: unfold. Take the space you need.💡 I'd love to hear below if this resonates for you.♻️ Repost if you think it's useful for your network.🔥 Follow for more ideas like these.**Beautiful poem courtesy of Parm Kaur - @byparmkc from her new book, While You Are Healing.#communication #powerfullylikeable #women #career #careertips #work

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Ok "favorite" might be stretching it, but truly, ⏬ is one of those things that is so helpful in so many situations. Where might you use evidence at work, and what do you think it might achieve?

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Are you finding opportunities for delight in your communications?I have collected Marimekko for almost 20 years, slowly accumulating plates, bowls, mugs, and dishes. Sweet colleagues have gifted me Marimekko when I've left jobs; I've marked birthdays and so many occasions with purchases. I even visit Marimekko store when I'm traveling, just in case they have different pieces. (I know, I do get how global commerce works.)Recently, an oven-proof dish cracked in two while baking, so I contacted the store. They denied me a replacement and cheerily told me that it was oven-safe. (Spoiler: my baked salmon says otherwise.)And it got me thinking: there are so many opportunities for us to overdeliver or to delight in a communication. What could have been a beautiful story of repair turned into such a missed opportunity.Think about how you could instead imbue your product, idea, conversation or even email with something that leaves someone else with a sense of delight or feeling seen.-Could you empathize more?-Make an introduction or connection?-Show some compassion?-Find a solution?-Do a favor?Tell me someone who has delighted you in an interaction recently ⏬ ⏬ ⏬ #communication #work #marimekko #powerfullylikeable

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"I've been told I need to work on my confidence" is usually the first thing from my clients' mouths. And we work together on everything but.Because focusing on "confidence" is paradoxically the worst way to get it.It's a sneaky metric and can work to undermine our communication efforts and hinder our voice, reach, and impact.Giving someone feedback such as "be more confident" is like saying, "Win a gold medal" or "Be healthy."It's great in theory: but it's very hard to understand the actionable roadmap to get there. Confidence is an outcome and not a process.#powerfullylikeable #communications #career #communicationtips #confidence

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Has this ever happened to you? Did it feel good? Terrible?Most of the time, this advice is given with good intentions, but it can leave you feeling a bit empty.Would love to hear your experiences - what's the best and worst advice you've been given?

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"Perhaps you know the story that is sometimes told of Jennie Jerome, who later became Winston Churchill's mother.It's said that when she was young, she dined with the British statesman William Gladstone and left thinking he was the cleverest person in England. Later she dined with Gladstone's greatest rival, Benjamin Disraeli, and left that dinner thinking she was the cleverest person in England. It's nice to be like Gladstone, but it's better to be like Disraeli." -Excerpt from David Brooks: How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen.Obsessed with this idea. So many people feel they need to show their power or superiority in an interaction. And it's so much more impressive to connect, show interest and add value to someone's life. Conversations aren't competitions. Let's all relax a little and enjoy them more.#conversation #communication #connection #powerfullylikeable #women

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Is authority coded male?Diversity and inclusion expert +Pragya Agarwal says women "are traditionally expected to be caring, warm, deferential, emotional, sensitive…and men are expected to be assertive, rational, competent and objective." So when we talk about, say, authority being *coded* male - we mean that we're more used to seeing men in positions of authority, and it's hard for many of us to recode what that looks like for a woman. We might feel, for example, that we have to directly mimic male authority (deeper voices, stiller posture, fewer facial expressions - paging Elizabeth Holmes!) or fundamentally change our own personality to put on a weird Authority Hat.How do you think about feminine authority? Who are your favorite authoritative women and why?#powerfullylikeable #women #diversityandinclusion #womenatwork #communication

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