Hi there, I’m Tanya de Maurivez, Director of Client Services for Eastern Canada at OSL.
I recently had the privilege of participating as a mentor in our empowerHER program and feel extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to pay forward what OSL has done for me over the past years. This program is true to its title and the one common question I am often asked, is: “How do you do it – how do you lead a team of male leaders?”
Here are 3 tips that I often share as an answer:
1 – Be Authentic & Open Minded
Being authentic and true to who you are is something we set aside as women in a leadership role – we are often caught in the imposter syndrome whirlwind and feel the need to impress or oversell ourselves. “Leadership” does not have any labels or boundaries when it comes to the role, thus why not be true to who you are and lead with authenticity? Whether you lead a team of women or men – being authentic is the only way to gain respect and get your team on board to achieve success.
You may not always see eye-to-eye with some of your team members, but having an open mind and heart enables you to show compassion, understanding and inclusion. In my experience, when you lead with authenticity you are able to instil confidence in yourself and accomplish amazing things, which in turn allows for an environment where every individual feels like they can thrive and become the best they can be, too.
2 – Don’t Let Inner & Outer Noise In, Focus On The Positive
As women, we are very hard on ourselves and are often questioning if what we are doing is right or even “enough.” I am one of those women – I continue to catch myself in my own thoughts. There are 2 ways to look at the noise aspect:
- The inner noise is that inner voice putting doubt in our minds.
- The outer noise is letting what other people think of you, get to you.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned in life and more so along my career path has been to let go of the inner noise and the noise around you. Letting the noise go is not an easy task, it takes constant effort and discipline to catch yourself and shift the noise to positive affirmations like:
- I can do it!
- I will succeed!
- I am good enough!
The more you practice shifting that noise into positive affirmations, you’ll start to see that the noise inside and out will start to become less and less loud, and you will gain self-confidence in your leadership (and life in general!) Always remember that every word you use has power – speak to yourself positively and continue to feed yourself with those thoughts and energy.
Two of my favorite mantras are, “The energy you put out; you will receive” and “Control what you can control!” More often than not, the only thing you can control is your reaction to the circumstances you face. Knowing this, why not choose to react with positivity? In return, you’ll get positivity.
3 – Find Strong Support Group And Find Male Allies
An essential part of my success is the many Support Groups I have been a part of and the Allyships I have developed and maintained throughout my career.
Supporting programs like empowerHER show us we are not alone in our thoughts while also empowering a strong sense of belonging within our company. I have had the opportunity to be part of some amazing support groups in my career and personal journey. I can say with conviction that they have been a huge part of helping me build my confidence.
The Allyships I developed throughout the years were with women and men alike – both were instrumental to my success. However, I will say that in my experience and with being part of an industry that is still predominantly led by men – I seized the opportunity to specifically gain some great male mentors to help me achieve success. Many of my male mentors were my biggest cheerleaders, motivators and supporters when I needed them most. They helped me overcome many challenges, helped me see things differently and have given me some of the best advice that I continue to use in my leadership role today! Don’t shy away from finding your ally and diversifying your mentors to collaborate with, I guarantee that this is one step you want to invest in!
As Maya Angelou quotes: “When you know better, you do better”. You can only lead a team of male leaders if you know how to work with them and fully understand them.
In conclusion, I urge all our women to continue to be authentic to themselves, avoid letting the noise in and continue to collaborate and leverage Allies and programs like empowerHER to do greater things each and every day!
When we empower women, we empower all!
Thanks to Tanya for sharing her valuable insights! You can find her on LinkedIn here: Tanya de Maurivez Profile. Keep an eye on our LinkedIn Page and Blog for more updates on what’s happening at OSL.
Thanks for reading!