SUN TZU for WOMEN by BECKY SHEETZ-RUNKLE

Author:BECKY SHEETZ-RUNKLE
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: epub, ebook
Publisher: Adams Business, an imprint of Adams Media, Inc.
Published: 2011-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

THE BATTLE: The insecurity of limited self-belief will keep you from projecting your best and most genuine self.

THE CHAMPION: When you’re secure in yourself, you’ll be consistent and genuine. You’ll be a reliable leader and team member, up for any challenge you’ll face.

Women who are secure in themselves and great at what they do are almost always genuine. Authentic businesswomen have no need to strive to be something they’re not. Their achievements speak for themselves and their authenticity shows in all of their actions and interactions.

Authenticity is mandatory for Sun Tzu and for you. Self-doubt and second-guessing will undermine your ability to lead and execute. There are few things less impressive than a “leader” who fails to inspire confidence, and who lacks required characteristics like integrity, honesty, strength, and consistency.

Sun Tzu’s great general’s principles are fundamental to his authenticity: The commander adept in war enhances the moral influence and adheres to the laws and regulations. Thus it is his power to control success.

Overcome “Imposter Syndrome”

Unfortunately for many women, including highly successful achievers, the journey through their careers is filled with self-doubt, fear, and insecurity. In researching this phenomenon, now known as “Impostor Syndrome,” Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes studied 150 highly successful professional women. They found that even very accomplished women carry high levels of self-doubt that made them feel like, well, imposters.

While both men and women can be Imposter Syndrome victims, it’s most often discussed in relation to women. If you suffer from this syndrome, each new achievement, rather than affirming your status, actually exacerbates your fear of being discovered as a fake. This deep lack of self-belief is naturally accompanied by an inability to internalize and reconcile successes.

If this describes you, you tend to believe you’re getting by because of your contacts or because you’ve simply been lucky. Certainly, you believe, it’s not because of your talent or skill. Imposter Syndrome goes far deeper than a normal case of self-doubt. Not only can it rob you of confidence and keep you from recognizing your achievements, it can also cause you to overwork to compensate for your perceived shortcomings.

There’s no place for self-doubt for Sun Tzu. He commands decisiveness, preparation, and brilliance. Ultimately, it’s about performance: It is a doctrine of war that we must not rely on the likelihood of the enemy not coming, but on our own readiness to meet him; not on the chance of his not attacking, but on the fact that we have made our position invincible.

Don’t Lead Like He Does; Lead Like You Do

It’s tempting for women who report primarily to men to believe they have to emulate men’s management, leadership, and interpersonal styles. But you don’t have to lead, or follow, like he does. You have to do it like you do. This means always being your authentic self.

Geraldine Laybourne, the co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Oxygen Media, sees simplicity in authenticity. For her, it’s about being who you are — no matter what. She remembers seeing all the books in the 1980s about how women in the corporate world were supposed to act, dress, and talk.

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