Leadership lessons from Serena Williams and Michelle Obama

Leadership lessons from Serena Williams and Michelle ObamaLeadership lessons from Serena Williams and Michelle ObamaWhen it comes to female role models in business, many of us turn to CEOs of Fortune 500 companies (of which tzu siche are very few), the women leaders in our network, or our mentors if were lucky enough to have them. Where we dont often look, however, is on the tennis court or in the White House.As the MeToo movement and push for equal rights continues, both Serena Williams and Michelle Obama have come to the forefront as role models for women, especially mothers, in leadership.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraRead on for the three key lessons Serena and Michelle are exemplifying.Self-doubt is realOne of the most vulnerable things a leader can do is share when they are feeling self-doubt. When that leader is either the former First Lady of the United States (and a H arvard-educated lawyer, I might add) or the most winningest female tennis player in history, it can make the rest of us feel normal. Michelle Obama shared her experience of self-doubt while visiting a girls school in North London, admitting, I still have a little bit of Impostor Syndrome. It never goes away, that question of youre actually listening to me?Serena Williams agrees, stating in her Fortune essay, Im honest about my struggles as a working mom because I want other women out there to know they are not alone. We have to show ourselves and our female counterparts compassion and reality.If women as successful as these two have doubts, then were not alone. In fact, studies show that over 80% of people battle Imposter Syndrome, and this feeling increases with success. Opening up to other women in your network is crucial youll realize you arent alone in your feelings as well as have others validate your success.Serena sums it best, saying, While I think all women are superheroes, we are not superhuman and we need each others support. Trust me when I say weve all been there before.You cant have it allMichelle caused headlines when she took a stand against Sheryl Sandbergs popular Lean In mantra. During a stop on her book tour, the former First Lady stated, That whole so you can have it all thing, thats a lie. And its not always enough to lean in, because that shit doesnt work all the time.While some took offense to her cursing, many women were thrilled to have the truth of their experience spoken out loud. In our overly-connected world, we are bombarded day after day with images and messages of what having it all looks like. The house, the big job, the family, the PTA volunteering, the perfect home-cooked dinner its not possible to have all at the same time.Thats where the key distinction is these things happen in different phases of life, not all at once.Michelle shares this in her memoir Becoming, and also shares her frustration with this antiquated idea I am always irritated by the you can have it all votum because its a ridiculous aspiration. You can have it all, but oftentimes its hard to get it all at the same time. Additionally, were often trying to achieve this without help.In her same Fortune essay Serena writes, forget the clich of having it all, the reality is, women are trying to do it all. I could not agree more with this statement and find that many female leaders struggle to ask for and accept help. Finding ways to delegate (both at work and home) is key to having more time for what you want.Balance is B.S.Most of us have agreed by now that balance is B.S., but its still comforting to hear it affirmed by women we admire. The reality for women in leadership is that our lives will never be an even 50-50 split. Sometimes well spend more time and energy at work, and sometimes well spend more at home.All sorts of circumstances tip the scale and striving for work-life integration is a better pursuit. One of Michelles practices for prioritizing is to schedule all family events and activities first. This allows her to integrate her life into her schedule and make compromises where she needs to.Even when you schedule around your family, theres still plenty of time for work, but we dont plan like that, she says. We let work inundate everything. We have to start setting the priority of allowing people to put their lives before their work.Handling a career and motherhood is especially difficult as we are pulled in opposite directions.Serena shares this sentiment, saying, my daughter is my absolute priority ? spending as much time as possible with her every day is so important to me. But Im still training to win Grand Slams and sometimes I have to make hard choices about how I spend my time.Making those hard choices is part of being a woman in leadership. Finding ways to compromise, trade time where you can and integrate work and life, however, can help make those decisions easier.As we work to become our best having authentic role models can help immensely. Seeing the women we admire most be open about their struggles and doubts allows us to feel normal and take the pressure off, knowing that they dont fully have it figured out either. By acknowledging their self-bout, renouncing the ideal of having it all, and calling B.S. on work-life balance, Serena Williams and Michelle Obama are my truth-telling leaders of 2019.More than just a bestselling author, Sue Hawkes is a keynote speaker, Certified EOS Implementer, Certified Business Coach, WPO Chapter Chair, award-winning and globally recognized seminar leader, and an entrepreneur. She is CEO and Founder ofYESS Your Extraordinary Success Strategies, and brings over 25 years of experience to her clients. Hawkes is also a wife, mom of three, and a bulldog owner. She likes to stay active in her free time and get out of her comfort zone through adventure travel. Connect with her onTwitter,LinkedIn,Instagram,YouTube, andFacebook.You might also e njoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from kleinstes Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people