I don’t know about you, but I am a huge fan girl of Jacinda Ardern- you know, the badass PM of New Zealand. She was one of the youngest in history and only the second world leader to give birth while in office. I recently read an article about leaders born in the 80s and she was included. (I was born in the 80s too!) What I love about this quote is that it highlights her being herself, leading the way she wants to. It also challenges the notion that you have to be aggressive and assertive to be strong. That’s BS but definitely a criticism I have received over the years too, so I can relate. Can you? 

She’s an example of strong leadership that leaned on empathy and compassion and is all the more loved for it. She’s a great example of showing the world how strong women/young women/mothers’ leadership is and can be. 

So lead with your heart, lead with your own style, and don’t let anyone tell you it should be otherwise. 

Like Jacinda’s quote above, this leadership tip focuses on empowering you to know yourself, be yourself and not be afraid to know that is enough. It can be hard to find your voice. I know I’ve had a hard time with it over the years but being able to reflect and focus on what’s important to you, what you want to represent, and how you want to lead helps you hone in on that voice. Here are a few tips to help you find your voice and then use it: 

• Self reflection- take time periodically to think about what’s important to you, what you care about and why. Talk time to reflect on your skills and what you like pursuing 
• Seek out mentorships- with friends, colleagues, family, others so that you can get feedback and see yourself through the eyes of someone else that wants to see you succeed. It helps in seeing things that you can’t because it’s too close
• Learn- take time to learn and improve your skills/ style/ development. Learning about other leaders you admire (maybe start with Jacinda!) can help you improve upon your own methods
• Set goals- giving yourself some challenging goals can go a long way to finding your voice and finding your way to the leader you want to be and become. Check out my SMART Goals worksheet to help you do just that!

Ok so if you’ve talked to me in the last few weeks, you know I’ve been reading A Court of Thorns and Roses series. While the first book started a bit slow, I am deep into the third and LOVING the story. While I won’t give any spoilers away, the strong female characters have me loving the characters and story development. Please start reading and let me know so we can talk about all our favorite parts!