“I Don’t Want to Waste Senior Leaders’ Time”

Why Women Aren’t Building Relationships With Senior Leaders

I was chatting with a good friend of mine recently, who happens to sit on the Executive Team of a global business.

She told me how frustrating it was to see how few women in the organisation approach her, share their ideas or just engage her.

“There are plenty of men lining up outside my door,” she said, “All keen to share with me what they’re up to and to make it pretty clear what career opportunities they’re looking for next. But not so many women.”

In my experience, as a Career Coach of 13 years, a lot of women are hit with self-doubt when it comes to building relationships with senior leaders,

“I don’t want to waste their time.”

“I don’t think I have anything of value to add.”

“They’re busy – I don’t want to get in the way.”

Does this resonate?

The Problem With Fear

These concerns of taking up space, wasting other people’s time and having nothing of interest to say are, quite frankly, excuses based on a fear:

A fear of being rejected.

So…

What if…

You just recognised this fear for what it is… (a thought based on no fact at all)…

And made those connections, shared your thoughts and built those crucial relationships anyway?

What would change?

With the backing and support of a few senior leaders, how would everything in your career become easier?

Being the world’s best kept secret serves nobody at all…

Perhaps it’s time to see those senior relationships as being crucial to your own success and happiness…

Perhaps it’s time to step up your game?

Rebecca x