Today I attended the 2012 Women's Leadership Summit. Full disclosure: I was feeling a little apprehensive about attending. Not because I was nervous or wasn't sure that I'd get anything out of it. That wasn't it at all. My tummy was flip-flopping because I had a massive hangover this morning. More about that in a minute...
I'd been looking forward to the WLS event all week. Homework in the form of a personality test, a DISC assessment, tickled me. Presented with a series of 5 descriptions, participants are instructed to order them from most to least accurate portrayal of their disposition. "Charming, delightful." I laughed. I am TOTALLY charming & delightful, so it went to the top of the heap in that set. I've taken this test before & was pretty sure that there's been no change to my High Dominance, but had never received a personalized evaluation. "Eva may be so self-confident that others view her as arrogant or egotistical." Pffft. I'm sorry, I couldn't hear that feedback over the sound of HOW AWESOME I AM.
The assessment includes a comparison of Natural versus Adapted style. Natural style is exactly what it sounds like, while Adapted style is an expression of your "mask" or game face for work. My Adapted style is almost identical to my Natural style. "Eva sees no need to change her approach to solving problems or or influencing others to her way of thinking. She sees her natural style to be what the environment is calling for." Duh.
The goal of the conference is to connect & engage women. We are responsible for our own personal & career growth, but a little coaching & support goes a long way in making those advances. In order to forge a path to leadership, we have to be confident in our strengths. Many women aren't comfortable with touting their own accomplishments, asking for promotions, or negotiating for better pay. It's a tough row to hoe, but they're necessary steps to move ahead. Women are often very good at nurturing relationships, but could boost progress by cultivating new relationships that support their endeavors. The purpose of the personality test was two-fold: to better understand ourselves as individuals, then to learn how to identify other styles & optimize communication when we encounter those operate differently. As utterly fantastic as I may be, High Dominance individuals only make up 9% of the population, so it's helpful to better understand how to work with the other 91%.
When I signed up for 2012WLS, I did so to walk the walk. I'm passionate about women holding an equal place in all spheres, so it seemed like a great opportunity to learn more about how to best advance that cause. I went to learn how to be more supportive to others, as well as my own ambitions. We're in this together. I know that I'm incredibly lucky to work for a company with a culture that embraces diversity in all forms & treats every employee with respect. My natural inclinations & attitude have helped me to get a seat at the table. Many of my beliefs were validated today, which is always deeply satisfying. I feel challenged & empowered to take my goals to the next level.
With equal parts righteous justification & convenient interpretation, I walked away feeling good my over-indulgence last night. Some might criticize & suggest that showing up for a leadership event kind of dizzy from the lingering effects of Irish whiskey is poor form. I'd contend that I was networking & engaging in an extremely informal mentorship with my co-workers, celebrating my boss's 20 year (!) anniversary with the company. I'm glad that I didn't pass up the opportunity to drink in marvelous insights from an uncommonly experienced woman.
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