MINNEAPOLIS, June 24, 2008 — "If you're having trouble coming up with names, you're not alone," says Anett D. Grant, president of Executive Speaking, Inc., a global speaking coaching company founded in 1979 and headquartered in Minneapolis.
Women have achieved powerful positions in politics. Women have delivered powerful performances on stage. Women have become captains of industries. But few corporate women have emerged as having power at the podium.
To help executive women become great speakers, Executive Speaking, Inc. has launched a new initiative: Beyond the Barriers.
Beyond the Barriers is focused on helping women leaders confront and conquer the barriers – internal and external – that are keeping them from achieving significant podium power.
One of the external barriers Grant sees is the contradicting feedback women leaders receive that ultimately undermines their speaking power.
Grant describes a situation where the CEO was appalled at his treasurer's board presentation. He felt that this woman was not projecting thinking power and definitely not projecting leadership presence.
At the same time, a business unit president described her as enthusiastic, charming – just like a newscaster with such a wonderful smile.
"I couldn't resist raising the obvious question," says Grant. "Do you want the treasurer of a $500 million company to come across as the weather girl?"
Another one the external barriers women face is the expectation of femininity. Women have to navigate a minefield of projecting power – without overstepping the ideals of femininity that remain dominant even in our global environment.
"While small men do face challenges in terms of projecting power in some cultures," says Grant, "in my 28 years of coaching, I have never heard the issue described as a need for more masculinity."
Another external barrier executive women face is the requirement to wear the right outfit.
"Women leaders have fashion police in every audience to hand out penalties for wearing the wrong outfit," says Grant. "When the male leader wears an old, ill-fitting suit, he's seen as old money. When a woman leader wears an old, ill-fitting suit, she's seen as frumpy."
Grant describes a situation with a woman who was a business unit president for a major telecom company. She liked to wear tailored suits made of richly colored fabrics – reds, blues, even an occasional pink. One day, she had to go to a funeral, so she dressed in a somber black outfit. Her boss, the CEO, approached her and told her she looked wonderful.
One of the internal barriers women speakers face is feeling they have to know all the details before speaking up.
Grant describes a client who was part of the legal team complaining that her boss set her up by sending her into meetings without giving her time to prepare. Rather than seeing the opportunity to take advantage of exposure, she viewed the situation as sabotage.
"Obviously, she could not give particular legal advice without reflection," says Grant, "but she could have used the opportunity to demonstrate how well she could think on her feet. She had been handling similar issues for years."
By launching Beyond the Barriers, Grant believes she can use her 28 years of experience to help women leaders in business emerge from behind the scene forces to upfront powers who can truly become great speakers.
For more details about the Beyond the Barriers initiative and critical insights and analysis about how to promote women's power behind the podium, contact Anett D. Grant at 612-338-5748.
Executive Speaking, Inc. coaches leaders around the globe from companies including PepsiCo, GE, DHL, Pfizer, MasterCard, Verizon, SABIC and Honeywell.
http://www.ExecutiveSpeaking.net