Developing Female LeadersSample

 Be An “Other” 

 Dr. Henry Cloud explained it like this: “Ask many people about their greatest accomplishment and challenges overcome, and you will find one thing in common: there was someone on the other end who made it possible.” He went on to write that neuroscience has proven what many people have been experiencing, that it is the relationship that makes the difference. Relationships literally rewire our brains for better or worse. To perform better, you have to actually become better. And that can, based on neuroscience, only happen in the context of truly connected relationships.

In conversations with female leaders, three primary types of relationships emerged that played the biggest role in developing female leaders: male mentors, male sponsors, and female coaches. 

Mentoring relationships are usually voluntary on both sides and happen when leaders who are further along in their leadership, career, or life take time to advise, guide, and support someone who will benefit from their experience. Men in higher-level leadership roles can have a huge impact on developing female leaders when they choose to invite women into these informal networks, build mentoring relationships, and help them become more connected with other organizational leaders.

If mentorship is about advice, sponsorship is about action. Sponsors help open up organizational doors for leaders who aren’t in a position to open doors for themselves. Sponsors can often be a long-term relationship that lasts over the course of a career and assists at all levels of the leadership journey.

There is about 10 to 15 percent of a female leader’s journey that is uniquely female, including navigating a male-dominated work environment and balancing all the roles and responsibilities women have in their different seasons of life. A female coach who has “been there, done that” is in the best position to help. 

Being and providing quality “others” will give your female leaders the supportive connections and authentic relationships they need to learn, grow, and develop into the capable leaders your church needs and the fruitful leaders God has called them to be.