Many companies are struggling to hold onto their talented leaders in the midst of an aging workforce, a growing global market, and an increase in competition. How, then, can we make sure that women leaders and women rising in the ranks make it to the top?

For any organization the best and easiest way to continue to grow and thrive is to expand the use of talent that already exists within the organization, and maximize that talent to its fullest extent – and that means including talented women. In my experience designing a program called “The Leadership Circles” at MetLife I focused on development tools that would work to attract, develop, and retain the company’s talented women.

Numerous studies have shown that having women in leadership is beneficial to business outcomes, yet women are under-represented at the top, particularly among financial advisors. I believe that the way for women to lead well is to live well, so the following tips, derived from The Leadership Circles Program at MetLife, are designed to help women lead from within to break through the glass ceiling:

1. Get Clarity. Ask yourself: What do you want? Your vision should incorporate both personal and professional goals, including specific goals aligned to the success of the company you represent. Your vision should be unique to you, and build on your own strengths and passions.

2. Find Focus. Ask yourself: Where will you put your attention? Focus on top priorities related to your vision, break those down and create a focused approach to follow. Focus is a vital skill for leaders who often report feeling “fractured” and “scattered” in today’s busy world.

3. Take action. Ask yourself: What do you need to do? Turn the priorities from the previous item into action items, so that you are always driving toward making the biggest impact with your efforts.

4. Tap into your brilliance. Ask yourself: What’s unique about you? Strength-based leadership is taught as a method to leverage your natural strengths.

5. Feel fulfillment. Ask yourself: What motivates you and makes you happy? The role of values and fulfillment will help you to experience a sense of personal and professional well-being.

6. Maximize your time. Ask yourself: How can you achieve more with less? Learning to make the most of the time you have is key, and this practice will help to reduce stress and increase not only productivity but a sense of peace.

7. Build your team. Ask yourself: Who can support you? The mentors, coaches, sponsors, and partners you surround yourself with will help to support you and expand your potential along the way.

Overall, the goal is to provide a structure that supports success over time, and is rooted in a content area of particular interest to you. These tips, when developed into a practice, can be adapted to almost any content or curriculum.

In many organizations I have worked with, including MetLife, one of the most common comments women in leadership make is, “I feel so alone.” They worry about reinventing the wheel and are plagued by questions about whether they’re doing things right. Becoming part of a large group of other women in similar roles gives them a solid sense of community.

Personal leadership practices such as these can help to develop a long future for women in leadership: an organic, self-sustaining model of women helping women to succeed. Putting these tips into practice will also help high-performing women advisors into move into stronger roles of leadership companywide.

Posted on 6/26/14

Dr. Joelle K. Jay is a principal with the global leadership development firm, Leadership Research Institute (LRI) and the author of The Inner Edge: The 10 Practices of Personal Leadership. As an executive coach, author and speaker, Dr. Jay helps leaders leverage their talents to achieve top performance and business results. Her clients include global businesses in investment services, finance, hospitality, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, education,communication and technology. Dr. Jay earned her Ph.D., with an emphasis on learning and leadership, from the University of Washington. She also has a master’s degree from Boston University, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nevada, and the highest level of certification awarded by the International Coach Federation.

For more, you can visit her website.

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