As women we do not have to dress like a man, act like a man, or think like a man to move up into the role of leadership. We simply need to be LEADERS and not allow false stereotypes to be our excuses. Stereotypes such as: - Women are too emotional to be leaders - Women can’t make a decision - Women leaders are Too Aggressive / Angry women Once we allow others to label our strength as weaknesses we also give them the power to take control of our future. Leadership simply means having the ability to carry out the goal of a vision through the work of one or more people. Philippians 3:13 say” I can do all things through him who strengthens me”. A question which has been asked many times; are leaders born or are leaders made. I tend to think they are both. God created the human race in his image and pre-destined us for greatness. However, how we allow external factors to influence us will determine if we utilize our leadership skills or cover them up based on the opinions if others. As women we need to know we can accomplish anything we set our sight on, and we have the ability as natural born leaders to influence the thoughts and actions of others. With this in mind we need to seek ways to develop our God given abilities and never stop improving on ourselves Women seeking leadership roles should consider the following: - Find a support system of like-minded women - Observe other in leadership roles ( both males/females) - Read: books and articles on Leadership - Use positive affirmations Daily - Attend toastmaster or start your own Today more and more women are entering into the workforce, politics, and becoming community advocates. No longer do we need to simply be a part of the team, we have what it takes to lead the team. Leadership is not defined by our gender! - Donna Tebought