Why Over Delivering Can Undermine Your Brand Value As A Female Leader And Keep You Stuck

Sometimes our life and career can feel like we are on a hamster wheel with no prospects or opportunities on the horizon to look forward to in the future.  No matter how hard we work, or the business experience we have, we feel stuck right where we are.  Sometimes we are okay with it, but other times we know we have more value, potential and much bigger goals and dreams. So we can lie awake at night wondering how to make it all happen.

Other times we are not even aware of the potential to achieve the greater success we desire because our self limiting beliefs and negative thoughts can be whispering away in our minds as background noise.  So instead of going for what we want, we hold ourselves back every day, leading us to self-sabotage ourselves without even realizing it.

I get it because, like so many other professional women and female leaders struggling with this mindset, I have experienced it too.  It can be frustrating, and it’s tough to talk about with other people.  You worry about sounding ungrateful or that you’re moaning and groaning about your frustrations without having any real solution to the problem.  And let’s face it, there is nothing worse than not being able to find answers to the same recurring problem.

You start to think: is there something wrong with me? Why am I not achieving success and recognition like everyone else? It can feel like a lonely place to be in. So today, I want to share how unlocking your worth can help you find your way back to being a more confident female leader when you feel stuck.

Finding The Balance Between Self And Serving.

One of the main things we can struggle with when building a personal brand as a female leader is finding the right balance between honoring yourself and serving others. 

If you are like 80% of women in business who strive to get to the top of their game, you probably deliver far more than what’s expected of you.  As high-performance women, we often feel like we need to over-deliver to get promoted or achieve greater success. We think that if we work harder to make our boss look good, we are doing ourselves a favour. We give and give and give, yet when that promotion opportunity comes along, we can’t understand why we don’t get it.

If you’re a small business owner or a female entrepreneur, you’re also not immune to over delivering. Because you think, the more value you give freely, the more you serve your clients and customers, then the more willingly people will pay a premium for your products and services.

And, of course, this is mainly true. But it’s not the whole picture. Because, as women, we can often give away way too much knowledge and know-how when it’s not necessary.  And instead of increasing our value, we are actually undermining it. 

Giving and serving others is pretty much in our DNA as women leaders.  It’s also taught as part of many leadership development programs as essential to creating a personal brand and developing your leadership style. 

But the problem is, as women, sometimes we over-deliver.  And one of the reasons why is because we don’t place significant value on many of the traits we have as female leaders.  We grossly underestimate our gifts and how valuable they are to the people or businesses we serve.  

Infact, research shows (Cornell university) that as women, we tend to underestimate our ability and performance more than men. We also often lack the self-belief and confidence to speak up or dare to offer new ideas than men. 

So here’s the thing. As a woman leader, you must learn to identify a balance between serving yourself and serving others. If you don’t, you may risk establishing a strong personal brand and reputation as an excellent worker bee, remaining stuck in the trenches helping others succeed rather than building your authority and impact as an industry leader.  

But the good news is, once you develop the right balance between self and serving, you will be back in the driver’s seat of your life and career—feeling in control and walking in your power as a more recognised and valued female leader. 

You will be able to build a more successful personal brand that speaks to who you are and the total value you bring to the table. You will be more confident and step into your power and presence as a leader as you have never felt before. And best of all, you will stop striving and start thriving.

Check out the 3 Powerful Forces of Personal Brand Growth

Develop A Healthy Sense Of Self To Serve Others, Build Your Personal Brand And Get Paid Your Worth.

When you think about your life and your business – what kind of decisions have you been making for yourself? Are the decisions you make on a daily basis moving you closer to your dreams or further away from them?  

Limiting self belief is one of the biggest career crushes for women and the number one reason we can make choices that ultimately do not serve us.
 

We feel like if we make decisions to serve ourselves, we are being selfish or not a team player.   We also struggle to talk about our gifts for fear of boasting or self-promotional about our capabilities.  But the truth is, this mindset holds us back from establishing strong and meaningful personal brands.  

There is this misconception that building a personal brand is all about being ‘salesy’ or pushy in your approach.  And to me this is the worst way to build a brand and get attention.  In fact, it is an old and outdated way of thinking about your personal brand and gaining recognition in your market. 

The new way of learning to make your mark is by communicating your thoughts, observations and learnings in a natural and comfortable way that speaks to who you are and what you stand for.  

Instead of hiding in the shadows, you should light up when people ask you what you do.  You should embrace opportunities to speak clearly and with authority about your thoughts and experiences about success, leadership and life. 

It may seem uncomfortable at first, but once you unlock your full potential and value, you will better shape, connect and ultimately serve others.  But now there will be a big difference.  You realise your worth as a leader and know the value of what you bring to the table. And, you will be able to serve others from a place of greater strength and power.  

You will set professional boundaries, and allow yourself to dream bigger and more audacious goals in your life, business or career.  You will be more aware of the impact you have on the people around you and ability to shift minds and empower others.

Then you will be one step closer to positioning yourself as one of the most highly valued and highly paid people in your industry.  And you will step into your growth zone, leaving any self-doubt and limiting beliefs behind you.

You may like to read: Why Do Some Women Leaders Hold You Back? 3 Ways To Take Back Your Girl Power To Lead With Confidence!

Leadership Coaching To Help You Discover Your Personal Brand To Become A Female Industry Leader.

As a personal brand and business mentor, I would love to share my top online personal branding tips and tools. You’ll learn more about building a personal brand, honing your leadership skills and unlocking your highest potential as a female leader, entrepreneur or small business owner!  

I want to share my unique personal branding strategy and executive coaching process that helps you unlock your full value and potential to make your mark and shake the world!  

Learn how to position yourself as an industry leader or thought leader in your target market and develop your personal brand. Discover what it feels like to have a great mentor invested in leading you closer to living the life you want and building the business or career of your dreams.

Read more about How To Benchmark Your Brand Success As A Female Leader

Other Useful Links And Resources: 

Unlock Your Personal Brand’s Superpowers + Personal Brand Superpowers Checklist

How To Craft A Powerful Leadership Style That Gets You Noticed! + 5-Step Leadership Style Worksheet

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To your success,