Raise Her Up by Debra E. Lane and Kimberly Cullen
“Not only is it harder for women to acquire leadership positions, but when they do achieve them, they struggle with issues like perfectionism, imposter syndrome, and a need to prove they are worthy of the opportunities.”
5 Main Messages:
Women need to build self awareness to increase strengths and learn from weaknesses
Women should learn to lean into their own authentic style of leadership
It takes courage to be a trailblazer
Connectedness helps build courage
Leaders need to be purpose-driven and resilient
I read this book on a recommendation and raced through it in preparation for a conference about female leadership in international schools. It proved to be the perfect read.
My career in education began in the state sector in the UK, where there is an abundance of female leaders and role models. The landscape in Asia, however, is different. While things are certainly changing, there are complicated cultural landscapes and a well established club to navigate. There are certainly plenty of outstanding Heads to look up to and learn from, but female leaders in the top jobs are harder to find, which is what makes this book so important when highlighting current - and empowering future - female role models.
Debra E. Lane and Kimberly Cullen set out to share real women’s stories about school leadership - both the celebrations and the challenges. The women included in the book have a wealth of experience and share their stories about the complex path to leadership with great candour, including mistakes they have made and lessons they have learned along the way.
Themes covered include building self awareness, resilience and humility; taking risks; building a shared purpose; setting boundaries; embracing failure; behaving with integrity, and blazing a trail! Some recurring messages are around the importance of building a community of support - finding mentors, supportive peers and mentees along the way.
What quickly becomes clear is that all of these women are very reflective and self-aware. This is intentional and there are many ways to achieve this level of clarity, through journaling, talking with a peer or mentor, or engaging with a coach. Lane and Cullen suggest that: “Leaders can spend time alone in reflection or work with a coach to learn from their experiences.” They also provide plenty of opportunities in the book for the reader to reflect on their own situation through relevant and stimulating questions related to the themes of each chapter.
The book itself is thoughtfully constructed, with fantastic quotes, commentary on the real life stories shared, and conclusions which draw out the themes and lessons from each woman’s experience. As well as reflection questions, there are sections containing ‘food for thought’ with downloadable resources and a wealth of references which will keep me busy for years to come!
Twenty or thirty years ago the only female role models we had in leadership were those brave enough to enter a man’s world and they often needed to assume traditionally considered ‘male’ leadership qualities in order to survive. Fortunately, we have moved on and organisations are increasingly recognising the value and importance of employing women in leadership roles, with soft skills now being highly valued in all leaders. The examples and stories in this book demonstrate how success can come from being empathetic, humble, courageous and open-minded. These women are incredible role models.
Today, as I reflect on the books I was generously given when I first moved to Asia I can see that they were all books with a focus on how to live here, rather than about how to lead here. How I wish I had been given this book instead. I would highly recommend it for any current or aspiring leader!
