Time and time again we are reminded that there is no one right way of leading. What’s
in the books might not be for you, and what’s deemed as the ‘correct’ way is too often
turning women away from leading. It not just about a set of guidelines follow, it’s about
who you are and finding a way to lead that works for you
The Women Emerging methodology guides you to discover and define what leading
means to you regardless of how you may have thought of it or observed it done. The
map, developed in 2022 by 24 women from diverse backgrounds and captured in Julia
Middleton’s book “If that’s leading, I’m in”, includes 4E’s: Essence, Elements,
Expression and Energy.
Essence, the first E, defines us and shapes how we lead. It is the centre circle in
our map, as it fundamentally shapes how we approach leading, and it roots the
Energy generated. For more details on Essence, read this.
In this blog, we are going to describe the second E in our map: Elements.
Elements is how your Essence shows up in how you are leading. While your
Essence will frame who you are, your Elements will show how your Essence
unfolds when you lead. For example, if Motherness is a part of your Essence it
could show up in 2 Elements; nurturing and fierceness.
During the First Expedition, explorers uncovered four groups of Elements:
- Jettison: Consciously discarding unhelpful Elements. Examples from Julia
Middleton’s book “If that’s leading, I’m in” include ignoring self, minimizing
oneself, the ‘good girl’ mindset, seeking a seat at the table, falling for flattery, and
feeling “enough.” - Reframe: Changing how you view certain traits. For example, instead of seeing
imposter syndrome as negative, consider how it might keep you grounded and
open to feedback. - Find: This is about the most crucial Element of all, purpose. It’s an Element that
should never be jettisoned and if it is to be reframed, it should be done so only
with extreme care. You must be clear on why you are leading in order to lead in
the best possible way. - Combine: Integrating different Elements to enhance each other, rather than
balancing them as trade-offs. For example, humble and visible. Both seemingly
opposites and contradictory, but success lies in their combining.
The first action to take is jettison.
Elements that get in the way of your leading they are unhelpful are the first ones that
you know you must jettison. The dictionary meaning of jettison is to throw or drop
something (from an aircraft) and that’s what the Women Emerging asks you to do with
Elements that you don’t need. For example one Element that everyone in the first
expedition agreed upon jettisoning, was ‘the sense of not being enough.’ How many
times have you added the word enough unnecessarily at the end of a sentence? Is this
good… enough? Am I thin… enough? Sweet enough? Polite enough? Strong enough?
Ambitious enough? But what is it to be ‘enough’ and who defines it? Elements like
enough don’t contribute positively to our being or to our leading. The sooner we
recognize them and discard them, the better it becomes for our leadership.
Julia’s book, “If that’s leading, I’m in”, describes various Elements that explorers from
the First Expedition identified to be jettisoned. However, these Elements can be
different for different women and something that explorers discover when they go on an
expedition.
The second action to take with your Elements, is ‘reframe.’ Reframing, simply put, is to
change or shift your perspective on how you have considered a certain Element. Maybe
there is one that you have always been told was negative but maybe it isn’t. Let’s take
the example of imposter syndrome. Thousands of women, feel the imposter syndrome.
Do they belong where they are? Can they lead in an area without being hesitant? What
if they don’t know enough! Imposter syndrome has always been coined as a bad thing.
But the explorers on the First Expedition began to peel off the many layers of imposter
syndrome only to realise that it isn’t all that bad. They discovered that when you reframe
imposter syndrome it brings humility in your leading, allowing you to be open to own up
the space where you are leading and yet keep you grounded.
Reframing might require pushing back on certain social norms and expectations, but
that’s where the transformative work of the expedition comes in!
Let’s come to the final step of sorting Elements: combining. Combining is one of
the more time consuming and complex actions, especially compared to
jettisoning, for example. As mentioned above, there is emphasis on combining
and it does not equate to balancing. There is no this versus that – both qualities
appear at the same time, but their amounts may vary. It’s a unique take as the
Elements seem to clash or are often incompatible. Let’s take a closer look at two
of the Elements the explorers from the First Expedition chose to combine.
Empathy and Distance
Empathy: Empathy is crucial for understanding and relating to others’
experiences and emotions. It’s essential in addressing trauma and building
meaningful connections. Distance: While empathy fosters connection, distance is
necessary to maintain objectivity and make tough decisions. Distance helps
leaders manage their own emotional responses and focus on what’s best for the
team or cause, even if it means facing unpopularity.
Combining the two: The key to effectively leading lies in p combination of these
two Elements. Empathy should guide interactions and decision-making, while
distance ensures they remain objective and focused on long-term goals. It
requires regular self-assessment, sensitivity to others’ needs, and a willingness
to make difficult choices when necessary.
Folawe, in her podcast, shares her journey as a leader who wanted to love and
be loved to one who learned to balance empathy with the need for distance in
decision-making.
There are many dimensions to how Elements manifest in leadership. Julia’s book
explores these intricacies, showing how each Element, like empathy and
distance, has both its strengths and potential pitfalls.
Understanding and mastering your Elements involves more than just recognising
them; it requires jettisoning the ones that are not helping you, reframing the
Elements that you have perceived as being negative, combining opposite
Elements and most importantly finding your purpose to lead. Women Emerging
provides a structured approach to this through its expeditions. Over a 7-month
period, explorers participate in conversation, self-reflection, and group
discussions, gaining insights into how to uncover their 4E’s, i.e. Essence,
Elements, Expression and Energy.
These expeditions will help you to evolve as you grow as a leader. Women
Emerging supports this journey with resources like curated audio snippets,
podcast episodes, and written resources to help you explore and refine your
Elements.
For those seeking a more individualised experience, Women Emerging will soon
offer solo expeditions. This expedition option provides a flexible and personal
path for those who prefer to explore their Elements, and the rest of their 4Es, at
their own pace.
In our next blog, we will explore the third E i.e. Expression. If you have questions
about the 4Es or if you would like to join an expedition, click here.
