The Importance of Women Leaders Telling their Own Stories

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By April Townsend
October 11, 2024

Everyone has a story, but not everyone’s story is told. The phrase “history is written by the winners” underscores that storytellers are often people in power, and most frequently the people in power are men. In comparison, we hear comparatively few stories about women—particularly women who are or have been leaders in our field of public administration. That’s unfortunate, because when we don’t hear women’s stories, they and their experiences—as well as their contributions—are at risk of being forgotten or erased.

Women Experience Leadership Differently

Research has repeatedly shown that women’s experiences in advancing to leadership are very different than their male colleagues. Because of this, it’s important for women to hear the leadership stories of other women in order to “normalize” the varied and different paths that women experience. Unfortunately, we don’t often hear these stories because there’s a misconception that sharing our unique and personal backgrounds is somehow unprofessional and shouldn’t be discussed in the workplace. I think this assumption misses the mark. Research has shown that when women share their path to leadership and how it has informed the way they lead, their story becomes a valuable leadership development tool which can be used to teach and develop others.

That said, I realize that some women may be reluctant to share their leadership story because it feels too much like bragging, which can be uncomfortable. Others may find it difficult to take credit for the work they’ve done and may even try to downplay or diminish their contributions. Admittedly, sharing one’s story can be difficult. To authentically share your leadership story often means being willing to be vulnerable, which at times can be equated with being weak. Yet that vulnerability shows the human and authentic side of you and your leadership, which is something people crave in their leaders.

Women’s Leadership Program

As a department director in the county government where I worked, I helped to establish the organization’s first leadership program for women. A key element of this program was encouraging the women who participated to reflect on and share their leadership journey. By sharing our different paths to leadership, we wanted to emphasize that for our organization there was no “wrong” way to leadership. Instead, by identifying and sharing pivotal experiences—as well as how those experiences shaped our leadership philosophy—we encouraged women to embrace that there are many paths to leadership and how the journey and process is different for each and every woman. 

The Importance of YOUR Story

If you are a woman in a leadership role, why is it so important that you share your leadership story? Quite simply—no one can truly know your story until you tell it. Sure, they may be aware of certain positions you’ve held or milestones in your career, but there’s no way someone else can really understand the significance they’ve had on you. By sharing pivotal career experiences and identifying how and why they made an impact on you, you give other women the permission to embrace their own leadership journey, while also changing the narrative of how women become leaders.

What to Share

I remember once hearing that, “When you choose to share your story, you share a piece of yourself.” Stories can be powerful tools in providing yourself and others insight to real-life problems and the real-life emotional responses to those problems.

When you think about your leadership story, you may consider exploring the role of others who may have helped you along the way, or perhaps touching on how you may have had to juggle demands in both your personal and professional life. You may decide to share examples of learning what worked and what didn’t work, particularly as it related to a key learning moment you had while handling a new situation or while navigating a conflict or misunderstanding.

If you’re not sure where to start in drafting your leadership story, you may want to explore these prompts designed to help you reflect on your leadership journey:

• Why did you decide to become a leader?
• How have you approached your career and your leadership?
• What fears came to the surface as you took on your first leadership role?
• How have your experiences influenced your sense of purpose?
• How has work/life balance impacted your path to leadership?
• What have been your biggest surprises on your leadership journey?
• What’s the biggest challenge you face as a woman in leadership?
• When did someone advocate for you?

Women Must Tell Their Own Stories

If you are a woman in a leadership role, chances are you are one of those who is walking around with powerful experiences but may not consider them to be worth sharing. Remember—your leadership story doesn’t need to be perfect. But sharing your story can be an inspiration to others. Your story matters because it becomes an example to other women on how to claim both their voices and their leadership abilities.

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Author: Dr. April Townsend worked in the public sector for over 30 years, holding a variety of executive leadership positions. As a Research Fellow with the Utah Women & Leadership Project, she has published numerous reports and articles focused on leadership, particularly the challenges faced by women leaders. Her email is: [email protected]. Twitter handle: @AprilT2014

 

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