Rebel Efforts Pay Off
‘That is the best damn Store entrance I have ever seen.’
That was the day, the day that she knew!
She had spent her entire career in a male dominated retail environment, her colleagues and peers all assuming that her ‘Senior Store Manager’ position had been achieved by her ‘close’ relationship with her boss.
Why wouldn’t they? She was a girl in a man’s world. Perhaps they didn’t think like Marilyn Monroe:
‘I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it.’ ~ Marilyn Monroe
Making of a Rebel Leader
She had progressed quickly through the ranks because of her results and had moved around the country so nobody really knew her background. She liked it that way.
She knew what worked! While her colleagues were working ninety hours a week, she was working half that talking to her people. Coaching, teaching, empowering and allowing them to evolve as leaders in their own right.
Her shop did not look as good as theirs for the first couple of months, but when it did it was awesome, effortless, and left others gossiping.
Pushing the Limits
She took on additional regional roles, hosted regional meetings and put herself in the firing line. All the time sailing close to the edge (and sometimes beyond) of corporate guidelines.
‘If I’d observed all the rules, I’d never have got anywhere.’ Marilyn Monroe
She carried out team building events that nobody else did, held ‘effective meetings’ and ‘business development meetings’ with her team – coaching and empowering them to drive the business.
The walls were plastered with success story boards, trophies and ‘stars’ of the week.
Fun was as important on the agenda as business, and all commitments made by her team were always delivered on time.
So, on that day, a day when the weekly Store sales had peaked at plus 150% year on year, she had been nominated for Store Manager of the Year and been promoted to Divisional Executive, there was a sound knowledge indeed.
‘We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly.’ Margaret Atwood
I knew the secret to Leadership was serving and empowering others.
I know that there are many women that experience this type of behaviour and manage to rise above it. If you have one, share your stories here. When was your defining moment – the moment you knew?
——————–
Mandy Russell is Managing Director of Mpower International Limited
She helps with Coaching, Leadership and Teambuilding Workshops and Training
Email │ LinkedIn │ Facebook │ Twitter │ Web │ Blog │ Skype: mandy-russell │ 07831 1250288
Image Sources: emauffa00.altervista.org
