This is a pink ghetto; women far outnumber men in internal communications, PR and marketing communications. And most women do a great job. But there is a dark side. When professionalism gives in to being nice girls who make people happy, nobody wins.
So let's look at the three biggest "girly" mistakes of female marcomms leadership, and what you can do to avoid them.
ONE Don't sizzle. There's a fine line between charismatic and sexy. Stay on the right side of it. Show your expertise, not your hemline. Go for the respect of all, not the inappropriate attentions of the men who might promote you. The sexy route might get you promoted, but it will lose you the respect of all the women who work for you ... and that's most of the marcomms workforce.
TWO. Don't be a biddable yes girl. Top female mistake I've seen amongst my senior leaders over the years. You want to make people happy. You want to get ahead. You want your department to be popular. So you agree to whatever the senior executives want, whether or not it's a good idea. Eventually, this will catch up with you. Usually when the leaders you supported get booted out, and marketing takes the blame for their stupid decisions. You could have said no. Advise what's right, not what's popular.
THREE. Don't be one of the boys. The opposite mistake to the one above, which seems to be more typical of older women who were on the front lines of the equal rights battles of the 70s, is to be a complete hardass. Cutting out all female characteristics and being as tough and heartless as the hardest man will not only alienate your employees. It denies natural strengths that your essential femininity brings to the table.
Sadly, I've worked under or with women who have shown all these traits. And it makes you pine for the easy (if disorganised and a bit uncaring) openness of a male boss.
Bottom line: be yourself. Don't use your sexuality. Use your brain and your experience.
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