Advice for women aspiring to lead in Customer Success

We've been conditioned to believe that "good" women make themselves smaller: speak softer, apologize more, defer quicker. But being a leader isn't about shrinking to fit other people's comfort zones. It's about expanding to fill the role that your vision, expertise, and impact deserve. And yet, we still catch ourselves minimizing our contributions in meetings, hedging our statements with "I think maybe..." and literally making ourselves smaller by slouching. We've been taught to be grateful for crumbs when we should be setting the table. That's space abdication. Women: your discomfort with taking up space is someone else's comfort with you staying small. Every time you shrink, you're not just limiting yourself; you're modeling limitation for every woman watching. And trust me, they're watching. (And if you're reading this, you're watching me so I'd BETTER take up space.) Taking up space isn't about becoming aggressive or adopting masculine behaviors (though there's nothing wrong with those either, if they're authentically you). It's about showing up as the full version of yourself, with all your ideas, insights, and yes, your strong opinions intact. Here's your roadmap to claiming your rightful space: 1. Speak first in meetings. Not after you've heard everyone else's thoughts and carefully calibrated your response. Lead with your perspective, then listen and adapt. 2. Stop hedging your expertise. Replace "I'm not an expert, but..." with "In my experience..." You didn't accidentally end up in a leadership role. 3. Take up physical space. Sit forward, not back. Gesture naturally. Use your full vocal range. (I've been accused of not having an "inside voice". Oh well!) Your body language should match the size of your ideas. 4. Own your wins publicly. When someone asks how the project went, don't say "the team was amazing." Say "I'm proud of how I led the team to deliver X results." 5. Interrupt the interrupters. "Let me finish that thought" is a complete sentence. So is "I wasn't done speaking." Your leadership isn't a consolation prize or a diversity initiative. It's a business imperative. The world needs what you bring, but only if you're willing to bring all of it. #womenleaders #communication #executivepresence

A highly qualified woman sat across from me yesterday.   Her resume showed 15 years of C-suite experience. Multiple awards. Industry recognition.   Yet she spoke about her success like it was pure luck.   SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT of female executives experience this same phenomenon.   I see it daily through my work with thousands of women leaders. They achieve remarkable success but internally believe they fooled everyone.   Some call it imposter syndrome. I call it a STRUCTURAL PROBLEM.   Let me explain...   When less than 5% of major companies have gender-balanced leadership, women question whether they belong.   My first board appointment taught me this hard truth.   I walked into that boardroom convinced I would say something ridiculous. Everyone seemed so confident.   But confidence plays tricks on us.   Perfect knowledge never exists. Leadership requires:   • Recognising what you know • Admitting what you miss • Finding the right answers • Moving forward anyway   Three strategies that transformed my journey:   1. Build your evidence file Document every win, every positive feedback, every successful project. Review it before big meetings. Your brain lies. Evidence speaks truth.   2. Find your circle Connect with other women leaders who understand your experience. The moment you share your doubts, someone else will say "me too."   3. Practice strategic vulnerability Acknowledging areas for growth enhances credibility. Power exists in saying "I'll find out" instead of pretending omniscience.   REALITY CHECK: This impacts business results.   Qualified women: - Decline opportunities - Downplay achievements - Hesitate to negotiate - Withdraw from consideration   Organisations lose valuable talent and perspective.   The solution requires both individual action and systemic change.   We need visible pathways to leadership for women. We need to challenge biased feedback. We need women in leadership positions in meaningful numbers.   Leadership demands courage, not perfect confidence.   The world needs leaders who push past doubt - not because they never experience it, but because they refuse to let it win. https://lnkd.in/gY9G-ibh

"Speak up, but watch your tone."  "Be assertive, but smile while doing it."  “Stand your ground, but make sure to be likable." Ladies, sound familiar? 🤨 In honor of #womenshistorymonth, I want to explore this theme. These contradictory expectations create a maddening tightrope that women in business must walk daily. While men are often rewarded for assertive behavior as being "passionate," women exhibiting identical behaviors are labeled "emotional" or worse. 🎾 Remember Serena Williams at the 2018 U.S. Open? When challenging the umpire's call, she was penalized a game - something rarely seen in Grand Slam matches. Meanwhile, tennis "bad boys" McEnroe and Connors reminded us they'd done far worse without comparable consequences. Let's talk about what's really happening: 👉🏻 Gender stereotypes prescribe men to be dominating, while expecting women to be warm and nurturing, even in competitive or leadership roles. When women breach these stereotypes, they face what researchers call an "assertiveness penalty." A 2008 study revealed that "men received a boost in perceived status after expressing anger," while "women were accorded lower status, lower wages, and seen as less competent." So how do women navigate this unfair landscape? 1. Understand your communication style through assessments like DISC or Myers-Briggs 2. Master your triggers - that "amygdala hijack" that can derail conversations 3. Frame your statements - "Because I feel strongly about (patient safety), I'm going to speak very directly" 4. Cultivate allies who can step in to support To all women who have been called "aggressive" when being honest and direct: You probably weren't. The other person might have been intimidated. 💡You deserve to shine your light, even if it casts a big shadow. ⚡Correction: The world needs you to shine your light. Period. What has helped you find your voice in spaces designed to silence it? #womenleaders #genderbias #communicationskills #professionaladvice #doublestandards #serenawilliams

For most of my career in banking — and even now in the Thoropass boardroom — I’ve often been the only woman in the room. You’d think that by now, things would look different. They don’t. Not enough. Working in male-dominated spaces teaches you things textbooks never will. How to make your voice heard without being labeled “aggressive.” How to advocate for yourself when no one else in the room looks like you. How to stay sharp, confident, and curious even when you’re underestimated. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way: 1. Curiosity is your competitive edge. Knowledge is power, and curiosity keeps you dangerous. Learn beyond your area. Understand the business, the numbers, and the strategy. It’s hard to box you out of the conversation when you know as much or more than everyone else at the table. 2. Build your network — and actually use it. Men do this naturally. Women are told it’s “self-promotional.” It’s not — it’s survival. Your network can’t open doors for you if they don’t know what you’re doing or where you want to go. Talk about your work. Ask for help. Name your ambitions out loud. 3. Take risks — especially when you’re not 100% ready. Men apply for jobs when they meet 60% of the requirements. Women wait until they hit 100%. Stop waiting. Say yes to stretch roles. Try new things before you’ve mastered them. That’s where growth — and visibility — happen. 4. Trust your instincts — and walk when it’s time to go. If a culture doesn’t support women, believe what you see. You don’t owe anyone your energy or your potential. It’s not your job to fix a broken culture — it’s your job to find one that sees your value. To the women in my network: What’s the hardest lesson you’ve learned navigating male-dominated spaces?

"These 50-year-old Wall Street sales guys will never listen to a woman half their age." 👆 That’s what people said when I was leading a sales transformation at Morgan Stanley. And they were right. Most of my team didn’t want to change. 🔒 I was a woman in my 20s working with seasoned veterans who: A) Had built successful careers doing things their way B) Didn’t see me as a “leader” So instead, I focused on building relationships through informal chats. 💡 > We talked about my mandate > Not to step on their toes but to support them Turns out, they weren’t just resisting change. They were worried about losing their roles, looking incompetent, and adapting to the new system. I knew pushing wouldn’t work, so I started partnering with them. 🤝 - Joined their client calls - Helped them prepare for meetings - Built custom decks to showcase their expertise And then, something happened. One of the biggest skeptics landed a $650K deal using our approach. He started advocating for the change. The rest of the team followed. ✅ $20M in new business ✅ Stronger client relationships ✅ A team that embraced the future instead of fearing it For any woman leading in a male-dominated space, here’s what I learned: 1) Don’t fight for control. Bring insights and results that make you indispensable. 2) Fear of the unknown holds people back. Give them clarity, and they'll follow. 3) Credibility isn’t about age, it’s about trust. Listen first, understand their concerns, and speak their language. When people feel heard, they’re more willing to hear you. Found this helpful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

“Downplaying your value isn’t humble — it’s selfish.” If that line stopped you in your tracks, it’s because you were raised to believe the opposite. You were taught to be humble. Warned not to be “too much.” Conditioned to believe the work would speak for itself. It doesn’t. A few months ago at a women-in-leadership event, someone asked: “What advice would you give every woman?” I told them this story. When I launched Growth, Inc., I hosted a workshop with brilliant women — PhDs, experts, leaders of huge teams. Women anyone would be lucky to hire. Yet every single one said: “I’m uncomfortable saying I’m even good at what I do.” Conditioning taught them to wait to be noticed… and punished them when they stepped forward. So their strategy became: Work so hard they can’t ignore me. Until they realized—they can. The next morning, I met with a 27-year-year-old MBA. No experience. No track record. He said: “I’m convinced I could add value in any role you put me in. When can I start?” Total conviction. Zero hesitation. And the wild part? I believed him. It showed me we trust the person who speaks with certainty about their ability to help — not the one hoping their résumé will. Research backs this up: a study of 400+ leaders found that self-efficacy — belief in one’s ability — predicted effective leadership more than credentials or job history. Your ability to make people believe that you believe you can help often matters as much as experience. And after coaching thousands of women, I can tell you: it’s not hard to learn. The real obstacle is getting over the need to be liked. Because when you start owning your value, some people will like you less. Not because you’re wrong. Not because you’re arrogant. But because they think you’re supposed to stay humble and quiet. Instead of letting that hold you back, know this: Being less liked is often the first sign you’re stepping into your leadership potential. When I hear someone cut down another woman, I don’t think: “Who does she think she is?” I think: “Who is this strong and powerful person? I must meet her.” Women who own their value disrupt the hierarchy. Challenge outdated norms. Break rules designed to keep them small. And the people who can’t handle that? They’re not leading anything. They’re not inspiring anyone. So don’t contort yourself to please comfort seekers. Don’t shrink to stay likable to people who aren’t going anywhere. Don’t fear being disliked. Fear making choices that tell other women to keep themselves small. Likability doesn’t matter. Prioritize respect. Respect isn’t earned by being afraid, expecting others to infer your value, and blaming them for not getting it. Respect is earned by clearly articulating how you can help, delivering on the promise, and expanding your impact. If anyone ever tells you you’re “too big for your britches”? Don’t shrink. You grew. Order bigger britches. What’s a message you wish every woman in your life heard sooner?

Leadership Lesson #36 (Special Edition for Women) What I hear behind closed doors — and what we need to stop normalizing. I spend my days working with female founders and executives at the top of their organizations. What they tell me privately — and what they tolerate publicly — are often two very different things. Too much. Not executive material. Too direct. Too intense. These aren’t leadership gaps. They’re labels women absorb while still delivering results. So this year, instead of asking women to fix themselves, here are five things I’m asking my female founder and executive clients to lean into — to maximize both their value and their joy. 1. Be bold. Be assertive. Be yourself. I’ve had clients fired for being told they were “too much.” Another was told she wasn’t “executive material.” Do we even hear men described this way? When women are clear and decisive, it gets labeled as a problem. It’s not. Your directness is often the very thing that moves the work forward. 2. Do five minutes anyway. When feedback like this lands, motivation disappears fast. So here’s the rule: get up and do five minutes anyway. One email. One decision. One hard conversation you’ve been avoiding. After five minutes, reassess. If you’re still drained, rest — without guilt. Action breaks paralysis. Rumination feeds it. 3. Eat for what you need — not what everyone else needs. I had a client making dinner every night around what her kids would eat. She slowly stopped eating what her body needed. Her health began to spiral — energy, hormones, focus. This isn’t selflessness. It’s self-erasure. Your body is not a sacrifice altar. Feed yourself like you matter. 4. Say no without turning it into a performance. Women are conditioned to soften clarity. To over-explain. To manage everyone else’s feelings. “No” is not rude. It’s precise. And precision is leadership. 5. Learn to recognize when “feedback” is really discomfort with your strength. Harsh. Angry. Intense. Too much. That’s not insight — it’s someone struggling to keep up or stay in control. Here’s what decades of leadership and coaching women at the top has taught me: You are not broken. You are not behind. And you do not need to dilute yourself to lead well. This year isn’t about being more acceptable. It’s about being more effective — and letting the right people adjust. 👉 Follow Jennifer L. DiMotta if you want leadership conversations that don’t ask women to shrink, soften, or self-edit. #LeadershipLesson #WomenInLeadership #FemaleFounders #WomenExecutives #BoldLeadership #ExecutivePresence #LeadAsYouAre