Women have a long-standing history in the workforce, in all roles from front-line worker to visionary founder, influential behind-the-scenes patron to front-and-center CEO. As women, however, what are the influences, barriers and benefits to our leadership? Do we use or even acknowledge our strengths and skills?

This is a time of great change in the workforce, in part because of the increase in numbers and influence of women in the workplace. Flex time, daycare and caregiver support, and telecommuting are a few examples of workplace initiatives that benefit everyone, but evolved primarily due to the roles and influence of women who are often juggling multiple home, workplace, and community responsibilities. However, there are some areas in which women could still be more visible and vocal.

This course will explore the history of women in the workforce and offer personal opportunities for exploration, identification, and development of leadership strengths and skills.

In this session, you will learn a brief history of workplace evolution and meet some women who demonstrated their own brands of leadership style and success. You will then learn basic types of workplace leaders and begin the process of self-identification.

Barriers to women’s leadership come in two general types: external factors such as the workplace or home environment, and internal: layers of conditioning, anxieties, and experiences women hold inside.

In this session, you will learn more of these barriers: how to identify them, work with them, and how to turn them into benefits that can strengthen your leadership.

Research suggests that those with strong social and emotional intelligence are more likely to contribute to a positive work environment.

In this session, you will survey the history of Social and Emotional theory and be introduced to the five Social and Emotional Competencies. Further you will reflect on examples of good social and emotional intelligence examples from your own experience.

Self-awareness is about understanding your own traits, behaviors, needs, desires, feelings, failings, habits, and everything else that influences who you are. Self-awareness will help you to make choices that are right for you and will allow you to form successful relationships and make better decisions.

In this session, you will use your own reflection and assessments from your boss, a peer and a family member or close friend to reflect on your own strengths and abilities.

Good leadership begins with self-awareness and evolves with sharing your strengths and skills with those who can benefit from them.

In this session, you will examine ways to identify and develop and brand and ‘sell’ it to those who can use your skills and help generate the projects and future you want.

Good leadership skills include essentials for all relationships. For women, there can be confusion between ‘acting like a man’ and evolving their own leadership styles.

In this session, you will learn ways in which women can deliver unique forms of leadership, and how best to maximize the benefits.

Good decisions come using effective relationship and leadership skills and are socially aware.

In this session, you will learn a number of tips that you can use to make better decisions and some of the common decision traps. You will also be introduced to the Decision Wheel as a tool in good decision-making.

Acting on your own behalf is the ultimate definition of leadership. Planning allows for identification, ownership and revision of ingredients needed to stay on track and attain the results you want.

In this final session, you will develop a Philosophy Statement and gather other components necessary to draft an Individual Action Plan.

Now that you have completed this course on Women and Leadership: Owning Your Strengths and Skills, how will you use the things you have learned? Creating a personal action plan can help you to stay on track, and on target. When you take responsibility for yourself and your results, you get things done.

In this session, you will be asked questions to help you plan your short-term and long-term goals. This final exercise is a way for you to synthesize the learning that you have done, and to put it into practice.

Congratulations! You have completed the course "Women and Leadership: Owning Your Strengths and Skills."

In this course, we talked about women and leadership and how identifying, using and sharing your strengths and skills can benefit both you and your organization. You learned from the examples of prominent women leaders and personal heroes.

Next, you learned of the barriers to women in leadership, and ways to turn them into benefits.

Next, you learned how Social and Emotional Intelligence and Self-Awareness are key ingredients to effective leadership.

Then, you discussed the need for a brand, and how best to develop and sell your brand.

Next, you learned a number of tips that you can use to build good workplace relationships and completed an exercise that highlighted these behaviors.

Then, you learned a number of tips that you can use to make better decisions and some of the common decision traps. You were also introduced to the Decision Wheel as a tool in good decision-making.

Lastly, you created an Individual Action Plan, including a Philosophy Statement using a template provided.

You should now feel ready to be a leader in your workplace, using your strengths and skills to their potential!