Establish your leadership presence in meetings

1. Establish your leadership presence in meetings Did you ever get ignored during meetings? People speak over you, and here's the worst part. You make a point, and it gets ignored. However, later another colleague makes the same point, and they get applauded! It's like every time you weigh in. Someone cuts across you. Unfortunately, you aren't alone. Research shows that women are interrupted at least 50% of the time while speaking in work meetings. It won't be wrong to say that women professionals are overtly and covertly discouraged irrespective of the industry. Another research study by Mckinsey and LeanIn.org found that around 38% of women professionals experienced others taking credit for their ideas. Further, the remote work culture also hurts women's chances of feeling seen and heard at work. Let's break down the challenges one by one and lay out the solutions to establish your leadership presence in meetings. What are the challenges women face during meetings? A women professional who has two male partners often feel steamrolled by them. They tend to see her as a nurturer in the partnership. And even if she chooses to talk, others talk over them as if they are entirely invisible. Here are some challenges faced by women during meetings: ●Their idea gets stolen: Whenever a female has an opinion, everyone just ignores her. But the similar idea by men gets applauded like anything. Whenever a woman says something, it never gets picked on. ●Their idea gets mansplained: Women professionals often feel that their contributions aren't taken seriously unless male colleagues repeat them. Everyone thinks they aren't competent enough, especially regarding technical matters. ●They aren't taken seriously: Men often interrupt women during meetings because they feel they are entitled to. They think they have all the knowledge and technical expertise to have a say on the matter. ●They are interrupted and talked over: An interesting statistic confirms that men are 3x more likely to interrupt a woman in a meeting. It's like they feel they have the right to do so. However,

2. women are uncomfortable interrupting men during similar situations. Thus, the gap widens even more. And if by any chance they start communicating their words, they are told they come off as too aggressive. They are expected to have a softer tone. Such issues are deep-rooted. It's time that you stop thinking about what others will feel and start establishing your presence in meetings. How can women professionals make an impact in business meetings? Imagine a meeting where someone like Sheryl Sandberg or Richard Brandson walks into the boardroom. Visualize the aura. It feels like no one can get enough. Everyone is so engaged with what they have to say. You have to develop that "It" factor. In the working landscape, we call it leadership presence. So, before you start doubting yourself ahead of your next meeting, below are some tips that will allow you to establish your effective leadership presence in meetings. Be Prepared Even if you have an occasional fear of how others perceive you, you never let other people see that. Make them comment on how you are not flustered while saying your point. You should give them an aura that you will always keep yourself together even in a crisis. How do you do that? Whenever you enter a room, give yourself 2 seconds to compose yourself. How to do that. Just take a deep breath, look around, and take action. But before you are set for the meeting, make sure you come in prepared. Have a list of anticipated questions ready, and prepare a response to make you look confident and an expert. This will allow you to establish your leadership presence. Your Body Language Matters Notice the people around you. Typically, if anyone is shy or underconfident, they will cross their legs and arms. Just imagine a scenario. What if Kiran Majumdar hunches during a meeting and avoids looking at you. Does it seem impressive? Of course not! If you want to establish your leadership presence, you must come across as a confident person. You must stand or sit tall and look like you are engaged enough. Never huddle your arms around your body. And while doing that, make sure that you maintain eye contact when trying to deliver your thoughts during a meeting. It will portray your confidence. Speak clearly and loudly enough

3. If you keep this perception that no one will listen to you, no one will ever. If you want people to take you seriously, you must speak up so that they can hear you. Avoid phrases like hope, think, might wish, etc. At the same time, never be afraid of the silence. Don't ramble just to fill the silence. Otherwise, someone will take over for sure. Try collaboration Interruptions during meetings are quite frustrating, especially if it's virtual. You can use a negotiation- style approach and put your point across. For example, do you remember when Mike Pence interrupted Kamala Harris on television? She responded calmly and directly, "Mr Vice President, I am speaking." You can also try phrases like "Your idea seems similar to mine, let me finish first, and you can take over later." "You can also try. Give me some more time to finish my point. Then I am interested in hearing from you." It will give them the benefit of the doubt while allowing you to finish your point. If you feel pushed back in a meeting, try to use positivity and get back where you stopped. It could be like, "I am glad you are so eager to contribute, but please let me finish my thought." Final Thoughts Countless studies confirm that workplace meetings are all about inequities. One study by a psychologist found that male colleagues spoke more often, and everyone perceived them as more competent. But when female professionals did the same, they never achieved similar competency ratings. But unless you do something about it, the bias will keep you away from good opportunities. So, speak up and never push back when someone interrupts you.