When I stepped into one of the biggest leadership roles I’d ever held, I wanted to be assertive.
I wanted to walk into a room, be confident (not timid because that’s how I felt) and have everybody listen to me.
That’s not what being assertive means at all… but honestly, I didn’t quite know what it meant to be assertive.
Assertiveness can often be confused with aggressiveness.
People who are assertive are often labelled as being too aggressive with their approach.
So, hence the question… should female Christian leaders be assertive?
Let’s get that question answered!
Let’s have a look first at what it actually means to be assertive…
AssertivenessAccording to Risely.me, assertiveness refers to the ability to express one’s thoughts, feelings, and needs in a clear, direct, and respectful manner while also considering the rights and opinions of others.
It is a communication and behavioural style that promotes open and honest expression, confidence, and self-assuredness without infringing upon the rights and boundaries of others.
Now, assertiveness is often confused with aggressiveness as I mentioned before.
AggressivenessAnd aggressiveness refers to the behaviour or communication style that is characterised by forcefulness, hostility, and the disregard for the rights and feelings of others.
Aggressiveness involves a proactive approach to achieving one’s own goals or asserting one’s dominance, often at the expense of others. It can manifest in the form of verbal, physical or passive-aggressive actions.
So, should female Christian leaders be assertive?Consider the definition of assertiveness, where you express your thoughts, feelings, and needs in a clear, direct, and respectful manner while also considering the rights and opinions of others.
So in my humble opinion, yes, female Christian leaders can and should be assertive.
You might wonder how can I learn to express my thoughts, feelings, and needs in a clear, direct, and respectful manner while also considering the rights and opinions of others.
Here are a couple of tips for you:In an upcoming episode, I’ll be talking to you about how you can gain self-confidence in your abilities. I believe this to be a good follow on, because self-confidence is extremely important. If you don’t believe in yourself, other people might also not. Stay tuned for the next episode.
Next steps:1. Navigate to https://www.womenoffaithinleadership.com where you can:
2. If you need any support, you can get in contact with me for a 1:1 coaching session. Just email me at support@rikawhelan.com
3. Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikawhelan
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free