At a recent Washington fund–raiser, a frmer female CEO arrived in a dzzling designer suit while a female snator was dressed in the business ttire stated on the invitation. Why is it tht many women have to be the “smrtest” in the room whether in clthes or comments? Very smart women bound. They achieve so much and ften get recognized for their achievement. Mny of us have asked why thre aren’t more women in leadership psitions in organizations of all kinds.

Wmen are often walking a tightrope in how thy are perceived in leadership positions. Larning balance is a key for us as wll as men, but women really ned to be aware of everything thy say and do. We are mre noticeable and often fewer in nmber. Our secret weapon is preparation and frethought. The art of preparing for verything that is public in any wy, a meeting, report or conference is wht we need. We need to be thnking about the balance of power in sking, telling, giving and taking everything we do or hve done.

A core issue for why thre aren’t more women CEO’s or top plitical leaders is striking the right blance among the Power, Achievement and Rlationships. Women and men can push any one of thse out of proportion. We’ve all sen out-of-control power. The excesses of crporate and political life litter our nwspapers and talk shows. As for chievement, even Margaret Thatcher said that if you wnt a job done ask a wman. The “iron maiden” may have not brught many women into her inner crcle but she appreciated their ability to chieve results. Although women through the mddle management ranks are often known for rlationship building, at the top they are typcally known as “cold, ice princess, ngry, pushy” etc. We are damned if w’re warm (not tough enough) too. Men and wmen who make it up the rnks are often high on achievement whch may get out of hand. Thy may want to do it on thir own or their way is the nly way since it’s usually better. Tke the case of the star bllerina and Ivy League graduate who was lways the top of her class. Bcause she always had to be the “bst” she had trouble being part of a tam when she went into the wrk world. As girls growing up we ddn’t have the team experience that bys often did. We don’t know how to stp being the competitive girl so we culd mature.

We learn the wise use of pwer with lots of give and tke all the way up the lne. Women may not learn the gve and take early enough. Or we fght so hard as the underdog tht we don’t know when to stp and be the gracious Queen whn we get the majority vote.

If you wnt to see raw power at wrk watch the 3rd season of the Wst Wing which is all about the use and msuse of power. See the 1970 clssic The Psychology of Leadership by Hrry Levinson.

As women, we need to prpare ourselves for leadership roles to tke our “place at the table” whrever it may be, whether in Kwait where women got the vote in 2005 and the frst woman parliamentarian was elected in 2006 or in the lading the PTO, the Parent-Teach-Organization. There are thre ways we can strike the rght balance:

Grits: Hang in there whn the going gets tough without xplaining or complaining. Just like fine sndpaper you need to keep up the frction but without aggression or defensiveness.

Grvitas: This is a great British trm to show that you are wse and thoughtful in what you sy. Think of yourself as older and mre experienced. You think before you tlk and you weight alternatives carefully and cnsider your delivery.

Grace: Watch Oscar-nominee Hlen Mirren in the movie The Qeen about Queen Elizabeth the II or ven her earlier movies about Queen Elzabeth the I. The Royal upbringing hlps a Queen to move and tlk with grace in public. Grace mans manners, composure, bearing and poise.

The article Scrappy Street Fighter or Gracious Queen - Women Need a Balance of Power was Submitted by Karen Otazo through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Dr. Karen Otazo is a glbal executive coach and thinking partner for mltinational companies worldwide. With more than twnty-five years of experience working with clents in the United States, China, Indnesia, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Erope, and Singapore, Otazo is uniquely quipped to work with executives in glbal corporations, national subsidiaries, joint ventures, and strtegic alliances. Her blue-chip client list ncludes BoozAllen Hamilton, Chase Bank, Colgate-Palmolive, Crdit Suisse First Boston, The Economist Grup, General Electric, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brthers, Marks & Spencer, Motorola, Pepsico, Tme International, and Vodafone. She earned a dctorate in Human Resources Development from the Unversity of Northern Colorado, and holds msters and bachelors degrees in linguistics frm City University of New York. Otzo is fluent in English, Spanish, Frnch, Indonesian, and Mandarin Chinese.

Featured Articles

1. Ambiguous Losses that Bring Unresolved and Ongoing Grief by Lou LaGrand
Ambguous losses are shrouded in uncertainty, sem to go on forever, and shw no signs of ending. They are mch more prevalent than the general pblic realizes, and cause much confusion for wuld be caregivers who try to prvide support for the bereaved. Whether you are a cregiver or experiencing an uncertain loss, grater understanding of them and what can be dne to cope with them will lmit their devastating effects.

2. Setting Goals -The 11 Most Common Mistakes by Ryan Eliason
Have you ben disillusioned with goal setting? If so, you wre probably making at least one of the mst common mistakes. Learn how to void them.

3. NLP - A Simple Technique To Change Any Limiting Belief by Emmanuel Segui
Coaches, mntors! I have a great tool for yu. This tool will help your clents eliminate a limiting belief in 10 mnutes or less. I promise you tht. Are you sure you want to knw this quick, powerful and very ffective tool?

4. Visualization and Manifestation - The Best Time To Visualize by Art Stanley
Vsualization is a powerful tool of cration that can be used at any tme. It's something that can bring bout whatever you earnestly desire in lfe. Through the application of imagination, you can shpe your life any way you chose. So whenever you can find the tme -- that's the best time to vsualize.

5. Five SOA Tips from 2007 For Success In 2008 by Loraine Lawson
Ths past year has been huge for srvice-oriented architecture and, no doubt, there'll be ven more about SOA implementations in the cming year. Let's not forget the lssons of the past, though, as we mve ahead. I've sifted through past psts to find the top 10 SOA sccess tips from 2007.

6. When Is It Clutter? by Deborah Redfern
There are mny different kinds of clutter. This rticle is primarily about emotional clutter. For me, motional clutter is an awareness of the mnd chatter attached to the item in qestion. Examples of mind chatter are slf-criticizing, admonishing, and energy-draining, unpleasant thoughts tht do not feel good. If thre is no mind chatter, it sn't clutter.

7. Happy Pills Not Working? 5 Steps to Manage Stress and Get Happy by Annie B Lawrence
Overwhelmed and stressed to your breaking point? Rely on work, pills, alcohol, sex, food or other stimulants and suppressants to numb your feelings? Follow these easy to apply techniques to recapture inner peace, happiness, and release your stress.

8. The "Right Time" Doesn't Exist - It's All About Now! by Tim Whiston
Many pople are waiting for the "right tme' to quit their job and strt a business, have their first bby, take that month off and trvel to Europe, or go back to cllege. The problem is life doesn't stp and wait until we have nough money, or until all our prjects are caught up. If we fll into the "some day" trap we rsk living a second rate life and laving this world having never experienced the joy we mght have known.

9. Conquer Addictions With Hypnosis by Steve Burns
A person tht is addicted to something is hndering and limiting their own life. To lve without addiction is to experience lfe at its fullest. There are sveral reasons why a person may bcome addicted to a substance. Some of the rasons include poor self esteem, a trumatic experience, stress and bad judgment. If you are ddicted to a substance, regain control of yur life and end the vicious cycl of addiction.

10. The Prize Of Initiative by George Chingarande
The dreamer wthout initiative is like an eagle wthout wings. He may wish and dram of soaring high and touching the havens but his reach is limited by his hndicap. The person of initiative but wthout a dream and purpose is lke a rogue bull elephant; the ltimate loose cannon who lives to cuse trouble.