Women are Angry
Leslie Grossman, Author, Link Out and SELLsationI am angry.The recent judicial hearings have brought out the anger which so many women have repressed for years – some for a lifetime.On Sunday my husband said to me, “What’s going on? You are being so difficult today.”His words made me realize I was enraged. Enraged at what I had viewed, heard and read regarding the Senate hearing. I was angry. I expressed this anger directly at my husband, who is one of the good guys – in fact, one of the best!“I don’t want to make your coffee this morning. Make it yourself,” I growled.I was mad at him because he is a man, forgetting for that moment that he is a man who always speaks up for women. After listening to the hearing and the ongoing aftermath of reporting, I was mad as hell and he was my closest target.Men all over the country may be experiencing what my husband felt – anger coming from women in the c-suite, the board room, the office, the air waves. Remember the famous movie “Network” and the line: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore”? The film came out 40 years ago and it took this long for women to rage like the movie.Here’s the thing gentlemen, in my experience, men often don’t listen unless women get angry and demand their attention. For most of us, it takes a lot to raise our voices and speak out. The two courageous women who stopped Jeff Flake in his tracks are the best example of doing it right. Flake was going along with the ‘crowd’ and said he would vote ‘yes’ to Judge Kavanaugh until Ana Maria Archila And Maria Gallagher stopped him abruptly and loudly. They demanded he listen to their stories and fiercely voiced their objections, even insisting Flake look them in the eye.It took women’s anger and voicing their truth to shake Jeff Flake from a coma of typical 'boys club’ support.Attention women: When we don’t speak up and share our thoughts, views and objections, we get disrespect and inequality. Let's channel our anger into speaking out on our own behalf and that of other women leaders. We don’t have to yell, but we do have to speak out strongly with conviction. We are the leaders of our lives. It’s okay to be angry. Address this anger by speaking up loudly on behalf of ourselves, our careers, our families, our colleagues and a just and fair world. Be the leader of your life and surround yourself with other leaders who will support you. Share your vision and take the job, even if you are not 100% prepared. The guys do. Be courageous. We are the lionesses of our lives. Hear us roar.
About the Author: Leslie Grossman lives her purpose – developing, coaching and transforming women executives and entrepreneurs to achieve their personal visions of success. Her focus is on supporting and training women to become effective communicators with leadership presence and confidence and to build trusted relationships throughout their careers.Founder of the Women’s Leadership Exchange, a national conference program from 2001 – 2010, a former business owner, and a Chair for Vistage International, Leslie is an executive leadership coach, trainer, speaker and facilitator of groups and advisory boards. She presents workshops to many organizations, including LATAM Business School, Impact Leadership 21 and Leading with Edge; and is a senior fellow and on the faculty of The George Washington University Center for Excellence in Public Leadership. She is the author of two books, “Link Out: How to Turn Your Network into a Chain of Lasting Connections “(Wiley) and “Sellsation: How Companies Can Capture Today’s Hottest Market: Women Business Owners and Executives “(WPE Press). Her TEDx Talk: “The Value of Having an Entourage” is highly viewed and espouses how the most innovative ideas and results come from collaborating among trusted allies. She can be reached at Leslie@lesliegrossmanleadership.com
