Women in Leadership: Leading the Pack
By Providence Illisevich
One of the biggest challenges that I believe women leaders face today is the initial shock that some express when finding out that you in fact are an aspiring or current woman in power. Someone is probably bound express this shock when you do anything that pushes the envelope on what is considered a “normal” female role by an outdated patriarchal status quo. This is something that I have faced repeatedly in my life, whether it be for being the girl who could be a leader on the sports field from a young age, or deciding to study engineering, or now running to be Student Body President at USC above my male VP running mate. The best advice that I can give to anyone in this scenario is to turn this negativity into fuel. As much as you can, take this surprise that others express as a compliment.
Now, that’s not to say that we should be complacent with a society where it is still shocking that anyone who identifies as anything other than male could possibly rise to a position of power equivalent to or even above the men who have for so long run this world. But if someone is shocked by your leadership, it means that you are one of the forerunners in introducing this idea to them. In their world, and quite frankly in ours, you are leading the pack and helping to drive us all to a new normal. To say that what makes you exceptional is your ability to simply be a women and lead wouldn’t be fair, because that would then assume that only exceptional women are capable of being leaders. But if society is challenging your leadership out of ignorance, it means you are a trailblazer. So take this and run with it. Push back on ignorance, misogyny, and doubt but proving the ignorant wrong. Never lower your standards or values, even when challenged to. And as much as you can (though realistically this isn’t always in our power to control), surround yourself with men who genuinely believe in your leadership capabilities just as much, if not more, than their own. I am very lucky in that I was able to choose a running mate who truly believes in and values me for my leadership, not my gender identity, and who has no problem with taking the back seat and letting me lead when I am the most qualified to do so.
For more information about the candidate, visit their website here: http://voteprovidenceehren.com/
For more information about the presence of women in th election, check out this LA Times article: http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-usc-elections-20150208-story.html
