Have you ever been told you’re bossy? Aggressive? Too much? What about too emotional? You’re too nice?

Do you struggle to find the balance between being respected and liked at work? Do you struggle to find balance at all?

If you’re like most women, you likely said yes to any (or all) of the above questions. And let’s face it: this double-edged sword of trying to hide our feminine strengths to fit into a masculine work environment is holding women back.

In your career, you’ve probably encountered some great leaders.

Leaders who inspired you to bring your best to work every day, leaders who knew how to develop your strengths, and leaders who cared about you as an individual.

And I’m willing to bet you also had your fair share of not-so-great leaders.

It’s easy to think that certain leadership styles are better than others, especially when you’ve experienced how each one feels as an employee.

As a leader, you want to give your best for your team. You want to inspire them to grow, to do great work, and to find joy and meaning in their jobs.

And to do that, it’s important to take stock of your own leadership style; how you show up every day to lead the people on your team or in your organization.

There’s no “one size fits all” approach to leadership, and styles can be flexed depending on the situation, organization, or even the individual.