Recently I spoke to a group of women at one of the leading technology companies about gaining a seat at the table and having their voices heard. Many of the women expressed frustration that they often feel invisible in meetings with their largely male colleagues. Their ideas or comments often get passed over. Or shortly after a woman poses a solution and gets little response, a man repeats the same idea and gets all sorts of positive comments and reinforcement. Has that ever happened to you? 

Being seen and heard is not only a normal human need, but it is also critical to connecting to and influencing others, achieving results and being an effective leader, at any level in an organization. Yet, a recent major study of why women often leave the management ranks before reaching senior levels found one of the contributing factors is that women tend to underestimate the importance of presence to their ability to lead and get promoted. 

Isn't it curious that we can let something like ignoring the value of presence, which can readily be developed and practiced, get in the way of our success?  

My personal early career experience, as a woman in a male-dominated organization, was that at first I was naïve about importance of developing my personal presence. And then as my awareness grew, I went through a "victim" stage, where I was angry about not being heard. Luckily, I aspired to a key management job, so I started studying role models, both men and women leaders, who demonstrated gravitas and commanded the room.  

A funny thing happened. I began to develop my own personal version of leadership presence - who I wanted to be as a leader and how I wanted to be seen. And my ability to lead improved as my confidence grew and I got more comfortable in my own skin. 

Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, often speaks of how women need to take that seat at the table, instead of sitting on the side, in order to advance. In other words, we need to believe in our own value -- that we have something important to contribute - and take smart steps to make sure that we are visible and heard!

Ask yourself these three questions:

• What makes my voice (ideas, skills, etc.) unique in the organization? 
• What keeps me from showing up with confidence and acting like I am C-suite material?
• What one step can I take to improve my chances to have my voice heard?

Check out Nebo's tips in the sidebar for enhancing your presence in our handy checklist that follows. We've also included a TED Talk about how using body language can quickly elevate your feeling of confidence.  And we've provided a mini review of an excellent book on the power of presence by Kristi Hedges.

You might also consider enrolling in Nebo's new webinar series for aspiring women, "She Leads: What Every Women Needs to Know to Inspire and Succeed," which provides tools and strategies to help you enhance your leadership presence and advance your career. (See details below)

We hope that you gain some new insights and ideas to enhance your leadership presence in this issue of She Leads. Watch for us next month when we explore the secrets of how remarkable women lead. 

Warmest regards,