Three reasons why you should study a Women in Leadership Certificate

If you’re an ambitious businessperson, you might be considering ways to upskill yourself to ensure that you remain at the top of your game. One way of doing this is by taking further training courses to hone particular skills relevant to the world of business. While leadership skills are taught on many courses, from bachelor degrees to training certificates, there are certain components that, as a woman in a leadership position, are particularly relevant to you. Considering this, here are three reasons why you should study a Women in Leadership Certificate.

1. The “double bind” of female leadership

Despite having in-depth technical expertise, women often find themselves in a so-called “double bind” when they are promoted to leadership positions, resulting in an unconscious bias against her from colleagues and subordinates. If she shows strong, confident leadership—a managerial style lauded in men—she is seen as being abrupt and unlikeable. If, however, her leadership is more collaborative and empathetic, she may be seen as being incompetent and too soft. A certificate designed for women leaders in business will teach you how to recognize and deal with this unconscious bias in your workplace. You will learn how to balance a strong managerial style while still remaining approachable. Having this emotional and social intelligence is key to strong leadership and will allow you to bridge the gap between different personalities.

2. Build on existing communication skills

There is growing evidence to suggest that men and women think and communicate differently. For instance, women use verbal communication as a way to process issues and come up with solutions, whereas men tend to be solution-focussed and prefer communication to be to the point and action-based. Misunderstandings can often arise because of these intrinsic differences, which, if left unresolved, can lead to unhappiness at work and reduced productivity. Through a course for women leaders in business, you will learn the theory behind gender-based communication styles and expand your toolbox of communication skills so that you can persuasively and confidently communicate ideas and information to different audiences.

3. Build on existing negotiation skills

Negotiation is an intrinsic skill for business. Whether you are persuading a client to use your services, discussing the terms of a contract, or explaining why you deserve that promotion, the fact is that you need to have a strong negotiation toolbox in order to get ahead in the business world. Despite this, it’s long been believed that women are less likely to attempt negotiation than men, perhaps due to women traditionally being socialized to be more accommodating to others’ needs. However, with specific negotiation and self-advocacy training, women can be just as successful as men.

A Women in Leadership Certificate will teach you negotiation strategies and give you the opportunity to practice them in roleplay scenarios to ensure that when you enter a real negotiation in your place of work, you will be confident in your skillset to get what you need.