Women are asked to lead hard change without authority, pay, or backing. Mel and Michelle on benevolent neglect.
In This Episode
Mel and Michelle look at shadow leadership: stretch roles, acting roles, and employee resource groups that bring visibility and responsibility without documented authority, budget, or air cover. Michelle shares a time she assumed her boss had her back, only to find out otherwise. A Lead to Soar member's stand-in negotiation shows what asking looks like.
Truth Bomb
"Don't do what I did and just assume you've got the air cover. Make sure you've got it." Michelle Redfern
What You'll Learn
Ask what you are expected to deliver, how success is measured and whether you will be backed before you say yes to a visible role
Get the title, decision-making authority and pay for an acting or stand-in role in writing
Spot whether you are the shadow preparing the ground or the sweeper clearing up afterwards
Give an employee resource group a charter, authority and funding, and keep problems like the gender pay gap with the executive team
Leaders: design the role, write the position description and delegate authority, rather than handing the hard things to the same woman each time
About The Hosts
Michelle Redfern is a gender equity strategist, author of The Leadership Compass and founder of Advancing Women in Business and Sport. She co-founded Lead to Soar.
Mel Butcher is a multidisciplinary strategist and consultant who helps leaders turn complexity into clarity. Her background is in engineering, across the public and private sectors.
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