Women are gaining more and more power across different industries. They are becoming leaders and finding ways to surpass their male counterparts while still being true to themselves. However, the numbers are still not where they need to be. Many industries are still very closed off for women and they have a boys culture that refuses to accept women as leaders. However, you can succeed as a leader if you do the right things and make a good impression on people in the company.

Here are some of the tips that can help you become a great leader:

Network a lot

When you want to be a leader, one of the best ways to do that is to network with plenty of different people including other leaders, employees, mentors and so on. This will help you because having many people that can vouch for your expertise and having a lot of support means a lot for your leadership in the future.

So, how should you network?

There are many options. For example, you can go to events that your company hosts. These are great opportunities to find friends amongst some of the biggest players. You can also connect with people through seminars, webinars, conferences and so on.

You can also use social media and your personal blogs or websites to make contacts with other people with authority.

Seek female friends and mentors as well. They can become your teachers and help you achieve great things.

Be focused

Always come into the office with a laser-sharp focus on your goal. Don’t let office politics stop you from achieving your goals and making your dreams come true. Learn, listen and network to gain knowledge and experience as well as support that will launch your leadership career.

Communicate

Talk to people in your environment, employees, vendors, customers and so on. This will help you learn more about your company and your industry as well as what you need to do to become a better leader.

Prepare

Always be prepared to work hard – to be the first one in and last one out. This is not what you need to do because you are a woman but because you want to be a leader. Leaders are always there and always involved, working harder than anyone.

Another thing you should do is always come prepared with questions, ideas and confidence that will help you be heard.

Be confident but don’t go for the stereotypes

It is a common stereotype that women who want a career are rude, mean to other people and other women in their workplace. However, this is far from true and you should never follow this stereotype to create a shield yourself from other people and their opinions.

“Be yourself at all times, be kind and respectful to other people, but at the same time not at the cost of harming yourself. Be confident in your knowledge, expertise and qualities. Remember to also praise other people when they do something well,”says Tina Button, a edtech writer at Britstudent.com.

Bring uniqueness

Being unique is a very important thing in any industry. You need it to thrive because generic people with generic ideas often end up with jobs that are far below leadership roles. When at meetings or important gatherings, make sure that you come forth with interesting ideas, questions, notions and so on. Never go for quiet and reserved, hiding your ideas because that is not the way to gain success. If you want to be successful, you have to speak up and share your ideas.

“Learn from other leaders – both male and female – and refresh your ideas  with some interesting concepts. Spend a lot of time learning and researching, exploring new idea. Keep in mind that you should also remain kind and nice to other people and their ideas.,”says Dan Wilcox, an educational blogger at Australia2Write.com.

In conclusion

Becoming a leader as a female can be really hard. People will not give you the same trust they give males. This is the reality of our time. But even though the road to success is hard, it will be worth it. Help people by becoming their friend, listening to them and using your best qualities both as a human and a professional to gain trust and become a better leader for everyone.

Martha Jameson is a CEO at PhDKingdom.com and NextCoursework.com. Before she chose leadership as her calling, she was a web designer and a manager. Martha’s main goals are to share her experience, motivation and knowledge with her readers.