To survive, many women have developed coping mechanisms to get them through the day. Because they're so overburdened, they nearly break down in tears at work when things go awry; they blame others for problems, deflecting responsibility for failure; they're out of shape, yet make excuses for not eating right and not exercising; and they avoid confrontation, hoping that conflicts will "work themselves out."
Understandably, they avoid taking responsibility, avoid additional work, and avoid tackling situations head on. They're too stressed and overworked. Yet, these coping mechanisms don't help in the long term; they just cause more difficulties. The solution is to get out from under these excuses and learn to lead your life and the lives of those around you. To take charge of the situations you find yourself in, you need to be a leader.
True leaders are less concerned about the rewards of being a leader and more aware of the responsibility that the role brings--the responsibility for serving as a role model to those around them.
Striving to be your best, upholding your organization's performance standards, and treating others with respect are likely to earn you followers. But you may not recognize those who are looking to you to set an example.
Leaders set the tone for their followers, demonstrating in thought, word, and deed how others are expected to behave. They enforce company policy rather then interpreting it as they see fit.
Leading From The Front is about striving to be your best everyday, holding yourself to the same standards to which you hold others, and being a role model to those around you, even those whom you don't know. Leaders aren't necessarily showy, but they do stand out.
Don't wait for someone else to decide you're ready for the challenge--show those around you that you're already capable of positioning yourself for that role.
Source: Courtney Lynch: Leading From the Front: No-Excuse Leadership Tactics for Women
When Doing It All Won't Do: A Self-Coaching Guide for Career Women--Workbook Edition--Paperback