Executive Presence

What it takes to get ahead, influence others and drive results

I recently conducted a career workshop for educational leaders on how to prepare for a job interview. Twelve women and four men were in attendance. When I asked, “Who wants to be the first to volunteer for a mock interview?” the four men waved their hands in the air. I was stunned that not a single woman volunteered.

After the men had completed their interviews, I encouraged a few women to give it a try, stressing that participation would be a valuable experience. No luck. Finally, I walked over to one woman and whispered, “Come on, you can do this. What’s the problem?”

“Everyone will think I’m stupid because I don’t know how to answer these questions,” she whispered back. I tried to persuade her to get some courage. “I’ll help you.” With that reassurance, she finally volunteered. Everyone clapped as she walked to the front of the room. Her interview was excellent.

Out of curiosity, I asked the men in the group why they had volunteered for the mock interview. They responded they had nothing to lose and added they were used to taking shots and didn’t want to waste an opportunity to practice. That was a good answer.