MADETOLEAD
MADEXXX
for more work or greater
responsibility.
FIND SOMEONE
WITH INFLUENCE
AND ACCESS TO
THE TOP WHO CAN
VOUCH FOR YOUR
PERFORMANCE – IT
COULD SAVE YOUR
JOB. They say there’s a dif-
ference between mentors
and sponsors. Mentors
give career guidance, but
sponsors speak for you in
the room when you’re not
around. It’s very
important to have a
sponsor who can provide
information about you to
the higher-ups that
contradicts what the
QB may be conveying to
them. This is also a great
way, other than writing
things down as they
occur, to document your
less-than ideal experiences
with her. If you don’t have
a sponsor, find one. Now.
When it’s Time to Quit
the Queen Bee
Sometimes a situation
with a QB can become so
toxic that a [clean] break
is necessary. This may be
temporary or permanent,
depending on your career
goals. A sure sign of when
it’s time to move on is if
you can no longer do your
job effectively under the cir-
cumstances. Another may
be a lack of authenticity in
your work. And most of all,
if your boss has erected
the confines of your job
responsibilities such that
growth is impossible, it’s
probably no longer the right
fit for you. Can you move
to a different department?
Work on a different project
that doesn’t involve her?
Find another job? Look. I’m
not here to tell you to run
away from your problems.
Many people work with dif-
ficult bosses and it pays off
in time. But the difference
between them and the QB?
Toxicity breeds toxicity. If
you’re not careful, it will ei-
ther feed off you or grow on
you and neither are desirable
situations. Working for the
QB causes anxiety and stress
that can affect you both
personally and profession-
ally. It could also cause you
to act in an unfavorable way
by gossiping or, even worse,
putting another woman
down because you were
“treated that way, too”. The
last thing the world needs
is another QB on the loose
glorifying the behavior as
some sort of rite of passage.
The old adage “treat others
as you’d want to be treated”
always rings true.
#mademaven
Lessons Learned from
the Queen Bee
Despite her shortcomings,
there may be positive
things you can learn from
your relationship with a
QB. For starters, most QB’s
portray amazing confi-
dence and have a singular
focus on their goals. QB’s
are also assertive and
unafraid to speak up, even
in what you may think are
intimidating situations.
They aren’t afraid to ask a
question or give an opinion
in a room full of people,
they habitually sit in the
front of the room, and
they seek out one-on-one
time with the CEO often.
Witnessing these traits
could help you evaluate
your own work ethic and
more clearly develop goals
for yourself. In this respect,
your current not-so-pleas-
ant experience could pay off
someday.
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