---
title: In a male dominated workplace, how can I shift the perspectives of my colleagues so they view me as a leader - not just a woman?
description: "In this weeks Stump the Strategist, watch as the strategists answer a \nquestion about shifting gender perceptions in the workplace."
---

[Blog - Step Change - Strategy, Leadership, Digital, Creativity](https://blog.hellostepchange.com/blog)

# [In a male dominated workplace, how can I shift the perspectives of my colleagues so they view me as a leader - not just a woman?](https://blog.hellostepchange.com/blog/in-a-male-dominated-workplace-how-can-i-shift-my-colleagues-perspective-so-they-view-me-as-a-leader-not-just-a-woman)

 Written by [Step Change Marketing](https://blog.hellostepchange.com/blog/author/step-change-marketing) | 19 March 2015

Stump The Strategist

Watch below as we answer:

### **Q:** I'm a woman engineer and the fact I'm a woman gets in the way of conversations about work. How can I shift the perspective of my colleagues so they see me as their leader, not just a woman?

- ### Featured strategists are:
  
  Ashton Bishop - Head of Strategy, Step Change Marketing
  
  Jeff Cooper - Senior Partner, Step Change Marketing
  
  Tiffany Jones - Founder and CEO, **[Momentum Advisory Group](http://www.momentumag.com/who-we-are/)**
- ### About Stump The Strategist:
  
    - It's opinion, not advice
    - Questions from the floor, answered live in nine minutes
    - Step Change charges clients for advice, Stump The Strategist is free

### **A:**

- Create the right framing - being a woman is an advantage, rather than a disadvantage. You can do this by aligning yourself with the best aspects of masculinity, without the negatives, e.g. you are brave, bold and decisive, but not aggressive
- Dress appropriately for the culture so that your colleagues have no choice but to focus on the content of what you are saying
- Preparation is key - go in knowing what to expect and exactly what you want to say
- Focus on you, not them - you can't change them, but you do have control over how you present and conduct yourself
- Be better than them, but don't compete
- Become a role model - see yourself as forging a path for other females to come
- Minimise the difference between you and them. What can you talk about? You can soften up a group of men by talking about their wives, families and children
- Speak into the listening - sometimes you just need to address the issue directly by asking who has a problem

Get more **Stump The Strategist HERE**

[View full post](https://blog.hellostepchange.com/blog/in-a-male-dominated-workplace-how-can-i-shift-my-colleagues-perspective-so-they-view-me-as-a-leader-not-just-a-woman)

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