Leadership Tips for Women: What to Own
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to speak at a Zionsville Women in Network (ZWIN) event — a room full of women who are building businesses, leading teams, and shaping communities. I shared three core leadership tips for women, focused on one central theme: ownership.
Because real leadership isn’t just about owning a title or a business. It’s about owning the small, powerful things that quietly shape how we lead:
our mistakes our time and our values.
Here’s a quick breakdown of each one:
1. Own Your Mistakes
We all make them. The difference lies in how we respond.
The most effective women leaders I know are the ones who don’t deflect or spiral when things go wrong. They reflect, learn, and move forward better equipped. Whether it’s launching a new brand without buy-in or sending a survey that completely misses the mark (my own personal mistakes), there’s always something to be gained from a misstep — if you’re willing to own it.
Try this: Think about a recent mistake. What’s one lesson you can take from it if you gave yourself permission to reflect instead of regret?
2. Own Your Time
Boundary-setting is often treated like a luxury, when in reality, it’s leadership in action.
Too many women believe that if they leave at 5 PM, they’ll lose opportunities. That saying no means they’re not committed. But leadership doesn’t mean being available 24/7. It means protecting the time and energy required to lead well.
One of my executive coaching clients reclaimed control by revisiting simple habits: closing her office door, time-blocking her calendar, training her team to solve problems without constant escalation, and letting go of late-night email replies. The change? Less clutter and more respect for her time.
Ask yourself: What boundary is slipping in your world: your time, your energy, or your inbox? What’s one easy, simple step you could take to regain control of that boundary?
3. Own Your Values
One of the best leadership tips for women I’ve ever heard came from Indiana Lt. Governor Becky Skillman (who also happens to be my former boss):
“If you don’t know who you are, there are plenty of people [at the Statehouse] who will tell you who you are.”
This is true whether you work in state government or for any room you walk into, quite frankly.
I learned this personally through coaching, when I was asked but what my values were first — and my goals second. It completely shifted how I made decisions. Later, in a Disney Institute training, I realized most organizations haven’t defined their values either, which leaves their direction unclear.
When you know what you stand for, everything from hiring to decision-making becomes easier and more aligned.
Try this: Could you name your top 1–2 values right now?
Wrapping Up
Leadership is built on the small, consistent decisions we make every day. The ones no one sees.
If you take away just one thing from these leadership tips for women, let it be this:
Own the mistake, so you can learn instead of spiral. Own your time, so your calendar reflects your priorities — not everyone else’s. Own your values, so you lead from a place of alignment.
If this resonated and you’re ready to dig deeper as a leader through executive coaching, that’s exactly what I do through my firm, mkw+co. Schedule a complimentary 15 minute consult call to start improving your leadership journey.