In a recent interview with Influencers Radio, Executive Coach and Diversity Speaker Dalisia Coppersmith shared her insights on how strong women can navigate their unique challenges in the workplace, where their performance is praised but their personalities are often criticized. Her personal mission is to “Restore the women who can change our world.”
During the interview, Dalisia shares her own and other strong women’s experiences in using their strengths and voices to achieve the impossible, only to be criticized for not being soft enough–no matter how hard they’ve worked to adjust for others. She explains the “Hero to Villain” cycle, where strong women in leadership are asked to tackle tough projects and when they succeed, they become a target for criticism. She said, “I ask people to think of the women at work that they love to hate. All of us have worked with someone who was very strong, outspoken, but not necessarily doing anything wrong. I’m talking about the women who have worked very hard to soften their approach to deliver their message in the right way, and it never seems to be enough… Over time, if one of these women has achieved just one thing too many for some people’s tastes, she becomes the villain. That’s where personality criticism starts. These women are relied upon, and then they’re vilified.”
Coppersmith emphasizes that these workplace dynamics are not unique to a particular industry or even level of responsibility. Her clients come from the C-Suite and from the cubicles. Dalisia has personally experienced the dynamic in her military, business, and government careers—no matter how much she softened her approach. One key takeaway from the interview is the importance of understanding these dynamics and learning how to navigate them effectively. The fear of appearing too aggressive can cause women to feel like they need to mute themselves to avoid upsetting others or being labeled as difficult to work with, which is neither sustainable nor healthy. No one wins when these talented women go silent or worse—when they walk out.
“We all have gifts,” Coppersmith says, emphasizing how important it is to identify and amplify them. “If organizations want to be successful and value diversity, they can start by supporting the natural leaders of all genders that they have on staff right now.”
With over 25 years of experience in the military, federal sector, and private industry, Coppersmith has dedicated her career to empowering women and helping them achieve their full potential without compromising their authentic selves to be successful.
Dalisia also discussed her one-on-one coaching, group coaching, and retreats with assertive, high-achieving women who need to reset and transform their impact at work. In addition to her coaching services, she is writing a book tentatively titled From Fed Up to On Fire: The Strong Woman’s Guide to Making a Big Comeback. “I believe in the big comeback stories,” Coppersmith said. “Whatever the situation, it is something that you can turn around. I’m excited to share my experiences and those of my clients in the book.”
Throughout the interview, Dalisia’s passion and enthusiasm shine through. Her message is one of hope and empowerment, encouraging assertive women to recognize and overcome these dynamics so they can achieve all they are meant to. This episode is sure to be a valuable resource for strong women at any stage of their careers.
Listen to the full episode at https://InfluencersRadio.com/dalisia-coppersmith
To learn more about Dalisia Coppersmith, visit https://strongwomenrising.us
