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23 Powerful Tips to Help Women Leaders Succeed

Every year on March 8, thousands of events are traditionally held across the globe in recognition of International Women's Day . The history of International Women's Day (IWD) runs deep. Its roots go back to the early 1900s as a day created to inspire and honor women and celebrate their accomplishments.

Today, IWD continues to deliver an important message about many of the equality issues that affect women worldwide. It's a call for significant changes in all facets of life--such as increased financial independence for women, the need for more women in leadership roles, growth of women-owned businesses, and support for women in science, engineering and technology--just to name a few.

 

"Choose to Challenge” is this year's International Women's Day theme, which is particularly inspiring and representative of the times. A challenged world is an alert world and from challenge comes change. So let us all choose to challenge.

How will you help forge a gender equal world?

Celebrate women's achievement. Raise awareness against bias. Take action for equality.

 

Following are 23 tips from business owners and leaders over the past two decades:

1)  Find a trusted adviser and ask to be mentored. Whether it is an individual or an advisory peer group, never stop seeking input from others.

2)  Focus on what you are grateful for--take notes, journal, make lists. This is important to help you remain positive.

3)  Keep an open mind. Come to understand a situation by asking better questions. Judgment and assumptions will only impede your progress and alienate you from others.

4)  Where there is a will--there is always a way. Set personal and business goals often. Dream big and visualize your success.

5)  Follow the Golden Rule: Take care of your employees and your employees will take care of your business (which in turn, will take care of your bottom line).

6)  Always do your best work; you never know who is watching.

7)  Do what it takes to "know thyself." Understand your strengths and vulnerabilities. A large majority of leaders fail or derail in their career because they lack interpersonal skills.

8)  Always go for the win-win in any situation. Collaboration over competition.

9)  Show Appreciation. "Face to face" words of encouragement for a job well done costs nothing to give, yet the ROI is invaluable.

10)  Observe what is going on outside of your industry. An awareness of business and cultural trends can help spark creativity and innovation.

11)  Your most challenging relationships--be it clients, employees, colleagues, friends or family--are an invitation for personal growth.

12)  People operate from 90 percent emotion and 10 percent logic. [Note: see #7--Interpersonal skills and a strong sense of emotional intelligence are important keys to success].

13)  Surround yourself with people who have skills, talents and styles differing from your own.

14)  Always look at the big picture first, then the details.

15)  Do not take work that does not resonate with your core beliefs just for the money, it is never worth it.

16)  As long as there is a victim or a villain there is no peace.

17)  Meditate or practice the art of mindfulness. In today's 24/7 plugged-in culture, it is more important than ever to seek moments of stillness and introspection.

18)  Continually educate yourself, personally and professionally. Make time to follow your creative passions outside of your work.

19) Trust your intuition—it is most often right.

20)  Be aware of your beliefs and be open to shifting your perspective in order to view the world in a new light.

21)  Never underestimate the power of networking.

22)  Cash flow is king--got to have it.

23)  Take responsibility no matter what is happening. Do not shift the blame or play the victim.

 

Next week, we will begin our monthly segment focusing on “Women in Leadership in Michigan.” 

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Resource: Excerpts from Inc.com post (23 tips from Susan Steinbrecher, March 2015) 

Posted on Permanent link for Mentoring Mondays - March 1, 2021 on March 1, 2021.