The corporate glass ceiling is a reality for many women. At the end of 2020, only eight percent of America’s 500 large corporations had women CEOs at the helm. Women who attain the top positions often learn some tough lessons along the way.
Sharing advice on how other women can reach their potential is valuable coming from women who have been there. Following are several of the most beneficial lessons from women to women.
Identify Your Motivation
Tiffany Dufu, founder of a peer coaching service for women, advises women to discover what matters to them. Is it recognition from others, financial freedom, or a family legacy? Once a woman understands her motivation, she can focus her attention on maximizing that motivation to reach her goals.
Do Not Be Afraid of Failure
Reshma Saujani, CEO of Girls Who Code, advises women not to be afraid to fail. Be brave in something you are not good at, and you may obtain great personal growth. Rejection of ideas may encourage regrouping and figuring out fresh ways to do things. Learning to become flexible builds confidence.
Listen and Build Trust
Women have a right to be at the head table and voice their opinions. Diana Takach, a Senior Vice President at David’s Bridal, advises women to listen to others and then make decisions. She states that listening helps build trust, and decisions made without trust are useless.
Become Competent in your Role
Attorney Donna Frosco, President of the New York State Women’s Bar Association, advises women to master their subject matter. She further states women should be curious, learn quickly, and become intuitive. Being competent also means being able to communicate clearly with every group you work with.
Learn to Network
Women may lack traditional networking opportunities like going out for drinks after work or playing golf, according to Cynthia DiPiertrantonio, former COO of The Jones Group. Forming small groups of colleagues to meet regularly and offer career advice can be helpful. Mentoring and encouraging other women is also a great way to network and help each other.
Women are often a valuable asset to corporations. They show critical leadership skills like emphasizing work-life balance and multitasking. Learning lessons from successful businesswomen is an important way to bring more women into business leadership positions.