“Business is filled with inconvenient, uncomfortable
realities.” For women this truth may be
more prevalent than for men. Even in the
21st Century, we are still faced with the David versus Goliath
(women versus men) in the board room and across corporate America. Many still believe that if you truly want to succeed
in business as a woman, you need to be better than your male counterparts. This would imply that women have to be “better”
than men in the professional Universe.
While that might be the truth, I’m not looking to point fingers or
engage in a confrontational debate.
While it’s undeniable that gender inequality exists in the workforce and
women will never be judge the same way as men, women must, in essence, find a
way to get “over” it or merely move past it through hard work and persistence.
“With ongoing news of inequality, unequal pay and lack of
women at [the] boardroom level, businesswomen clearly still have challenges to
face.” Most women have experienced some
form of misogyny in their working environment at one point or another. There are women who have been fired or haven’t
been hired for wanting to have children.
But that said, I personally haven’t
found that being a woman has held me back or altered my chance of success in
the work place. “Being a successful
businesswoman really comes down to personality.” One must be confident, fiercely independent
and above all, determined to succeed.
Here are some of the qualities I believe women need to have
to grow and thrive in a man’s world be it corporate or anywhere else:
Self-belief is probably the single most important trait
possessed by any successful woman entrepreneur.
If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t find the motivation and
drive to succeed.
Be ambitious. Go
above and beyond. Go that extra
mile. If you really want to separate
yourself from the “boys,” you’ll have to find a way to stand out amongst them.
Be confident.
Confidence breeds success and success breeds confidence. This trait is essential if you want to win
over customers and clients and build a thriving business. Confidence helps you win people’s trust and
respect and will gain you a solid reputation in the corporate world. Hold your head high and stand tall. When greeting people for the first time, give
them a firm hand shake and look them straight in the eye. Use your physical presence to announce your intellectual
presence.
Passion. “Successful
female entrepreneurs are always passionate about what they do because they tend
to create businesses around the things they enjoy.” Think hard and seek out your passion and then
try with everything you have to go for it.
Telling the corporate world and men in particular how you earned your
success will in return earn their respect of you and what you’ve achieved.
Humble yourself and be willing to learn. There’s no shame in reaching out for help when
it’s needed. “You cannot rest on your
laurels when you run your own business.”
Industries are constantly changing and that means you have to maintain a
keen eye and an innovative attitude.
Always be looking to improve yourself.
Go to workshops or lectures or networking events. Even read books. And most importantly, be willing to learn
from others and listen, listen, listen!
You don’t merely have to take advice from other female entrepreneurs;
hearing men’s stories can be just as powerful.
Don’t be afraid to admit what you don’t know and always strive to boost
your skills.
Have a sense of purpose.
There’s no point in starting a business if you don’t have one. Believe and you can achieve! You have to have faith that you are indeed
destined for great things and that no corporate inequality can or will hold you
back. You have to persevere. “To be a successful female entrepreneur you
have to believe in yourself and believe that what you are doing is making a
difference.” That strong sense of
purpose will be reflected in your business model and indeed determine whether
or not you succeed or fail in the long run.
Assert yourself. Don’t
be shy. A successful businesswoman must
be assertive otherwise people will not take them seriously or show them
respect. Be fearless. Speak with authority and purpose. “Adopt a confident manner, deal with any
criticism rationally and be calm, cool and considered.”
Hard work pays off in the end; it is the true, enduring
characteristic of successful people and it is even more important when you are
a woman trying to make it in a man’s world.
No amount of intelligence or connections can indefinitely make you a
success without putting in the effort to back it up. As cliché as it may sound, hard work is
definitely the secret to success.
Be brave. It takes
guts to run a business especially as a woman with so many obstacles in your way
even more so than men face. You’ll
undoubtedly deal with difficult challenges that lay ahead but if you push
yourself out of your comfort zone and move forward with confidence, hard work
and diligence, you’ll find you’re well on the road to success. “This means that
you have to take risks and accept that when things go wrong, you can always
survive them and turn things around.”
Once you’re brave, there’s no looking back.
Lastly, be persistent and never give up. “Starting a business is one thing, keeping it
going is another matter entirely.”
Granted there will be days when you feel like throwing in the towel but
keep a cool head and consistent demeanor about you when you’re feeling down and
remind yourself of all you’ve achieved so far.
While there’s still a long way left to travel, with an attitude of
persistence, you’ll likely get there one day.
Here are some articles you might want to check out about
succeeding as a businesswoman:
“How Women Can Succeed In Corporate America”: http://excelle.monster.com/benefits/articles/1090-how-women-can-succeed-in-corporate-america
“Do You Have What It Take To Become A Successful Woman
Entrepreneur?”: http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/startingasmallbusiness/a/3traitsofentrep.htm
“How to Be a Successful Businesswoman”: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-A-Successful-Business-Woman
Until next time…
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