You Absolutely Can Do This
It wasn’t long ago that being the only woman in a conference room full of men was common (and it still happens at times today, but nowhere near as often in my experience). We have come a long way.
I believe women now have access to any leadership opportunity; however, it seems the eternal obstacle has to do with compromise and sacrifice. While everyone can relate to this obstacle, women tend to struggle with it more. They tend to have more guilt and more societal pressures put on them. Women also tend to have less confidence in themselves and second guess themselves more. I think the struggle of finding the right balance is a tricky one, but it’s also a personal one.
I’m reading a book now called Girl, Stop Apologizing by Rachel Hollis, which is all about remembering that you don’t have to apologize for pursuing your dreams, your career ambitions, or about the decisions that are right for you. As Rachel says, “Stop making excuses, embody the behaviors and develop the skills you need, and ultimately believe in yourself.”
Another obstacle to overcome is being afraid to ask for help. If you have kids, I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “It takes a village.” I find this to be true in my career as well. Without my village, I would not be able to tackle any of the obstacles in my way. I put a lot of focus on my village, and for me, this has meant building and leveraging my support network so that I have help at home, sponsors and mentors at work, and a peer group that is there to support me. And of course, it also means doing my part to support others as they build their own villages.
