I believe women need to be prepared to readily talk about their skills and experiences when opportunities arise. I don’t mean to suggest that they should spend all their time tooting their own horn, but sometimes it is not enough to work hard and just expect contributions to be recognized automatically.

At a minimum, you should be ready during your performance discussions, for example, to be able to cite those occasions where your ideas made a difference, when your participation caused progress and brought about beneficial change, or your leadership moved your team or the company forward.

If you find yourself in a disappointing career situation, avoid quick reactions, think carefully, and assess the longerterm implications. Above all, the best advice I would give is be true to yourself, be courageous, and stay focused on your goal. Throughout my career, I have made great use of the following advice:

  • Always choose the toughest task;
  • Listen and learn at all times;
  • Think of the four C’s: be curious, calm, compassionate, and courageous;
  • Above all, share what you know and be helpful to others.