“Be so good that you can’t be missed”- Top 5 traits to become an accomplished — “Women Leader”
I’ve read many books about women who have made it to the top and are very successful and doing well. Lean in author -Sheryl Sandberg, Settle for more author -Megyn Kelly, HP CEO Meg Whitman, IBM Virginia Romnetty , ICICI bank CEO Chanda Kocher and many more like them.
I always wonder how they make it to the top. What are the qualities one needs to exhibit to reach there? It’s not a cakewalk, and especially for women, it’s very challenging. Every woman has to balance work and family life. It’s called a myth, but not for women. Life is a roller coaster ride once you are married, settled, and have kids. You constantly juggle between home and office. Unlike most men, who focus on managing their jobs and workplaces. All the women working and are mothers, girlfriends, wives, or sisters deserve a lot of admiration for being so courageous to hang on and continue with their endeavors.
I am curious to find the traits and qualities a woman should have to continue with such a challenging but rewarding career. After reading books, biographies, news & articles about successful women leaders, I came across many qualities, but a few things that stand out among all are:
1.Be so good that no one will miss you. If you have talent, flaunt it, and make it noticeable. Make your contributions so valuable that they cannot be ignored. I am not suggesting being a perfectionist. While give your 100%, be passionate about your work and most importantly please speak for yourself. Learn the art of showing your talent. It is crucial to learn the skills and apply them. However, the other critical piece is to learn to talk about it. Please invest in your communication and interpersonal skills. The task isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. It takes some time but continue to work towards it. Look for the right opportunities to showcase your work.
The only downside is that women must work extra hard to prove ourselves and our capabilities to others. Someone is always watching us; even the tiniest mistake can have disastrous consequences. But don’t worry; every mistake is a steppingstone towards success. Therefore, it’s very much feasible and achievable. It is impossible to ignore you if you are so good.
2) Persistence: Be persistent and continue to work. Hang on and don’t think too far. Please don’t call it off thinking about the future and the family. Do it when it’s absolutely necessary. Women tend to overreact and plan way too much about the future. We are indeed an excellent planner, but it can sometimes backfire. As soon as we get married, we start thinking about quitting the job due to daily struggles, family life, work balance, and kids. We become doubtful of our career before the problem arises and start planning the flight.
When both spouses are working, usually, women’s job takes a back seat. She is expected to handle household chores, raising kids, and office responsibilities. There are accomplished women who have managed work-home balance wonderfully in their lives. They reached the pinnacle of success, and their family is doing well, too. But more women quit or get out of the race as they think they cannot manage both ends of the world. The woman often prefers to care for her family and devote herself instead of choosing her career.
3) Stop being a perfectionist: Women always strive towards perfection. We only apply for a job if our skill matches 100% with a Job description. We don’t ask for raises as we always think we are not working, toiling, or contributing like our male counterparts. We can never achieve perfection. There is always a scope for improvement. Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it can motivate you to perform at a high level and deliver top-quality work.
On the other hand, it can cause you unnecessary anxiety and slow you down. Many women leave their jobs because they think they are not doing justice to home and work. They choose one of them and 90% of the time, it’s “taking care of the family”.
Please stop being a perfectionist at home and work. You can never have it all. Redefine your standards and expectations and continue your journey, as you will surely meet beautiful outcomes in the long run.
4) Stop People-pleasing-People-pleasing is a behavior that stems from the need to find self-worth in our validation by others. Women are expected to be quieter, pleasant, pro-social, nurturing, and thriving through relationships with others around them. This means that women often become more attuned to other people’s emotions and well-versed in modulating their emotions to suit the context and the needs of those around them. Always think about others first. Even at work, the women who speak up and are confident are perceived as loud, pushy, and arrogant. But remember, the less we use our voice with the world, the harder it can become to hear it ourselves. So stop trying to make everyone like you, and start saying what’s on your mind.
5) Constant learning and growing: It’s imperative to unlearn and relearn continuously in life. We can’t keep honking off the same old skills throughout our lives. Everything has a shelf life, and it loses its charm and interest after some time. You will not find any buyer for old things. Similarly, we can’t keep riding high on success with the same skill sets. Time and Technology are changing fast, and adopting new capabilities and changing our attitude is imperative. Otherwise, we will be left behind, and catching up will take much work.
