Today's business landscape is changing. Women make up half of the workforce, and in 50% of families, women are the sole or co-breadwinners. Gone are the days where "leadership" is perceived solely as a male trait. Women are moving into powerful roles in companies, taking their place at the helm and making their mark. But, we're still way behind other developed countries in the world. In fact, in the United States, women only account for 15% of executive roles, 17% of board seats, and 5% of Fortune 500 CEO positions.
The double X chromosome is the full package when it comes to a well-rounded workforce. We're smart, hard-working, driven, ambitious, and competitive while also being compassionate, empathetic, intuitive leaders who help create healthy workplace relationships. In a world where collaboration and communication are key, simply put, women have mad skills and in turn, the upper advantage-helping to create a healthy balance of the transactional and transformational aspects of the business.
The climb to the top is not without its challenges. Here are some simple practices that can help propel your career to the next level. If you're up for the task, consider these four tips to start your climb:
Gain a Mentor AND an Advocate: Increase Your Internal Visibility
Find a successful woman executive in your industry that you revere and respect and reach out to her-share the reasons why she inspires you. Ask her to be your mentor and learn from her in any way that you can. In addition, identify an advocate within your organization, male or female, who will vocally celebrate your achievements and greatness to those in leadership positions and help you attain visibility within your company.
Constant Learning and Growth: Stretch Yourself
Plain and simple: learn from everyone - seek knowledge from areas outside of your skill set(s) within your company. Dig deep and learn the business from every angle. Absorb as much as possible outside of your functioning job/role and go after and grow in areas with P & L (Profit and Loss) responsibilities. Knowledge is power; the more you know about the business as a whole, the more you'll have the ability to be recognized as a higher potential executive.
Increased Confidence and Networking: Be More Assertive
Believe in yourself. You, and the way you think, are unique-celebrate it! Use your individuality and distinguishing qualities to your advantage. Bring your whole self to work every day. Seek out opportunities, show compassion, and let your emotions guide you in building sustainable relationships. Don't miss an opportunity. Have faith and trust in your abilities and your skills-if a project is up for grabs, take it and volunteer to spearhead it. Attack it head on and show them what you're capable of-you've got this!
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Be Authentic
Be true to who you are and make your differences be your biggest asset. Embrace your emotions while staying factual. Don't chase a title, but rather focus on delivering results. Make sure that you're not guided by fear-don't forget to share and help others, especially other women, be successful. What makes you different is that YOU'RE A WOMAN-that's your superpower- what that gives you is chutzpah to bring your feelings, emotions, and experiences to the table, delivering an invaluable perspective that's crucial to achieving success in the workplace.
The bottom line is (whether you're a male or a female), make the commitment to help and support women in the workplace. Embrace diversity and inclusion-see us not as just a gender, but as an undeniably important force with a unique, insightful perspective and approach toward driving and thriving in business. Be a voice and take initiative for women's advancement-we're unstoppable and worth it!
This guest post was authored by Mona Ameli, President of OPTAVIA
Ms. Career Girl was started in 2008 to help ambitious young professional women figure out who they are, what they want and how to get it.
