1. Confidence — Here’s the secret to confidence: It doesn’t matter how you feel on the inside, it’s what you project on the outside that people see. I have often been told by people that they admire my confidence. I smile graciously and thank them, knowing on the inside I was the same as everyone else. I was nervous, I had my own doubts and fears. But I took practical steps to overcome the doubts and fears and nerves (working with a coach can help with this) and I walked with outward confidence. That is what the world sees, and I was told by a coach early in my career, “What is perceived is real.” And confidence is like a muscle; the more you do this, the easier it becomes.
“The question isn’t who’s going to let me: it’s who’s going to stop me.” —Ayn Rand
2. Creativity — I love the story of Estee Lauder, born to Hungarian immigrants — she wanted more. Lacking the money to hire advertisers like her competition, she came up with two marketing techniques commonly used today: the free gift, and the gift with purchase. Brilliant! Don’t be afraid to be creative.
“My life did not please me, so I created my life.” —Coco Chanel
3. Helpfulness — A feminine leadership style is generally considered one that embraces empathy, collaboration and long-term thinking. And in fact, recent research from Catalyst shows that this leadership style in Fortune 500 companies attained significantly higher financial performance, on average, than other leadership styles.
“Power to me is the ability to make a change in a positive way.” —Victoria Justice
4. Emotional Intelligence — Emotional Intelligence (EQ) is the ability to identify, use, understand and manage emotions in an effective and positive way. A high EQ helps individuals communicate better, reduce their anxiety and stress, defuse conflicts, improve relationships, empathize with others and effectively overcome life’s challenges. No wonder women with these traits are highly successful! The good news is, you can learn and enhance these traits for your own success.
5. Never Giving Up — Consider Malala Yousafzai, on a school bus in Pakistan when a gunman boarded and shot her in the head. Why? Because she dared to speak about education for girls. Did she quit? Even after being shot three times in the head, she continues to be an advocate for educating women. In 2013, she was listed as one of Time’s Most Influential Women in the World and in 2014 co-received the Nobel Peace Prize. All this while still a teen!
“Don’t be the girl who fell, be the girl who got back up.” —Jenette Stanley
6. Creating a Unique Style — In today’s world, you must stand out. In Seth Goldstein’s book The Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable,” he says that the key to success is to find a way to stand out — to be the purple cow in a field of monochrome Holsteins. Martha Graham, among others, comes to mind. Martha introduced the world to dance as it had never been seen before and reshaped American modern dance.
“If you are always trying to be normal, you will never know how amazing you can be.” —Maya Angelou
7. Embracing Traditions and Family — Here’s something we as women know but that is undervalued in our culture: Women are often the glue that holds things together, whether it is at home or at work. We naturally create roots that bond (teamwork) and we have an instinct for when things are brewing and take charge before things get out of hand. We provide leadership, whether in home or work, that focuses on teambuilding, tradition and enforcing the mission, goals and values so everyone is working with the same values. Leadership is natural for most women, and successful women harness these natural talents in the home and workplace to get everyone on the same page.
“Sister, open your heart, fling your hopes high and set your dreams aloft. I am here to hold your hand.” —Maya Angelou
Jean Briese is an award-winning sales leader, speaker and professional coach who helps individuals and teams shatter status quo and do the things they think are impossible! To learn more, visit jeanbriese.com/blog/.
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