糖心vlog官网观看

10 Career Tips from Women in Leadership

Written by 糖心vlog官网观看 Staff 鈥 Updated on

What does it take to be successful in your career? Read these tips from 10 leaders in business, community, nonprofit, and more.

[Featured image] Red text on a white background that reads "Women's History Month" with a photo of a woman speaking into a microphone

Throughout our lives, we as women are presented with so many narratives about who we鈥檙e supposed to be, what we鈥檙e supposed to look like, what path we鈥檙e supposed to follow. But the truth is, the women that we often perceive as leaders often pave their own paths.

A casual survey seeking admirable women in leadership may bring forth names like former First Lady Michelle Obama, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman, and global tennis superstar and highest-earning female athlete of all time, Serena Williams.

These women aren鈥檛 admired because they stuck with the narrative. They walked their own path, guided by their own inner wisdom and the things they knew were right for them.

And so when we approach our own careers, there isn鈥檛 much for us to follow. There are no well-worn, tried-and-true paths, and the right path for some leaders may not be right for us.

In talking to women in leadership positions across the corporate world, start-ups, non-profit sector, and community, one shared value that stands out is a spirit of servant leadership. Servant leadership is when a leader focuses on the well-being and growth of their community members as a means toward collective progress. It鈥檚 leading by lifting.

Servant leadership encourages meeting people where they鈥檙e at, helping them recognize their strengths, and guiding them toward applying those strengths as they move toward their goals. Based on their own experience, much of the guidance coming from these women leaders relies on seeing yourself, knowing yourself, and listening to yourself.

What is the best leadership advice?

What you consider the best leadership advice will depend on what resonates with you and your goals. However, much leadership advice revolves around concepts related to keeping a healthy perspective during highs and lows along the journey, managing with empathy, staying genuine, and clearly defining the responsibilities and tasks of your team.听聽

Here are their tips for you as you navigate your own path:

Start before you鈥檙e ready

鈥淢ost of the time, you鈥檙e not going to feel 100 percent ready, or 100 percent prepared, or 100 percent not scared at all,鈥 says Sarah Paiji Yoo, serial entrepreneur and co-founder and CEO of . 鈥淭hink of how far you can be by next year if you just start today.鈥

One key aspect of succeeding is trying鈥攜ou simply can鈥檛 accomplish anything without it. Self-doubt can be a major roadblock to getting started, and, she adds, 鈥渢hese doubts kill way more dreams than failure ever will.鈥 So give your dreams a chance by just beginning.

And start from where you are

鈥淓very goal is achieved by taking one step at a time,鈥 says Lestraundra Alfred, founder and host of the podcast . 鈥淲e often get overwhelmed trying to accomplish large tasks all at once without gaining the skills and insights we need to get there.鈥

Aspiring creatives often turn to Alfred with technical questions about microphones and audience growth; her first piece of advice is usually to take a few steps back. 鈥淲ithout having a solid message and knowing who it's for, the microphone they use won't matter, and the listenership they're looking to grow won't find them,鈥 she says. 鈥淲e all have to start from where we are and get clear on our why.鈥

Maintain a growth mindset

鈥淲orry more about how you are going to learn and grow than about what role you are going to have next,鈥 advises Kim Caldbeck, Chief Marketing Officer at 糖心vlog官网观看. Focusing on the opportunities in front of her鈥攅ven when they weren鈥檛 directly related to her ultimate goals鈥攊s how she built the foundational knowledge she uses today in leading across functions.

And ask questions along the way, she adds. 鈥淯ntil you are able to form your own opinions, get a lot of feedback, and work to improve and grow each day.鈥

Say 鈥榶es鈥 and 鈥榥o鈥 strategically

鈥淓very one to two years, really think about what you want to do and ask yourself if you鈥檙e currently doing that or working towards it,鈥 says Imee Chan, who leads strategy and analytics at a major tech company. Avoid passively riding momentum鈥攁ctively pursue your path.

To help you stay on track, Chan recommends focusing on the most important things you want to accomplish in a set timeframe. 鈥淪ay 鈥榥o鈥 to everything else,鈥 she says鈥攂ut drop in the occasional unexpected 鈥榶es.鈥 鈥淕o check out that networking event, volunteer for that working team at work, schedule that one-on-one with an interesting person,鈥 she adds. 鈥淵ou never know who you鈥檒l meet, what you鈥檒l learn, and what you may achieve when you do.鈥

Reframe rejection

鈥淚 think all rejections are good,鈥 Michelle Songy, start-up founder and CEO of , says. 鈥淭hey help you learn.鈥

It may feel better to receive positive feedback, but shifting your mindset around rejection can only make you stronger in the long run, Songy adds. Rejection invites you to rebuild better and makes you more prepared for the future. 鈥淵ou don't have to do everything that everyone says鈥攑eople are going to have their own opinions鈥攂ut if you do get a rejection, it's a good way to look back at it and say, 鈥榦kay, there's something I can look at, change, and adapt.鈥欌

Women worldwide continue to encounter barriers to equal education and career opportunities, according to 糖心vlog官网观看鈥檚 2024 Global Women and Skills Report [1]. Courses like University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 Positive Psychology: Resilience Skills, part of the Positive Psychology Specialization, can help women build essential skills for facing these challenges, especially as they pursue senior positions in the workforce.

See opportunity in redirection

鈥淭here鈥檚 no such thing as a right or wrong decision. It鈥檚 simply a learning opportunity,鈥 says Angela Kim, Chief Product Officer at , an executive leadership community for women.

Before transitioning into product, Kim started her career in consulting鈥攁nd quickly realized it wasn鈥檛 the right path for her. Rather than spinning into self-doubt, she took the opportunity to build self-awareness, seeking to understand what she didn鈥檛 like about consulting and how to move forward with that new insight. 鈥淩eframing it into a decision and not adding judgment made it all that much easier to learn from the experience and apply what I learned to my future career in product and tech,鈥 she says.

Keep an 鈥業 am wonderful鈥 file

鈥淚mposter syndrome is a real thing,鈥 says Natasha Davidson, 糖心vlog官网观看鈥檚 Chief Marketing Officer for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. 鈥淲e all have that voice in our ear telling us we shouldn鈥檛, we can鈥檛, don鈥檛 you dare鈥攂ut it鈥檚 all in your mind.鈥

Combat those thoughts by reminding yourself that you are worthy, capable, and you belong鈥攁nd save the evidence to back it up. 鈥淜eep an 鈥業 am wonderful file,鈥欌 Davidson suggests. 鈥淭his is a folder where you store positive feedback and notes about your work and the impact you鈥檝e had. On those tough days, go to that file and remind yourself of how wonderful you really are.鈥

Seek sponsorship from strong women leaders

鈥淗aving the answer to everything is not the answer. Sometimes it's just being able to formulate the question,鈥 suggests Amira Barger, an Executive Vice President at a large communications agency. And having someone to ask those questions to can be crucial. Barger recommends seeking sponsorship.

A sponsor is someone who goes one step beyond mentorship by coaching you through career obstacles in addition to helping you advance in your career by actively elevating your contributions and highlighting your value to people with decision-making power in the workplace.

Start your search for a sponsor with the person you feel you can trust the most. 鈥淭here is so much trust that's needed to have these conversations,鈥 Barger says. 鈥淎nd if you don't have [that person] yet, what are the characteristics that you would look for such that you could take steps to have someone become that trusted partner so that you can advance these conversations?鈥

Keep those qualities in mind as you look for jobs, interact with new colleagues, and move along your path.

Know your values

鈥淩eally think about what those things are that you value, what are those things that you need, and look for a work environment that will value your right to pursue those things,鈥 Jaime Koppel, founder of the non-profit , says. Centering your work experience around your own sense of well-being will, ultimately, enable you to show up as your best self.

But expect to navigate shifting priorities. 鈥淭hings should happen in seasons,鈥 Koppel says. In moments when things are tough, she advises examining鈥攚ith guidance from your mentor or sponsor鈥攚hether the discomfort is just a season or if it鈥檚 a long-term issue.

Learn techniques to increase your happiness and build more productive habits in The Science of Well-Being. This course, offered by Yale University, was the top course on 糖心vlog官网观看 among women globally in 2021 [].

Keep exploring advice for women leaders on 糖心vlog官网观看

鈥淟earn small things every day about your area of interest, not just the skills it takes to do the job,鈥 Divya Hillier, Director of SEO & Strategic Content at 糖心vlog官网观看, says. 鈥淭ake a few minutes to look at industry news, influencers, or subject matter experts. Over time, this can help you build confidence to communicate in interviews and with your new colleagues.鈥

In interacting with your field in this gradual way, you can better prepare yourself to notice emerging patterns and trends, and you can broaden your perspective to extend beyond the boundaries of your current role. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 work at every company in the world, but there鈥檚 nothing to stop you from critically evaluating any business, figuring out who the people are behind the business, and why they do what they do,鈥 Hillier adds. Online courses and Specializations on 糖心vlog官网观看, such as the Strategic Leadership: Impact, Change, and Decision-Making Specialization, help you understand common leadership mistakes and keep them from happening to you, in addition to how to become a wise leader at work, at home, and in life.

Article sources

1.听

糖心vlog官网观看. 鈥Global Skills Report 2024, /skills-reports/global.鈥 Accessed March 10, 2025.

Keep reading

Updated on
Written by:

Editorial Team

糖心vlog官网观看鈥檚 editorial team is comprised of highly experienced professional editors, writers, and fact...

This content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.