Most daring business women share in common their invincible passion to develop ways of handling each complex situation creatively and efficiently. As a generation, we are witnessing the largest number of women holding top executive position in some of the most famous global conglomerates and multinational corporations. In order to take a page out of their management handbooks, we need to understand the unique character of their leadership styles. Listed below are some of the most formidable tips from the top women in business that will help aspiring female entrepreneurs and business leaders to expand their presence in the world of business and achieve new feats of glory:
- Trust Your Gut
This unequivocal piece of advice is reiterated by several formidable women leaders in the business domain. According to Michelle Burns, SVP at Starbucks, “Trust your instincts. I have learned that being too reliant on too much data, analysis, or process can sometimes slow you down and invites missed opportunities. Leading isn’t a perfect science but making decisions and owning whatever comes next offers great opportunities to grow.”
Like many other audacious women leaders in business, Michelle advices young aspirants to embody the ability to trust their core instincts. At the same time seizing opportunities must be prioritized over hardcore assessment. This is not to say that in-depth analysis is to be avoided, it’s just that finding the most conducive balance between instinctual thinking and overthinking is essential in order to excel within the competitive market space.
- Make Yourself Visible
One of the foremost advice that top female executives extend to aspiring women in business is to make themselves visible in this highly competitive section. It is important to make one’s presence felt and voice heard in the world of business. Dana Simberkoff, Chief Risk, Privacy, and Information Security Officer, AvePoint Inc. asserts, “You need to increase your visibility: Find ways to ensure that executives in your company are aware of your work and accomplishments — and do so in a way that is not seen as boasting, but as informative and helpful.”
According to her advice, merely being skillful and talented is not enough, women have to make their ingenious thinking visible within the workspace to effectively move up the corporate hierarchy. This is also applicable to those women who are aspiring to embody the role of entrepreneurs.
- Step Out of Your Comfort Zone
Nothing can flourish in one’s stagnant zone of comfort. Wonderful things are in store for those aspiring female entrepreneurs and leaders who are willing to step outside the arena of their comfort and ease. “I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough,” propounds Marissa Mayer, Former CEO of Yahoo.
According to Marissa, growth is contingent on the ability of the individual to embrace the winds of change. Adaptability and new experiences are the core to achieving success in the world of business. Ingraining this belief is absolutely essential for women who are aspiring to become daring entrepreneurs.
- Treat Failure as a Part of the Journey
An important lesson for all women bracing themselves to make an entry into the world of business is that failure and success are the two sides of the same coin. It is important to cognize them as such. The journey towards success is not one that can be embarked upon without being prepared to positively process failure.
Arianna Huffington, Editor of the Huffington Post asserts, “We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” If one is unable to see failure as an important stepping stone to success, she will continue to wallow about the many initial setbacks that are destined for each novice entrepreneur. The important lesson here is to overcome one’s fear of failure to reach the pinnacle of success.
- Inspire Others
Once you have triumphed all these traits it is time to forge a legacy that inspires more women to become a part of this formidable generation of daring female entrepreneurs. According to Angela Ahrendts, SVP Retail, Apple, “And if the end result is that someone, somewhere winds up believing they can do something out of the ordinary, well, then you’ve really made it.”
If your story helps inspire even one woman to follow her passion and live her dream, then you have come a step closer to attaining the coveted visionary status within the industry. If your work can provide the impetus for self-belief in even one individual to pursue her nascent dream of becoming a great business leader, you have fulfilled your potential.
Women aspiring to enter the world of business can be skeptical because of the overwhelmingly patriarchal character of the industry. However, the legacy that the aforementioned women leaders have pioneered in this industry has served as a source of relentless inspiration for women. The tips and advices they offer have reinvigorated the zealous spirit of many aspiring women entrepreneurs and business leaders.