I wish the person who proclaimed âRosie the Riveter,â a symbol for female empowerment, had put a little more effort into research. Rosie came to symbolize women gaining equity in the workplace and, sort of, becoming one of the boys. And that idea may have been a real push toward female empowerment if it had actually been true. If anything, Rosie, whose role it was to hold down the fort until a man could come back and take her spot, was subservient to her male peers. Thatâs not empowerment; thatâs settling.
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We donât settle in 2021, so letâs let Rosie spend more time with her family while we get on with the kicking of asses and taking of names. These six tips will help you be more empowered while also contributing to the betterment of all women. |
Self-advocacy
I think that the biggest reason most women donât self-advocate stems from not knowing how to define it. I often work with clients who find it hard to self-advocate, so I take them to class. Self-advocacy is an ability that must become a habit if it is to be effective. The ability to communicate and negotiate effectively, your worth, beliefs, competencies, and interests while maintaining your convictions' courage is self-advocacy. Practice here make perfect. Write down your values, your strengths, your competencies, and your desires. Donât skip this step. Once written, repeat them to yourself often. Next, repeat them to everyone else. When you do this, you not only assert, you also become an example to other women to do the same.
Network
Networking doesnât always come easy, especially if youâre an introvert like me. Networking requires you to engage with others. That being said, networking needs to be viewed as a necessary strategy. If you need to tell yourself, âitâs part of my personal job description,â do it. Strategically, it would help if you networked from the center up. That is to say, network with important stakeholders and other influential women at your current status or above. Just donât forget to reach back for others once youâve gained some ground. I trick I used early in my career was to use social media to follow the most influential leaders in my industry. I would then reach out to them when I found some synergistic opinions between us. Donât be afraid to ask for advice from women who built pathways. Think of it this way; your future success is the reason they exist. Weâre all, all women, in this together.
Influence North
This is not to knock networking downward, but networking north is the way to ensure all women level up. Women are uniquely situated to influence the decisions of leadership and should take every opportunity to do so. Influencing leadership takes bravery and poise, but youâll never regret doing it. And once youâve affected change, other women will surely follow. You may be the first, but ensure youâre not the last.
Barrier-brave
| Work as if there are no barriers. Perform as if there are no barriers. Write as if there are no barriers. |  |
Write as if there are no barriers. There will always be obstacles, those so-called glass ceilings and elusive seats at the table, but if women are to become leaders, and leaders are to become mentors, we must move past those barriers with will and grit. If there are no male team leads, become one. Speak as if you already hold the position, and forge ahead. The path you walk must be laying a path behind you for the next woman.
Take Risks
There are no two ways about it; you canât be risk-averse. Often womenâs desire to avoid risk is costly to us all. That is to say; we may be in a hell partially of our own making. For example, letâs look at the innovation investment space. Women generate seventy cents of every investment dollar, but women donât invest in women-led startups. Being risk-averse is often given as the reason. Yet, in reality, studies show that women-led tech startups yield a higher return rate, are more capital-efficient, and when venture-backed, yield 12% higher revenue than those run by men. Investing in women and their ideas is just smart business. Recently I posed the question on Twitter, what is women insisted on solutions built by other women? We need to consider this question seriously, as it could empower women greatly and forever.
Cultivate
Women must push back against the notion that thereâs only room for one of us at the table. We need to cultivate an environment of sponsors and mentors so that no woman gets left behind. I recently had a conversation with the founder of HIT Like A Girl pod, a community whose mission is to promote all women across all industries. We discussed how women could âbe that bitch.â In essence, how can women show up for other women through sponsorships and mentoring? Sponsors and mentors play a significant role. They can help you develop your leadership style, help you understand the financial savviness of running a company, and help you network north from the center. An effective mentoring relationship is life-changing for both parties, but an image of the mentee. Weâre not trying to create mini-mes. A good sponsor can help you capitalize on your marketable strengths and use them to advance your career.
So there you have it, ladies. The catâs out of the bag. Be brave, be mindful, and be generous. The skills you use for empowerment should also empower others. Donât be a Rosie; be a badass.