What do women entrepreneurs who rise up and achieve their goals do differently? What makes them successful? Things like being steadfast in their vision, or learning how and when to pivot, can help gain more visibility and respect in their industries, for example.
So what other types of
habits are worth emulating? To learn more, we asked 10 members of the Young
Entrepreneur Council to share some of the things successful women do
differently. What would you add to the list?
1. They become an underrated force.
Every successful woman
I know there are countless stories of being
underappreciated. When women make it a strength, they succeed
time. You need to be confident in your abilities and why you are even in the
bedroom in the first place. You're not there for decoration, you're there for yourself
the job done. So stay focused and do it.
—Lisa Song Sutton,
Sin City Cupcakes
2. They prefer progress to perfection.
As women, we are often
socialized to think that everything has to be pretty and perfect. Perfectionism
can hold back progress and movement in major ways. I was able to hack my brain
away from this trap by "conducting experiments" to try something new. I might
test something for a few weeks as an experiment, then come back and see
how it went. I act quickly when I get the results.
—Rachel Beider, Modern Massage PRESS
3. They demand recognition for their accomplishments.
Studies have
documented a “confidence
” in women that often holds them back from applying for jobs they haven’t
100% qualified for or asking for raises. Successful women find ways
to publicize their accomplishments and demand recognition for those
accomplishments.
—Lisa
Curtis,
Kuli Kuli Foods
4. They act even when the results are unknown.
Instead of waiting
feel 100% confident in their decision or desired outcome, successful women
take
action first. It is only by trying and failing that they are able to learn
what works, and no one really has it all figured out in life or business.
Successful women know that taking action despite fear and uncertainty is how
they will move forward.
-Nathalie
Lussier, AccessAlly
5. They motivate each other.
There is enough
room in the world for everyone to prosper and succeed. We don't need to pit women
against each other in a rat race to the top. Instead, successful women motivate
and encourage each other to do their best. Jealousy and negativity only
distract you from living your life to the fullest and being happy.
—Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
6. They mentor other women.
Mentoring other women
brings you closer to the ground and to reality. Going up the ladder things might
change for you in terms of how the world sees you, but someone who is 10-12
years behind you might have a very different and different
challenges – sometimes very different from what you encountered when you were at this
stage.
—Shilpi
Sharma, Kvantum
Inc.
7. They have mastered the art of reading body language.
Women are born
nurturing and nurturing, and as a result, we have these incredible powers of reading
implied senses and bodies
languages. And so it must be – imagine how long infants
wait if we couldn't understand their needs and subtle changes in their
behaviour. These superpowers have helped many successful businesswomen achieve great heights by better understanding and managing their teams.
—Kelly Richardson, Infobrandz
8. They freely share their ideas.
It's like the tide
changes. We used to be so scared that people would steal our ideas and go and do it
and maybe do it better. I now see more people asking to learn
from each other, and I think women are leading that open communication. Were
not afraid to share our success and how we got there so we could build
each other and learn from each other.
—Kerry
Guard,
MKG Marketing
9. They organize meetings of leaders.
An impactful habit I
learned from my successful friends is organizing leadership meetings.
Whether it's a group lunch or a retreat, my friends and I will jointly host events at
our homes or plan group trips that bring our networks together. At these
gatherings, we share our personal stories and business insights. The only
purpose is to spend quality time with other successful people.
—Nanxi
Liu, Enplug
10. They are out of the norm.
At an early age, girls
are taught to be kind, sweet and pretty. As a result, many women are less willing to take
risks and are obsessed with looking flawless. I've been through
that phase too – you feel handcuffed to that standard of
perfection. Successful women are more likely to fall short of these standards.
Be scrappy, fearless, and stand out from the crowd, even if it means
being the only woman in a room full of men.
—Daisy Jing, Ban
