Fighting Like a Girl
By Sheila Thornton Warfield
Our ability to optimize who we are is influenced by so many factors and striving to realize our full potential is evergreen. Like so many of us, I’ve had many missteps in my career or ‘day job’’ that have caused delays, detours and full stops that changed the trajectory of my career. Yet, showing up authentically every day regardless of role is key to being able to look at yourself in the mirror. Of course it’s not always easy and sometimes feels impossible, however, we must be brave enough to do it anyway. And, once we show up authentically, especially as women, then what? How do we effectively fight (metaphorically speaking) as girls?
I recently came across the list below that offered insights that I believe can help women maneuver and avoid unnecessary career speed bumps. This list of twelve common mistakes women leaders make in their careers, as discussed by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith in “How Women Rise”, is priceless. Oh, how I wish this list could have been shared with me early in my career! I have no doubt that I would have managed my journey better and operated with even more confidence and finesse. Today, I’m proud to fight like a girl with more effectiveness and share some words of wisdom that can help women elevate how they navigate their own career journeys.
Common Mistakes by Women Leaders
Reluctance to claim achievements: Women may attribute their success to others rather than owning their contributions, which can hinder their recognition and advancement.
Expecting others to spontaneously notice and reward contributions: Women might not advocate for themselves, waiting for others to recognize their value instead of actively communicating their accomplishments.
Overvaluing expertise: Focusing excessively on mastering job skills at the expense of building connections and visibility that could help them advance.
Building rather than leveraging relationships: Women may invest in creating a broad network but fail to use it strategically for mutual benefit.
Failing to enlist allies from day one: Hesitating to ask for help early on, instead of identifying key supporters who can contribute to their success.
Putting your job before your career: Demonstrating loyalty to a fault, which can prevent women from pursuing opportunities that would benefit their long-term career goals.
The perfection trap: Believing that anything less than flawless performance is failure, which can discourage risk-taking and create undue stress.
The disease to please: Prioritizing the fear of disappointing others over asserting boundaries and saying no when necessary.
Minimizing: Using language and body language that diminish presence, undermining the ability to assert oneself effectively.
Too much: Providing excessive information or disclosure, rather than being concise and to the point.
Ruminating: Spending too much energy on past mistakes and self-blame, which can impede moving forward.
Letting your radar distract you: Being overly attuned to the environment and others' responses, leading to scattered attention and reduced presence.
Awareness and intentionality are the first steps to creating positive change. Fighting like a girl takes on new meaning in 2025. Let’s go Ladies!
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