Nowadays, women are truly doing it all by juggling full-time careers, kids, husbands, home life and still finding the time to stay in great health (and shape) — all on little sleep. Women are just wired differently, as are men. However, we don’t live in a Mad Men era anymore. Women have come a long way and are finally earning some credibility. Just take a look at Fortune 500 companies — you will find that many CEOs are female leaders. These women have beat the odds to the top and have shared with the world what principles have helped them get there.
1. Get out of your comfort zone.
It can be difficult to take on a new, unfamiliar challenge when you think you’re not ready to do so. Naturally, we all want to feel comfortable, at home, with our relationships, with our finances and in our careers. However, there is great reward in stepping out and taking on a new challenge or risk. Not only does it test your skills, but financially speaking, the sky is the limit if your brave enough to run with success. It’s all about finding the confidence to take the initiative and jump in. Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, described how her success came to be during her interview with CNN. “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. Sometimes that’s a sign that something really good is about to happen. You’re about to grow and learn a lot about yourself.”
2. Work hard
“The big secret in life is that there’s no big secret. Whatever your aim, you will get there if you’re willing to work.” Oprah Winfrey is a self-made, multi-billion dollar empire, ranked by Forbes as one of the world’s most powerful women. Coming from a troubled background, Oprah knows a thing or two about persevering through life’s unfortunate situations. Instead of letting these moments get the best of her, she worked arduously to make a positive, successful career for herself. Although success, almost never comes easy, if you’re willing to work hard to reach your goals, chances are you will reach your aspirations. It’s all about determination.
3. Don’t be afraid to fail
Sara Blakely, the world’s youngest, self-made billionaire and Founder of Spanx, learned early on in life that failure was simply, “Lack of trying” and not a determinant of success. Her father asked her every evening what she had failed at that day. If she didn’t, he was disappointed. Little did she know her father’s upbringing would mold her into the fearless entrepreneur and shapewear visionary that she is today. Failure, is just a lesson to be learned. When you fail, you must ask yourself “Why did I fail?” and “How can I learn from this?”. Only when you become comfortable with failure, will you be able to fearlessly, strive for success.
4. Practice Integrity
Success can come to anyone. How you arrive at success is a different story. Those who take less than admirable ways to get there, will eventually come to a halt at one point, or another. Now, building a reputable career through ethical practices, is the pinnacle of success. Meg Whitman, President and CEO of Hewlett-Packard (formerly eBay), has built her entire career on basic principles, including this one. What you do when no one is looking can say a lot about your leadership. A good way to keep yourself in check, is by asking yourself, what would my spouse, kids, or parents, say if they could see what I was doing?
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