I don’t know about you, but I’ve been deeply disturbed and shocked by the recent media and political assault against women (in particular Rush Limbaugh’s recent idiotic rant against Sandra Fluke and conservative political rhetoric regarding women’s issues). It’s like women’s rights are being pushed back 40 years and frankly it’s a little scary. The recent media assault only adds to our own self-doubt and self-criticism, which in fact may be the bigger thing that holds us back from our own greatness.
The fact is many of us still have a really hard time promoting ourselves without feeling as if we are bragging. Why is this? As girls, were never taught how to boast about ourselves. We play in a cooperative manner and are more concerned with inclusion, relationships and how everyone in a group is getting along rather than about winning or losing. While this is an incredibly valuable skill and women are known to be better relationship builders, we often do ourselves a disservice when trying to compete in a world where both sexes are competing.
Note that women are starting businesses at twice the rate of men, yet no more than 10% ever hit the $1 million mark. I believe big part of the reason for these statistics is that many women simply lack the confidence to ask for what they need. Ladies, the first step to confidence building is as simple as learning to like yourself.
Jennifer Read Hawthorne, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul, believes that learning to like and even love oneself is a lifelong process. “You can surround yourself with competent leaders, but you can never really compensate for low self-esteem. Sooner or later, you will be discovered.” Hawthorne recommends several tactics for boosting self-esteem:
1. MAKE SURE YOUR BUSINESS IS YOUR PASSION. Your low self-esteem could be tied to not following your heart.
2. ASSOCIATE WITH PEOPLE WHO SEEM GENUINELY HAPPY. Happy people are usually at peace with themselves.
3. ASK FOR HELP. Don’t try to work on your issues alone.
I agree it’s important for women to pursue their passions and also believe women need to manage their expectations. The perspective that “only perfection is good enough” limits our advancement in both business and life. Once we accept that perfection is not the norm, we can have the freedom to take risks, make mistakes, and pursue our dreams. Learning to take “imperfect action” will propel our businesses forward.
What do you think?