Women in Business Should Strive to Achieve Sustained Motivation, Authenticity and Confidence
Women in business often face challenges with their confidence, motivation, and feelings of adequacy. In order to address this, women entrepreneurs often must work harder to overcome fear and self-doubt. This month, we’ll examine how to lead with confidence and hear from guests who’ve struggled with those very issues to achieve intentional greatness.
How Sustained Motivation is the Key to Achieving Excellence
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.” – Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi.
The call
to excellence should reach deep into the bones of a business or organization. Sustained motivation involves several factors, including complete self-awareness on the part of female entrepreneurs in charge of engaging and energizing everyone in the organization. Perfection isn’t an achievable goal, but the pursuit of perfection can lead to an atmosphere of positivity and the great results needed to meet growth projections and create products and services everyone in the corporation can take pride in.
Intentional Greatness host Sue Hawkes knows a thing or two about striving and reaching pinnacles, only to have success and happiness ripped away, exposing the core of who she is as a person as well as a woman in business. Through the downturn of her businesses, to unexpected family losses, Sue discusses her journey for greatness, and what it revealed to her about herself.
Women in business know there are more eyes on everything they do. The continuous effort of pressing forward and pursuing excellence has to be encoded in their minds and souls as deeply as DNA. Women leaders are the heartbeat of their organizations, groups or teams. Working harder to gain recognition, monetary rewards, and other incentives is only part of the ultimate formula for success.
Sustaining motivation within the organization itself requires:
- Recognition of the need for a better organizational condition.
- Maximum effort in pursuit of excellence, in hopes of achieving individual and corporate growth.
- Focused concentration on one goal.
- Motivation to pursue that better condition or goal.
Determination and clarity are the stepping stones that leaders, associates and ultimately the entire organization must navigate to achieve intentional greatness.
Why Authenticity Is Critical for Women Entrepreneurs and Journalists
Women in business leadership positions are overly scrutinized, which can leave them feeling vulnerable. Letting go of the “perfect” image by taking an honest look at oneself and the corporation leads to authenticity. Authenticity is important because you can’t build trust within an organization or with clients and vendors if you aren’t honest and forthright. Leaders who are kind and tolerant of others are most often seen as the most authentic, which is, of course, important as well.
Allison Kaplan is a respected writer, public speaker, fashion maven, and the Editor-in-Chief at Twin Cities Business Magazine. Ali has strived to bring diversity and a lot of voices to the pages of her magazine and believes that her success in an extension of her personal quest for authenticity—something she hopes is reflected in the engaging content of her publication.
People take a risk when they put their hard work and effort behind a vision. That’s why organizations with authentic leaders have the best shot of succeeding. The kindness and trust portrayed by women entrepreneurs can ripple through every aspect of a company. When no one else is around and it’s time to make a decision, the authenticity you’ve cultivated will see you through. Of course, self-examination is no good if you don’t give yourself permission to like and trust yourself first!
Listen to Sue’s interview with Allison Kaplan on the Intentional Greatness Podcast
Leading with Confidence
Women entrepreneurs often work in a male-dominated industry or at least a male-dominated C-suite. This can be a challenge if you haven’t built up your confidence. With confidence, it’s much easier to wear thick skin to meetings and business events. In turn, this lets you focus on the most important things—the success of your business and the well-being of those who make that happen. Every leader has to find their own path to confidence. Some may find their strength and validation at home or in their religious faith.
Second-generation business owner Anna Anderson draws on both as she leads a male-dominated business with her sister. Anna is the CEO of Art Unlimited, an Angora, Minnesota-based marketing and advertising firm. As a marketing expert and thought leader, she has much inspiration and advice to offer women in business.
By leading with confidence, you can prevent losing clients, production delays and misplaced trust. Although negative events will happen from time to time, guidance from a strong leader makes each incident far easier for the company to recover from. Dwelling on failure isn’t really an option if your eyes are constantly focused on a vision of success. Not every venture can be successful and Anna advises women leaders to learn from their mistakes and setbacks and then to move on with confidence.
Listen to Sue’s interview with Anna Anderson on the Intentional Greatness Podcast
Overview
The spectacular women in business that are featured on Intentional Greatness can help women beginning their quest for greatness and women in leadership positions who feel weighed down by a lack of confidence and the “imposter syndrome” that may follow them into the executive suite. Although it’s a personal journey, we can all benefit from the journey of those who’ve overcome these self-doubts.