Five Secrets to Success from Five Successful Women
Lean In | April 9, 2017
As more women embrace the idea of leadership in their professional community, we here at Lean In Canada wanted to share some great quotes and advice from five successful women. These women achieved top tier executive positions at world renowned corporations and have shared how they did it with the rest of us!
1. Pick One Skill and Master it
CEO of Pepsi Indra Nooyi shared that she believes every successful leader has one specific skill that they’ve honed, and that when it comes to her “Over my entire career what I’ve been known for is making simple the complex, whatever the issue is. . .”
Our suggestion? Jot down a list of strengths, ask friends what you do well, pick one and learn how to excel in it. Your colleagues and friends will always point to you when your skill is needed.
Read more from CNBC news.
2. Be a Team Player
The President and CEO of Hewlett Packard shared that business is like a sport, stating that “It has always been for me about a team sport and who you have on your team and who your team members are, even if you’re not the boss.”
You can’t complete every project alone and you won’t be able to achieve success alone. Lean on your team and let your colleagues lean on you. CNBC
3. Ask for Help
The first female CEO of an automaker, Mary Barra, offers the following humbling tip: “It’s OK to admit what you don’t know. It’s OK to ask for help.” Check out Mary’s speech at a graduation ceremony here.
Asking for help may seem unimpressive especially when we are often concerned with pursuing goals such as promotions or a raise. But consider that when you admit you don’t know something, you open yourself up to others and allow yourself to learn something new.
4. Get Uncomfortable
“Growth and comfort never co-exist. Think about it. When have you learned the most? Probably when you felt at risk.” Ginni Rometty president and CEO of IBM revealed a personal experience about hesitantly accepting a promotion because she felt she wasn’t ready for a more senior role. Growth and learning experiences only happen when you put yourself in new situations. Read the full transcript of her speech at the 2016 Grace Hopper conference here.
5. Listen. Listen. Listen.
Michelle Moore, the head of digital banking for Bank of America was Huffington Post’s latest feature in Women In Business. Her tip to being an effective leader and achieving success is to listen, because “…listening is a cornerstone to effective leadership. I still spend time in the call centers, in the financial centers and reading customer feedback almost daily.”
For entry level professionals to CEO’s, listening is a good habit to develop. You’ll often find innovative ideas where you least expect it.
What do you think about these five secrets to success? Share your thoughts with us on twitter, #LeanInCanada.
