Key steps that women professionals must take to own their success, according to experts.
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Singapore is leading the charge in the Asia Pacific region when it comes to women in leadership positions. In the city-state, 42 percent of leadership roles are held by women, compared to 33 percent in Australia and 18 percent in India, according to a recent LinkedIn Economic Graph data .?
Although some progress has been made, there is still a fundamental lack of women in leadership roles across APAC, according to experts.?
While these findings highlight the need to create a more inclusive environment for women leaders, it should also come as a learning for women professionals to stop underplaying their abilities, which may withhold them to apply for jobs or senior positions, says leadership coach Catherine Li-Yunxia (Transforming leaders, Moving the world) .??
Based on her everyday interactions with women leaders, she explains how most women think and what they should tell themselves :
“I’m not good enough, I’m a diversity hire, they won’t take me seriously, my colleagues are so extroverted and comfortable sharing what they think, what value does my opinion have now?”
Yunxia’s advice to them: “Tell yourself: ‘I’ve identified my unique strengths that are competitive’, ‘I have a strong vision for this role’, ‘I feel compelled…’, ‘I see the future of this work, and want to commit’”.
Below, experts from industry and coaching share the biggest challenges women face at work and provide ideas and tips to reframe their narrative and dismantle the existing barriers.
What are the keys to success for women professionals? Share your advice and tips in the comments below and/or in a post using #GetHiredAsia #IWD2023
Find your voice and believe in it?
“From leading revolutions to breaking glass ceilings, women have proven time and time again that they are capable of achieving greatness,” says Wladmir Ramos Silva , COO at inGen Dynamics, Singapore.?
“However, despite all their accomplishments, there is still one thing that many women struggle with - finding their voice. The journey to finding one's voice can be a long and arduous one. It requires a deep understanding of oneself, a willingness to speak up, and the courage to stand up for what one believes in”.
So how can women find their voice? “Surrounding oneself with supportive people, practicing self-care, and taking small steps toward speaking up can all make a big difference,” he adds.
Be a strong ally to other women at work
“Women supporting each other is an untapped conversation ,” says Dr. Tanvi Gautam , an executive coach from Singapore.?
She suggests a few ways to champion each other at work:
Stand behind her: Back up the great ideas of other women publicly and often. It encourages more women to speak up. Be an active encouragement to her aspirations especially if you are where she aspires to be.
Stand beside her: A lot of women leaders can feel lonely or isolated in rooms where they are a minority. Show up as someone who can offer a listening ear and a confidential sounding board. It encourages affinity in the workplace.
Stand in front of her: If you see any biased treatment or assumptions being made about her, then come and stand up against those ideas like a firewall.?
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Advocate and promote your personal brand
“Women must focus on building their brand in the same way men would,” says Sophie Chen, ICF ACC , leadership coach from Singapore.????
“We need to know what we stand for and then carve out a niche. Being true to oneself is vital in building a brand”.
“Network is important - invest time in building a pipeline and do not shy away from communicating publicly. Promote yourself is one thing we do not do enough of,” she adds.?
Own your success and get rid of impostor syndrome
“More than 90 percent of female employees and executives have experienced imposter syndrome or self esteem paralysis at some point , leading to self-doubt and, even worse, a drive deficiency that causes you to put in less effort in your work,” says Samira Shihab , founder of Tinkerlust.com and Stellar Women from Indonesia.??
“I have had to confront imposter syndrome countless times. I wish there was a one-stop solution to banish all sense of insecurity. It's a combination of acknowledging the facts and being at peace with our past achievements, accepting our insecurities and seeing them as an opportunity to improve ourselves; to continuously evolve and always continue to own and celebrate our success,” she shares.??
What advice do you have for women professionals who want to rise to the top? Share your thoughts in the comments below and/or in a post using #GetHiredAsia #IWD2023 .
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Reported By: Neha Jain Kale – LinkedIn News Editor covering jobs and career development in Asia.
Creator Manager: Alita Utari Dewi
Editor’s Note: Some quotes were edited for length and clarity.?
Administrative Assistant at Network Marketing Pros
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Executive Chairman at Integrative Learning Corporation
1 年As a 68 year old professional woman who has been working since 21 beginning as a social worker, I think women professionals have to juggle several responsibilities - daughter, lover, wife, mother, and caregiver; besides their professional and work responsibilities. Hence they should understand their different seasons of life, prioritise it and live it with purpose and pleasure. It’s an adaptive challenge and using a technical fix to not underplay our abilities may create unnecessary stress in having to compete with our male and sometimes female colleagues. Bring your whole self to work and share your thoughts, challenges, and aspirations and you will be amazed that those around you are your allies rather than enemies! What advice do you have for women professionals who want to rise to the top? Personally I think rising to the top for professionals cut across all gender. If you have clarity on what is your greater purpose of rising to the top, how can you serve people better, and what is progress in your own terms not KPIs, you will find climbing the ladder to the top exciting! Finally rising to the top is teamwork not an individual’s quest. If it’s the latter then you would have accomplished it!
Certified Coach & Facilitator | Certified Speaking Professional | Gratitude Advocate
1 年Trust in self. The noise and doubt will always come and go. Allow the true voice from inner lead and guide. Be audatious and bold cos we all have it in us to do more than what we think we can. And we have grit and resilience to take on what comes our way. Trust and be thankful to ourself, the rest will fall in place. #GetHiredAsia #IWD2023
ESL teacher
1 年Women in nature are emotional.If they lose something that they strongly feel, then she takes her life as a weapon.Once it happens, no one can stop her. Women in nature are dependants.But if they feel that there's no one to do a particular work that needs to be done,then she takes the lead. Women in nature are all rounders.They act like they have many hands.As they have many things to do, they may not focus on one thing deeply. Women in nature are sensitive.They know how hard it is to raise children.They think about others from perspective.Therefore, their decisions may not be that hard. Women are not foolish.They know how the people are. Though they act like foolish ones, they know others' characters.But they do not raise it until her moment comes. In general,ladies can be caught by flattering. But once they get to know the nature of the person,they remove them from their favorite lists. Women are strong,energetic and manage many things.They can lead successfully. But some think only about themselves.Some are afraid of losing their positions if a better one comes.Therefore, they try to avoid other ladies from coming.Some women societies are there to raise funds.They want head counts only.ladies are not for ladies most of time
Leveraging strategic prowess to revolutionize business performance, I'm all about bold steps and smart solutions.
1 年Women professionals should recognize their strengths, seek feedback, grow their networks, be confident, and continuously learn to rise to the top. Remember, success is not about being perfect but about having the courage to take risks and pursue your goals.