5 Lessons I Learned from the 2018 Grace Hopper Celebration

“Leadership is a series of behaviors rather than a role for heroes.” —Margaret Wheatley

I had the privilege of attending my first Grace Hopper Celebration (GHC) in Houston, TX. The event is dedicated to celebrating women and future women leaders in the fields of technology and engineering. This annual conference is comprised of inquisitive talks, inspiring keynote speeches, and invaluable opportunity to network with accomplished women leaders both professionally and personally. It emphasized to me how strong women can be when we all work towards a common goal of uplifting and representing other women in technology. I condensed everything I learned in those three days down to five main takeaways for all women in any field.

You do have what it takes to become an entrepreneur

With evolving advancements in technology and the opportunities we have, times are definitely changing and all of us have what it takes to become an entrepreneur. Since women entrepreneurs comprise only 17% of the entrepreneurial population, the AnitaB.org PitcHER contest was inaugurated at this year’s GHC to bring leading women entrepreneurs to spotlight and provide new funding opportunities. The contest finalists’ panel discussion showed that every woman has the potential to become an entrepreneur if they are passionate about the problem they are trying to solve. We all have the fundamentals to start making an entrepreneurial difference by playing to our personal strengths of optimism and resilience, as well as interpersonal skills of listening and ethics. By seeing the big picture, spotting trends, and learning from one another, we can grow that 17%.

Find problems, not ideas

At the center of every significant innovation, there is always an idea. But you should not confuse a great idea to where it originated from—a great idea does not just arise from a few brainstorming sessions, but it stems from the need to respond to a pressing problem. Many times, we view our background or culture as a disadvantage, but this is where you can see the greatest weaknesses to work on. Throughout our lives, we are also part of various communities and therefore get to make improvements which fit each group. The greatest ideas come from environments in which we grew up in or live in now by seeing what problems occur with everyday tasks. For example, Sam Letscher founded Bossy because as an upcoming entrepreneur, she saw that there was a problem with women supporting other women entrepreneurs due to lack of sufficient marketing. Bossy is a platform which helps to connect products, services, experiences, brands, and workplaces between women with business and requirements. There are many hidden problems like these around us which will have simple yet effective solutions, you just need to look around and find better, faster, and smarter ways to accomplish them. Once you combine solving for the needs of life with your passion for technology, you can create many innovations.

Seek mentorship

It is likely you will experience many ups and downs throughout your career, but by aligning yourself with those whom you can collaborate with and raise you up, you will thrive. The key is finding someone with whom you can openly discuss your aspirations and goals, ask questions, and receive honest feedback. Your mentor should be someone who can help you dive deeper into how to achieve your short-term goals while also being a champion of your future to help you achieve your long-term goals. You aren’t limited to just one mentor either—first make a list of people who inspire you and motivate you, then find a way to make each one of them a part of your life for different perspectives. Charu Sharma highlighted the importance of mentorship by founding NextPlay.ai, an application to create meaningful mentorship relationships, especially for women and underrepresented minorities. Both mentees and mentors of various companies benefited greatly from this application because mentorship is always a two-way journey. Once you feel you could pass your wisdom along to benefit someone else then you can become a mentor yourself— you will be surprised with what you can learn while guiding others.

Embrace the changing role of women leaders

Women are paving the way for a new style of leadership that is confident, authentic, and highly effective. Organizations today are looking for women leaders and female entrepreneurs who are starting businesses at a faster rate than they did before. Padmasree Warrior explained how women are changing the status quo in every way possible and you can do it as well. In her welcome keynote, she explained how:

Women used to…                                      Now they are…

Be newcomers                                              Influencers

Be followers                                                  Movement starters

Mimic men to fit in                                     Able to be themselves

Society contributors                                    Community builders

Not have a strong voice                              Speak up and share their experiences

More women are becoming leaders by leaving their previous comfort zone. They did what they were afraid to do instead of just letting the fear rule their personal and professional life. I encourage you to embrace this changing role of women leaders and support other females in their pursuit of leadership.

Be underestimated to be motivated

Unfortunately, being a woman in technology can sometimes make you feel like the odds are against you in career progression and future success. But there is a certain strength to being heartbroken and undervalued—it gives you an advantage to take over the world without any hesitation. Collectively, we have to be women who take on every challenge and step forward, determined to succeed while knowing that the universe has our backs. During her welcome keynote, Jessica O. Meyers stated that being underestimated served as her biggest source of motivation because being underestimated can make you question your core beliefs. It can lead you to constantly doubt yourself, but this should turn around into a burning passion to dig deep and find out who you really are what your vision is. Ultimately, you are what you drive forward—next time you feel unworthy, suppress the negative voices in your head and continue to get up and crush your game every single day. Be thankful for all those naysayers in the world who gave you the strength to go from being underestimated to being driven to do what you love to every moment of your life.

I will keep learning and share my thoughts in hopes that this content will motivate and inspire every individual to keep aiming high and achieving more! Be thoughtful and critical thinkers, with the courage to challenge the status quo while uplifting others. Share your thoughts on what lessons you would want to pass on to others below!