Daring is self-caring...

? It’s just been a year since you took the position of Lenovo France’s president: what have you learnt as a woman? ? This was asked to me by one of Lenovo France team members as we, women and men, gathered, discussed and celebrated Womens’Day. What a question! If I had to answer it with two words, they would be “risk” “confidence” and what makes the link between the two: daring.

I first dared when I joined Lenovo. I got out of my comfort zone and took the risk of a new adventure. Yet, this risk was a calculated one as I knew Lenovo’s values of innovation, entrepreneurship and diversity were also mine. I do believe in them and now am blessed to be able to apply and inject them into the whole company with the teams and on a daily basis. The risk was also there when I was offered this position that I hadn’t internally applied to in the first place. “Me, really? Am I able?” were honestly my first thoughts. France is a leading country inside the Lenovo Corporation and the mission was and still is massive. And I dared, I accepted and I’m more than delighted today as I have been having the pleasure to meet and work with great people, whose expertise, skills, intelligence and enthusiasm are real drivers for a trustful and dynamic environment, and for success.

"Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game." Goethe

First lesson here: you must dare taking a risk! And your must trust yourself. For a woman, the two don’t necessarily go well together. We are conditioned by society and in our work life to remain shy. I think and see that it takes longer for women than for men to take a decision, go and date. We are wrong: there’s so much to benefit from, both personally and professionally! How to do it? First take away the scare of going at it in the decision-making process, as Lionel Rafalowicz highlighted to the group. Then do it progressively. This progressivity implies early successes which will generate self-confidence, which in turn will result in additional successes, and so on: the virtuous circle has started, the ignition is near! Self-confidence is like a flower: it needs daily watering, or like a muscle: it needs a daily training. This regularity and progressivity will enable great things.

 The question was a tough one. The answer is actually quite simple: you must dare and be self-confident, and reversely. And preferably at the same time! 

I have had an interesting conversation with Denise Dampierre - Sosooper- about taking risks. Feel free to read it here: https://sosooper.com/take-risks-confidence-insights-elisabeth-moreno-ceo-france-lenovo/