Do you focus on improvement and growth or not making a mistake? This could be the key difference in boldly stating “ I woke up like this!” or “I just rolled out of bed.”
Confidence is the best accessory to put on before stepping out into the world and even the highest, most powerful women struggle with not feeling good enough.
In society, we’re taught men are the leaders and rarely do we see women in powerful positions running corporations and changing the world.
These 7 secrets from successful women leaders throughout history will reveal, why that is a lie and how to create your own mindset of excellence. Even if you choose to maneuver through life with lipstick and high heels on.
1. Self-Care is Top Priority
“I’m getting better, each day, at doing something good for my body, mind and spirit.” – Oprah Winfrey
One of the most powerful names in television history puts herself as top her priority. Oprah understands that in order to pour into others, her needs will have to be taken care of first. If you are depleted, there is nothing left for you to give to those you care about and sharing your gifts becomes a burden. It is a disservice to the world not to put your best foot forward in life for yourself. It’s not selfish, it’s smart business.
2. Know What You Want
“Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know. That can be your greatest strength and ensure that you do things differently from everyone else.” – Sara Blakely (Founder of Spanx – World’s Youngest Female Billionaire)
Sarah was far from intimidated when she roped in one of the biggest billionaires, Richard Branson to believe in her vision and financially back her foundation. She had a clear vision of her future self. Knowing what you want keeps you from being taken advantage of and turning up empty handed. Even when Sarah didn’t know how to get where she wanted to go, knowing what she wanted to accomplish was enough to form a path and attract the people who could help get her there.
3. Pay No Attention to the Critics
“You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do.” Eleanor Roosevelt (Longest-serving First Lady of the United States)
Noted as the controversial First Lady of her time, mainly for her outspokenness on racial issues, Mrs. Roosevelt was a force to be reckoned with because she did what she knew in her heart was right. Having a strong belief in something allows you to take on the world, regardless of any naysayers. Critics are there for one purpose — to remind you where you don’t want to end up, on the sidelines. Keep your head forward and your faith activated.
4. Be Yourself
“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” — Coco Chanel
Raised in an orphanage, she grew up to revolutionize the fashion industry. Chanel undoubtedly challenged the status quo and imprinted her unique mark on the world. The secret sauce to her success was simply, doing things her way, not what she constantly saw in the media and not because so and so did it this way for years, but by solidifying her place in the world as an original. It’s very easy these days to be one of a kind if you stop following trends and do what works best for you.
5. Invest in Yourself
“I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of ‘Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,’ and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough.” – Marissa Mayer (CEO of Yahoo)
At age 20, Marissa was heading a Fortune 500 company. Maybe your goal isn’t to head a large corporation or be the next leader of the free world, but to acknowledge your inner leadership qualities. That begins with taking a leap of faith in yourself and applying the knowledge you already possess. Begin to chart a course of action to recognize the gifts you are innately great at and use them! Over time your confidence grows and true leadership is knowing how much more valuable you become when you continuously grow your knowledge base.
6. Embrace Your Rhythm
“Don’t get seduced by the “overnight” success stories. Most of them are total B.S. My financial and business success has grown slowly, steadily and organically over time. I’m not willing to sacrifice my quality of life to impress people I’ll never meet with “how fast” I can go. Discover your own rhythm.” – Marie Forelo (Coach, Motivational speaker & Author)
This is most definitely a true hustler spirit story. Marie grew her business from nothing but her YouTube channel. She found out what she was killer at and killed it! This is where paying attention to how you best operate and communicate come into play. Figuring out your natural rhythm of accomplishing goals will create a system to crush them every time.
7. Determine What’s Important
“I had to grow to love my body. I did not have a good self-image at first. Finally it occurred to me, I’m either going to love me or hate me. And I chose to love myself. Then everything kind of sprung from there. Things that I thought weren’t attractive became sexy. Confidence makes you sexy.” Queen Latifah
She was able to turn her rapper moniker into a brand while giving women a voice and crossing over to film and television. Queen Latifah had finally realized what was truly important for her continued growth and success. Many times we hold ourselves back from what we want out of life because we haven’t determined what is truly important. Is it how you are viewed by others? Or should you focus on becoming the woman who is confident in her skin?
Once you’ve decided which one is most important, your confidence will start to peek and life will become one big playing field of possibilities.
