Game Changers: Women Empowering Women for Synergistic Success

Problem: Women hold fewer high-level corporate positions, which makes women fiercely competitive as they fight each other for prized promotions. The only reason that a woman would tear another woman down in order to promote herself is a lack of confidence and self-esteem. When there is a struggle on the inside due to poor self-image, it often gets expressed as sabotage of other women. This type of female jealousy or resentment is sometimes referred to as “tall poppy syndrome.” The tallest poppy in the field is the first to get cut down. Similarly, when women become conspicuously successful they are often attacked by envious colleagues.

Solution: Overcome your own negative belief systems and internalized issues of inadequacy. In my experience if you don’t believe in yourself then you will feel threatened by the accomplishments of those around you. You need to focus instead on leveraging your own power to be wildly successful as an empowered woman who is also an empowering, inspiring leader. Become a role-model for the new trail blazers. Showcase your feminine power by bringing along other women and developing them on successful, high-performance teams. Then you can compete effectively and confidently for top positions of power and influence in a male-dominated world.

Problem: As women we are often afraid and insecure about sharing secret stories of career detours, setbacks, or workplace vulnerabilities. I think that many women don’t share their difficult stories because they lack trust. They are afraid that their personal narrative might later be used to sabotage their advancement or cause them public embarrassment. As a result, many young women with extraordinary potential are reluctant to step up and play a bigger leading role. Women in leadership positions also diminish their own success as guides and mentors – hiding stories of challenges and struggles that could serve as great inspiration to other women.

Solution: To celebrate our growth we need to fully acknowledge the past failures and adversities that all of us have had to overcome as women in the contemporary world. Within the female sisterhood we need to share those hurtful stories and allow other women to learn from our mistakes. When you share those painful narratives with other women they generally respond with empathy and greater respect for your experiences. Hearing your difficult stories inspires them to persevere and perform at the top of their game, confident in the possibility of their own potential. Sharing of our stories is one of the greatest gifts that women leaders can share with female colleagues to keep their enterprising spirit and career aspirations alive.

Problem: Every organization has an unwritten culture of operating procedures and unspoken rules. Women in higher positions are more privy to the secrets of corporate politics and the nuances of the power culture. But rather than helping other women learn to navigate the treacherous shark-infested waters with poise and presence they guard those secrets by adhering to the code of the “good ole’ boy” network. They may also fear being perceived as complainers or gossips because they see themselves as outsiders invited into a male=dominated inner circle.

Solution: Develop a positive 360-degree panoramic perspective on your company’s culture and share it with female colleagues. Only when women who are lower in the hierarchy understand how to play the corporate game will they develop the mastery necessary to ensure their success – and the sustainable presence of women in top leadership and decision making positions. Every company has a unique way of operating through formal and informal methods and guidelines. Give other women the playbook and the magical keys to the kingdom. The more you share your navigation tips the faster they will accelerate their own career success, and that will be beneficial to women everywhere. That includes you – who need the support of the women on your teams in order to prove yourself an effective, well-respected, high-performance leader.