As we enter an increasingly globalized world, the role of female leaders is becoming even more important. Women are often the primary caretakers in their families and communities, and they play a vital role in economic development.
Women continue to face significant obstacles to leadership despite their important contribution to society. Many societies don’t afford females equal opportunities to develop their skill sets and knowledge. They may also face resistance from male colleagues and superiors.
Despite these challenges, there are many inspiring women leaders around the world who have overcome obstacles to achieve success. These leaders offer valuable insights into how to become successful female leaders.
They have distilled their experience, understanding and knowledge through inspiring quotes. We’ll look at some of them here.
“The ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have.”- Padmasree Warrior (CEO & Founder, Fable)
It’s no secret that the ability to learn is the most important quality a leader can have. Leaders quickly adapt to changing circumstances and identify new opportunities and strategies.
Leadership is not just about being a boss. Leadership is about learning. Learning is the most important quality any leader can possess because it allows them to adapt to change and learn from mistakes.
Learning is the only constant in life. And when we’re constantly learning, we become better at our jobs, better parents, better friends, and ultimately, better human beings.
When we lead others, we must be willing to learn from those who work for us. We must be open to feedback and criticism. We must be able to admit our own shortcomings.
We must never stop learning.
“Leadership is about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that impact lasts in your absence.” – Sheryl Sandberg (COO of Facebook)
Leaders leave behind a legacy of inspiration and influence. There are some things we can do to ensure our legacy continues long after we’re gone. The first thing you need to do is create a strategy for succession. This ensures that your vision and values continue to be carried out after we’re no longer here.
Another important step is to set up systems that allow your team members to carry out your vision and values. These systems include processes, policies, procedures, and training programs. They help your team members execute your plans and keep them focused on achieving your goals.
Finally, establish relationships with those who will succeed you. You need to let your successor know where they stand in relation to you. You need to tell them what you want from them.
“The world’s most prominent women leaders show the importance of honesty, courage, impact, and decisive action in leadership.” – Oprah Winfrey, (Media Executive and Philanthropist)
Leadership is not about being right; it’s about deciding based on facts, values, and principles. Leadership is about taking courageous actions, regardless of whether those actions are popular or unpopular.
Being honest with yourself and others is essential for effective leadership. Honesty allows them to admit when they’re wrong, learn from mistakes, and correct course.
Courageous leaders take risks and act decisively. They don’t hesitate to make tough choices, even if they’re unpopular. Courageous leaders don’t let fear paralyze them. Instead, they face challenges head-on and move forward.
Impactful leaders inspire followers to achieve great things. They encourage others to dream bigger dreams than they thought possible. Impactful leaders help others find meaning and purpose in their work.
Decisive leaders make quick, bold moves. They don’t waste time debating options. Decisive leaders decide quickly and confidently. They don’t second guess themselves.
“Leadership is hard to define and good leadership even harder. But if you can get people to follow you to the ends of the earth, you are a great leader.” – Indra Nooyi – CEO of PepsiCo
Women leaders inspire others to greatness. They don’t mind taking risks, stepping out of their comfort zones, and leading changes. Outstanding leaders are willing to be vulnerable and share their weaknesses, mistakes, and failures.
They encourage people to dream big and believe they can accomplish great things. Women leaders are powerful role models who teach us to be brave enough to fail, smart enough to learn from our mistakes, and humble enough to admit when we need help.
Women leaders are inspiring because they show us that anyone can grow into a leader. No matter where you come from, no matter what your background, you too can become a woman leader. And once you’ve learned the leadership skills necessary to succeed, you can pass those same skills along to others.
“I learned to always take on things I’d never done before. Growth and comfort do not coexist.” – Ginni Rometty, CEO of IBM
Women leaders who grow and thrive need to be comfortable being uncomfortable. They must learn to embrace discomfort because it’s often where growth happens.
When we’re uncomfortable, we tend to avoid risk. We become afraid to take risks, experiment, and learn from our mistakes. But when we’re comfortable, we tend to stay put, play it safe, and never move forward.
We’ve all been in situations where we’re stuck in our comfort zones. And we’ve all felt the urge to break out of our rut. The problem is, most of us give in to those urges only after we’ve tried everything possible to stop them.
But here’s the truth: Growth and comfort do not co-exist. To grow, you need to be willing to face discomfort and failure. To grow, you need to be comfortable being uncomfortable.
“We need to accept that we don’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes. Understand that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” – Arianna Huffington (Founder & CEO, Thrive Global)
Failure is a necessary part of success. Failure teaches us valuable lessons. We grow by making mistakes and using them to improve ourselves.
When we fail, we’re forced to admit defeat, accept responsibility, and move on. This is exactly what makes failure a great teacher.
Excellent leaders cultivate the growth mindset. They never forget that failure is inevitable. The only thing left to decide is whether we will succeed at learning from our mistakes.
If we let our failures determine who we are, we end up becoming victims of self-fulfilling prophecies. We believe that we cannot succeed because we’ve failed many times.
This belief causes us to give up when things go wrong. But if we believe we can succeed, no matter what happens, we’ll keep trying until we reach our goals.
Successful people understand this truth. They realize that failure is just another step toward success. And they refuse to let failure stop them.
“Rarely are opportunities presented to you in a perfect way. Opportunities – the good ones – are messy, confusing and hard to recognize. They’re risky. They challenge you.” – Susan Wojcicki (CEO, Youtube)
Opportunity comes in many forms. Sometimes it shows up as a job offer, sometimes as a promotion at work, and sometimes as a great idea for a side project. But opportunity doesn’t come in a neat little package.
If you wait until you’re sure, you might never take action. And when things aren’t quite right, you may not be able to tell exactly what needs fixing. Instead of waiting until things get better, take action now. Make yourself ready for whatever opportunity comes along next.
We often hear stories of people who were given a great opportunity at work, only to turn down the position because it wasn’t right for them. Or we hear stories of people who took a risk and ended up making millions of dollars.
But rarely do we hear stories of people taking a risk and losing everything.
That’s because most opportunities aren’t presented perfectly. They come wrapped in a lot of clutter. And when we try to grab the opportunity, there are usually a bunch of other things competing for our attention.
And that’s where leadership skills come in handy. Leadership skills help us sort through the mess and figure out what’s important.
And remember this: Opportunity isn’t going anywhere. Don’t let fear keep you from seizing it.
“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” – Michelle Obama (Former First Lady of the United States)
It’s important to remember that no matter how much money you make, if you aren’t making a positive impact on the lives of others, then you’re not really living. Each one of us has the power to make a difference in the lives of others, and there are so many ways to do this.
As a leader, you can:
- inspire others to reach their potential
- help others find their purpose in life
- be a mentor and help others grow
- be a shoulder to cry on during difficult times
- give others the strength to keep going when they feel like giving up
These are a few ways leaders transform the lives of others.
Conclusion
Women leaders inspire us to be better versions of ourselves. They inspire us by showing us what’s possible when they dare to dream and work really hard to reach their goals.
And while there are many leadership qualities that women leaders possess, the ones listed above are some of the most important. When you’re feeling stuck, remember the words of these inspiring women leaders. And take their advice to help you reach your own personal and professional objectives.