We are slowly seeing more women in leadership positions and many more are aiming for them in their careers or starting their own businesses. The leadership badge can be hard to manage, especially for South Asians when culturally we may feel more pressure to get married, have kids and look after the family. We can do all this and still be amazing leaders, but to help you sustain your ambition and home life, here are my five secrets to success.
1. Develop an Awareness of Purpose
Finding an authentic purpose is about knowing that what we do in life makes a difference and it’s something that we are passionate about. This can seem like a deep area to consider so I’ve given you some ideas that may help you discover yours, it certainly worked for me:
- Look inwards to find an area that resonates with you, perhaps something that’s personally affected you that you want to help others with.
- Note down a list of your strengths and interests.
- Think about what changes you want to see in the world, what vision of a better world do you have?
When there is a cause that we can direct our attention to, we can create goals that will shape who we need to be and what we need to learn to achieve those goals.
2. Managing your time and energy
We all talk about work-life balance, but the truth is this doesn’t exist. When we focus intently on one thing, our attention in other areas naturally sways, the issue is how long can it sway for?
In areas such as health, family, and friends, we cannot leave them for too long or we risk doing damage to ourselves and our relationships.
Therefore learning what you need to sustain yourself and your relationships is key.
- Identify situations that drain your energy and what replenishes your energy and ensure that you balance that.
- Lean on a support network, especially if you have kids and home responsibilities so you can concentrate when at work and then have healthy home practices (like switching off the laptop or phone at certain times) so you can fully recharge and relax.
3. Confidence
Many people think you either have confidence or you don’t, but in reality, we can cultivate confidence and we feel it more when we are passionate about something.
- I don’t believe in ‘fake it till you make it’ but we can change our body language, and the words we use to be more optimistic and increase our self-esteem which are both related to confidence.
- The more we practice something and take action the more evidence we store up that feeds into our confidence. So pick an area you want to increase your confidence in, figure out 2-3 small steps you can take over the next few weeks, and then keep building on it. Don’t forget to celebrate your achievements along the way!
4. Networking
In widening our networks we can benefit from learning from senior leaders, finding good mentors, and seek promotions.
- Within your organisation identify people whom you could connect with every month.
- Aim to increase your visibility, perhaps by arranging an event, or a training session.
- Look outside your organisation too, there are many online groups available to join.
- Networking also means speaking up about your work, and showcasing what you are doing to the right people. If we don’t shout about our achievements who will?
5. Negotiations
Part of growing a career or business means that we have to learn to negotiate for what we want.
My top tips are:
- Do your homework, and try to find out what the other party wants.
- Understand your own intentions, what exactly do you want? What would be your walk-away points? What could you compromise on?
- Re-frame the negotiation so that you are trying to satisfy both parties. This makes your demands less about yourself but shows that you are thinking about the wider organisation or team (win/win).
By developing skills in these areas I truly believe South Asian women can improve their careers, increase their pay and seek promotions, whilst working in a sustainable way that avoids burnout. In a business environment, they can confidently make connections, and promote their businesses authentically and profitably. It is all possible if we take the time to invest in ourselves.
If you are ready to work on your leadership skills and would like support in doing so, please email me at coach@priyamohal.com for a free consultation.