07/03/2025
Earlier in my career, I believed my biggest barriers were external โ workplace systems, structures, or men in leadership. But over time, I realized that the greatest limitations werenโt around me โ they were the ones I placed on myself.
The feminist movement has broken down systemic barriers and created opportunities for women. But the ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ญโ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌโ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ.
So in the lead-up to ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง'๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฒ, I want to share four powerful lessons that reshaped my approach to leadership, success & growth:
๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ: We tell ourselves stories about why we canโt succeedโ"๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ", "๐โ๐ฎ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ", or "๐ ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฏโ๐ต ๐ฉ๐ข๐ท๐ฆ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐ด๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต". But hereโs the key: ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ. They are conditioned patterns, formed before we had the awareness to question them. The real work is making the unconscious consciousโso it stops driving our decisions.
๐. ๐๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฌ: I used to judge behaviors harshly, especially when I felt someone was in my way. But judgment is often a reflection of inner criticism. When we show ourselves compassion, we extend that same understanding to others.
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐โ๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐จ๐ซโ๐ฌ๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ญ: A client was excited about a business idea but felt discouraged when her husband asked tough, pragmatic questions. At first, she saw it as criticism. But stepping back, she realized his intention was to protect herโto help her think critically before taking a risk. How often do we assume the worst when weโre challenged? What if, instead of frustration, we got curious? And how often do we allow our self-limiting beliefs hold us back from following through with exploring opportunities?
Continued in comments..
