The reality of being a woman in the workplace is often fraught with systemic issues and prejudices. To better understand how working women defy these challenges, executive coaches Brenda Wensil and Winifred Ernst interviewed 37 women in senior leadership positions about key instances that helped them maintain career momentum. They detailed their findings in a recent Harvard Business Review article. Each woman exhibited at least two out of these three behaviors:
A focused drive
When confronted with obstacles, determination and mental resolve seemed to be the answer for these women. According to Wensil and Ernst, this “helped them situate short-term difficulties in the context of their higher goals.” Use every opportunity as a stepping stone toward career goals. Having experience in multiple areas will market you as someone who has the capacity to do more than simply learn.
A desire to learn
Showing you are capable of more than just learning is crucial. Actively seek out opportunities to explore new areas, and challenge yourself to succeed in these endeavors. “You want people to recognize that even if you don’t currently know a topic, you’re a learner and will pick it up quickly,” Wensil and Ernst wrote.
An agile mindset
In other words, the ability to think quickly, be flexible, assess a situation and move forward. When they found themselves in difficult situations, the women who were interviewed adapted. Some gained more experience and others transferred to smaller companies. Wensil and Ernst found that 70% of the women pivoted twice or more to gain momentum. Many women who stayed with the same company moved geographically or changed fields within the company.
