Written by: Dr. Hynd Bouhia, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
We are living in a historical time for women leadership. Everything seems to be favoring the rise of more women in the spotlight to shine through their talent and amazing gifts and to lead with sustainable impact and great service.
How is this reflected in the daily reality and throughout the female population? Is this a general trend or is it only real for a very small percentage of privileged women?
Does every woman know how to unleash her leadership instinct? Or is it still very hard, and even impossible to find and to embody?
There has been an incredible development of women leadership all around the world and throughout the industries and areas. When women power up, they not only expand their possibilities, but they become leaders that influence and inspire others to do the same.
How to unleash inner leadership?
Every woman is born with a perfection inside her and that perfection can take her to play the highest roles she wishes to access. She can be a president, an entrepreneur, a star, a leader… so much to aspire for.
Today she increasingly has options. She can choose to embark on diverse careers and advance as far as her innate capacity and hard work will carry her. She can attain leadership and decision-making positions not just by piling up advanced degrees, but also by launching successful ventures and innovative products.
What seems to be stopping her?
It is clearly the environment she grows up in. It is the many times she hears that she is “a woman” and “women don’t do that”. Then it is the society which is looking at every move she makes to judge her and stand ready to say “I told you so!”. When she goes into the still very male-dominated business world, she is faced with many challenges and has a continuous urge to prove herself and to work harder and longer. She is faced with all that. And if she grows out of it, she will still hear those experiences from others.
All of this can keep her acting small, lacking confidence and drowning in frustration.
What does she need to get herself out of this vicious trend?
She needs role models to inspire her. She needs the skills to power up and raises her confidence. She needs a support system that ignites her passion for service and for leading. And she needs to feel safe doing that!
Women crashed the glass ceilings!
Women have already distinguished themselves in leadership roles, all over the world and in different fields. When they crashed the glass ceiling in the technology world, it showed everyone that gender discrimination was over in business and entrepreneurship—well almost over. We have acclaimed women CEOs in high-tech companies such as YouTube, Yahoo, IBM and others. Similar trends in politics and international organizations. Even finance and banking is catching up with a woman nominated as the President of Citigroup and also as the Head of several Stock Exchanges around the world including the New York Stock Exchange.
From the Silicon Valley, Washington DC, New York or Berlin, to Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, Cairo and Casablanca, the trend is reaching Asia and beyond. Women are seen in high-level positions, owning them and shining through them. Nevertheless, some countries seem to be more advanced than others and show a trend that is generalized and structured beyond scattered cases. These countries have been using efficient gender-targeted policies and enhancement programs.
Not only more and more women are rising in politics, but they are also taking over the entertainment business throughout the world. Their voices are being heard in throughout the industries, for human-related improvements, for the environment or for other development matters.
Getting ready for leadership starts early
When policies are in place, the number of women leaders and holding decision-making positions will rise significantly more.
This said, there are two main challenges[1] to overcome to unleash women leadership. The first challenge is to help and support women to reach decision-making positions and leadership levels by empowering them, training them with the right skills and strategies, and providing the right surrounding, so they can thrive. The second challenge is to prepare today’s young girls and young women to become tomorrow’s leaders. This way, leadership becomes a natural direction for her from an early age. Every young girl would grow with the right mindset to take on responsibilities and use her voice to influence and to inspire others. This is why access to quality education should be at the root of every developmental program.
Power up to become that great leader!
Unless women are prepared to be left behind, to always needing to work harder for what they want and what they deserve, she must start now. This is the time for women to wake up and lean in, to be prepared not only to be part of the game but to become leaders of this disruptive new trend. It starts by shifting the mindset[2] and it comes from within!
Every woman can play a role in getting this trend amplified, in raising awareness among more women and young girls, in carrying a voice of hope and possibilities. Empowerment comes by understanding the need, by believing the role each woman can play and by feeling the importance of every move, every story in someone’s life.
When a woman is a leader, she is not only impacting the lives of others, she improves her own life and prepare the next generation.
Finally, each one of us can be that spark in someone’s life. And through that one spark, you become a confirmed leader because you have influenced someone’s life.
Leadership is to be able to influence someone’s life by shifting his or her thoughts, feelings, and actions. A role you can play by empowering and inspiring women and young girls. And when you influence women and young girls for a greater good not just for yourself, you become a greater leader!
Dr. Hynd Bouhia, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Dr. Hynd Bouhia has cumulated more than 20 years of professional experience in high-level and leadership positions, covering investments, financial structuring, entrepreneurship, and sustainable development strategies. Hynd Bouhia was nominated by Forbes among the 100 most influential women in the world in 2008 and among the most influential women in Business in the Arab World in 2015 and honored as a member of the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars in 2018.
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