7 self-confidence lessons for International Women’s Month

How did you celebrate International Women’s Day? Whether you spent it watching empowering webinars, listening to inspirational podcasts or expressing gratitude to some of the strong women in your life, we hope you used the opportunity to learn, develop and grow!

To help women celebrate International Women’s Day all month long, we gathered tips from female experts in leadership all-around self-confidence. 

Unfortunately, research shows that women are less likely to apply for jobs, negotiate for raises, and when they do negotiate, ask for less money than men. We’re on a mission to change that, by removing the hurdles in women’s heads that discourage self-promotion, confidence and taking risks. To help readers rise the corporate ladder, break glass ceilings and move into leadership roles bravely we’ve sourced 7 lessons to help you grow self-confidence.

Let’s get started!

1. Show yourself self-compassion

Women are more inclined to practice perfectionism in the workplace in hopes of receiving praise and promotions. Perfectionism is considered to be “striving for flawlessness” but it can take a toll on women and discourage them from taking calculated risks. Speaker and consultant, Dr. Margie Warrel advises women to rather “be flawsome.” She writes in an article to “Embrace your humanity, own your fallibility and choose to show up fully, authentically.”

2. Increase your self-awareness

Understanding how you come across is important for leadership, as you cultivate awareness of your own physical and verbal mannerisms. By doing this we protect ourselves from self-sabotaging behaviors such as doubt and lack of confidence. To increase your self-awareness, explore self-discovery tools to uncover your hidden potential.

3. Seek out a mentor

Mentorship is critical to having a successful career as a young female as a mentor can push you to seek out advancement and help make sure you have the tools to succeed. When choosing a mentor, look for one who projects both confidence and care and can promote you and your accomplishments. Entrepreneur Liz Elting wrote, “Mentorship creates the opportunities that open more doors to more women, which just keeps the ball rolling.”

4. Lift others

We are all living in the same competitive world, where everyone is running the race to better themselves. The last thing we want to do is pull others down when we should be trying to build each other up. Jamie Crosbie, VP of Sales at CareerBuilder, wrote in an article “It’s not the title we hold, the company we work for or the popularity we gain that defines us.  It’s our ethics and values that make us who we are.” Supporting other women’s ability to talk about their achievements without backlash helps increase a culture of confidence and collaboration. 

5. Be vulnerable

It might seem counterintuitive, but researcher in vulnerability Brené Brown says the only way humans can truly connect is to embrace vulnerability. Connecting with your people around you while at work can help you build relationships and find support systems. We recommend being a “daring leader” by embracing vulnerability rather than avoiding it. 

6. Have a ‘growth mindset’

Having a growth mindset is an idea developed at Stanford University by Carol Dweck and it is the belief that the ability to learn is not fixed, and that it can change with effort. By having a growth mindset in the workplace, you won’t fear making mistakes, as you will understand that with every setback is a learning opportunity to grow and get better.

7. Claim space for who you are 

Knowing that you are enough while working towards your goals can help you exhibit confidence on your way to greater success! Former Editor-and-Chief of Teen Vogue, Elaine Welteroth said in an interview that women need to push back on the messages that make them feel like they are not enough. She says to instead believe that you are capable even if you are a “work in progress.”

We hope these lessons inspire you to take brave steps in your career and lead confidently. Whether you are sporting a work-from-home outfit, or are still getting dressed up to go into your place of work, we hope these tips help you feel more confident in your skin to be your best self!