March 07th, 2018

From Women on Walls: a detail from Blaise Smith's portrait of eight female scientists chosen as representatives of a generation of outstanding young female scientists working in Ireland today.

To mark International Women’s Day 2018, we at Mojo For Leaders have combined our years of experience, training and research and our work with some amazing, inspirational female leaders to put together what we feel are the most valuable lessons in leadership for women. Here goes.

• You have power. Don’t be afraid of your power. Don’t be afraid of your vulnerability. Showing up fully owning both will make you a true force for positive change!
• Make friends with your internal critic! She(he) is there to serve a purpose. Understand that purpose and don’t let their voice drown out the  other positive, encouraging voices in your head.
• Be courageous. Confidence builds by taking a series of courageous steps out of your comfort zone.
• Not knowing isn’t a problem. Being afraid of not knowing is.
• Nobody does it alone. Get yourself a good coach. Build yourself a circle of trusted peers whom you can turn to for support and celebration.
• Invest time, energy and money in building your own resilience, skills, and capacity to take on challenges and succeed. You are your own major asset. Look after yourself.
• Let me say it again – “look after yourself”. Find the ways that you can keep yourself at your best. Sleep well, move often and with joy and nourish your body and your soul with consistent, exquisite care.
• Mind your language! Language creates worlds! The language you use consistently will serve to create a particular type of world for you and your people to live in. Notice if you are more negatively focused or positive. Always push towards the positive and see the energy and resilience of yourself and your people grow.
• Value what you bring to your organisation as a woman. The research is overwhelming now that organisations with a more diverse representation on their leadership teams out-perform others. Don’t water down your womanhood!
• And finally, don't forget to laugh! Check if you or your team have had a good belly laugh lately, and if not, do something fast to bring more joy and fun back into your work!

                                               Happy International Women's Day everyone!

Mojo For Leaders provides effective and meaningful support to the ordinary person stepping up to achieve the extraordinary.