​

In today’s society it is clear a woman is unstoppable once she realizes her inner strength. No obstacle can hinder her growth and prevent her from achieving her dreams. After spending more than ten years in the executive search industry, I have been privileged to work with highly accomplished career women from CEO’S, board members of listed companies, Global General Counsels of MNC’S, and high-octane female executives in investment banking there’s nothing better than seeing women find success in doing what they love.

Recently I've embarked on half the sky a career platform for women I found myself contemplating what habits make for a highly successful career woman? Can these habits be adopted on our own personal journey towards success?

It’s important to note that how we view success and our access to it is often limited by someone else’s definition. We feel badly when we feel we haven’t measured up to an external standard. In doing so, we rob ourselves of the opportunity to define and appreciate our unique experiences and how they impact our lives for the better.

Hence, a successful woman to me is a woman who creates success on her own terms. Success doesn’t have to mean obtaining a certain amount of money, or purchasing the latest new thing or landing a high-powered job, or looking a specific way. Finding success means staying true to yourself and your own definition of success. 

Personally, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the women who have empowered me with the confidence to follow my dreams, take risks and never give up. The women I look up to are unapologetically strong, smart, confident, show a deep sense of empathy for others and have a desire to make each day better than the last. All of the stories I’ve read and the people I’ve met, interviewed and observed throughout my career and beyond inspired me to compile 7 habits of highly successful career women. 

So here we go these are my 7, let me know if you agree or drop me a comment with yours below:

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN SET GOALS

Goal setting is extremely important. I talked about how to set career goals in an earlier article on the platform, setting short- term and long-term goals is critically important but also being realistic with what you want to achieve is key in finding success. Successful women have a habit of setting goals regularly and have a methodical approach to put in the hard work to make their goals a reality.

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN PRACTICE GRACE & KINDNESS

The corporate world is an extremely challenging place and oftentimes cut-throat to achieve success in this enviroment is never easy. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and sacrifice. Successful women face unique challenges on the road to success and often find themselves under immense pressure to change themselves to fit into a male centric notion of leadership. At times feeling pressured to relinquish female traits of leadership such as, kindness and empath ywhich are often seen as being weaknesses in a male dominated corporate environment. However, the most successful women stay true to themselves showing unique leadership qualities that they can bring to an organisation.

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN ARE CONSTANTLY LEARNING AND RELEARNING

To experience success, you must be comfortable with not knowing everything about everything. Women who succeed in life habitually educate themselves to progress forward. No matter what industry you choose, change is inevitable. Successful women recognize the need to stay educated and grow as they progress forward in their field.     

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN HAVE MASTERED EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION  

They are confident in their“own voice”– they stand up and speak out when needed, show courage to make a difference when necessary and assert influence and leadership across an organisation.Valerie Burtonlife coach and author said it best: The most successful women are often not the most talented, the most gifted, or even the most experienced. What these women have is a knack for communicating that opens doors and gives them influence. 

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN PRACTICE BALANCE - HEALTH & WELLNESS

Successful women know that “me time” isn’t selfish, it’s imperative for growth. Paying attention to our health & wellness helps revitalize us and combats negative ailments that can occur if you allow yourself to be consumed by work. Move it or lose it” is my motto! Some women consider exercise time equivalent to their passion time, which can make those yoga classes a highly satisfying experience. Knowing when to switch off and take care of yourself is a key hallmark of successful women.

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN BUILD NETWORKS

Success is never achieved in isolation; successful women are constantly building their network and are never afraid to build alliances with like-minded individuals. Successful women will continuously remove themselves from their comfort zone to progress forward, interacting and gaining exposure to a variety of individuals both in the corporate and non-corporate world.

SUCCESSFUL WOMEN DRESS FOR SUCCESS 

Your appearance can say a lot about who you are in life and it’s the ultimate non-verbal communicator. Although you may favour casual lounging clothes and a pair of comfy flip flops, to be successful, you need to dress like it. And successful women have mastered the art of dressing for the occasion– they typically exude style and grace for every moment whether it’s a formal boardroom power meeting or a more leisurely after work event. Successful women know how dressing for success can enhance your own confidence but also those around you.

Please just remember, the most important aspect in all of this is that you create success on your own terms.