Lachlan Brown
The Pew Research Center performed a study on the gender difference of CEOs in the Fortune 500 in 2020.
They found that women made up 7.4% of the list; an 0.8% increase from the previous year.
As our culture shifts and opportunities become more available to different people, more and more women have shown that being successful has little to do with gender, and more to do with character.
The women who have climbed the corporate ladder or been elected in office have all shared similar traits that anyone can learn to become more successful themselves.
If you feel driven and inspired to rise above cultural traditions, here are 12 traits common among successful women.
1. She Has a Clear Purpose
A successful woman isn’t working towards just anything.
Whether it’s to help the less fortunate, empower those around her, or provide a service that makes someone’s life easier, a successful woman knows why exactly she’s doing it.
Given her success, she’s had to face countless difficulties and struggles.
Having concrete why for doing what she’s doing helps her find her strength to keep pushing and overcome her obstacles.
Paraphrasing from the German philosopher Nietzche, “She who has a why to live for can bear almost anyhow.
2. She Knows Exactly What She Wants to Achieve
Some people only have vague ideas of what success looks like to them.
They see online that the common idea of success is grand wealth, travels to beaches, and owning large homes.
So they adopt this definition of success, whether they actually feel fulfilled by it or not.
But a successful woman has a clear idea of where she wants to get to.
She isn’t aiming for some vague goal in the distance.
It could be that she wants her company to be at the top of their industry in a specific country by a specific date.
Maybe it’s to be able to work with a specific person, or have published a certain number of books.
These aren’t vague goals, which makes it easier for her to eventually hit.
3. Setting Small Goals
They’re called “successful” for a reason. If they’re musicians, they aren’t the type to settle for just a record deal and some album sales.
They shoot for the moon: they imagine themselves winning the Grammy.
Others might already say that they’re a success already.
They’ll be performing at various concerts and shows often throughout the year.
But successful women never stop climbing; they’re always striving for more.
They do this by understanding the big picture and then setting smalls over a period of time to achieve that picture.
This allows them to keep going and avoid being stuck in a rut.
I learned about this from Life Journal, created by the highly-successful life coach and teacher Jeanette Brown.
You see, willpower only takes us so far…the key to transforming your life into something you’re passionate and enthusiastic about takes a shift in mindset about what your real purpose is, and effective goal setting.
And while this might sound like a mighty task to undertake, thanks to Jeanette’s guidance, it’s been easier to do than I could have ever imagined.
Click here to learn more about Life Journal.
Now, you may wonder what makes Jeanette’s course different from all the other personal development programs out there.
It all comes down to one thing:
Jeanette isn’t interested in being your life coach.
Instead, she wants YOU to take the reins in creating the life you’ve always dreamt of having.
So if you’re ready to stop dreaming and start living your best life, a life created on your terms, one which fulfills and satisfies you, don’t hesitate to check out Life Journal.
4. She Remains a Student
No matter how high her position might be, how many years of expertise she has under her belt, she may never see herself as more than a student.
One of the factors that separate a successful woman from an unsuccessful one is that she’s willing to adopt new strategies that work, rather than closing her mind up and sticking to outdated ideas.
As society constantly changes its mind about what’s effective and what isn’t, a successful woman is able to be nimble and quickly understand what it is people want now.
She always tries to gain new skills and learn new things, that way she’s more flexible and adaptable to any situation.
5. She Trusts Her Skills and Abilities
In short, she’s confident.
If something goes wrong in her company, she trusts herself enough that she’s capable of finding a good solution.
This might not always have come naturally to some women.
Maybe growing up, they were shy about presenting their skills and sharing their abilities.
But through the years, she’s learned how to be more confident and trust herself.
She’s constantly trying to refine her skills.
That’s why she tends not to fear challenges.
As daunting as some challenges maybe, she also knows that it’s a chance for her to grow and test her skills.
She doesn’t easily get discouraged by failure, because she knows she can always improve.
This is what psychologist Carol Dweck calls having a “growth mindset.”
6. She is Passionate
Successful women wouldn’t be where they are if they don’t love what they’re doing.
Having that passion, enjoying what she’s doing, is crucial especially in times of great stress and hardship.
There are bound to be times when it’s difficult to get out of bed and go to work.
But a passionate, successful woman might not be able to get out of bed fast enough.
She’s often grateful for the opportunity she’s been afforded in life, getting the chance to work with skilled individuals for a greater cause.
This quality tends to also be her most inspiring as well.
7. She Can Navigate Stressful Situations Calmly
As a successful woman, she is bound to face situations that will test her emotionally and mentally. Finances might not be guaranteed or sales are slowing down.
In these moments, it’s easy for others to get caught up in their anxiety about what might happen.
They start jumping to the worst-case scenario and become crippled in their work.
But a successful woman knows how to stay calm and keep her focus on finding a solution.
As a leader, she knows that if she starts losing it, her members will begin to worry too.
That’s why she needs to be strong for others, that way she can manage them effectively.
8. She Aims High
She wouldn’t be where she is without aiming high.
Others might be aiming for modest goals, but a successful woman has global dreams.
She might first start out with providing the best value in her neighborhood.
Then she slowly branches out to her city, state, country, then the world.
She has big visions for what kind of life she wants to live and what success she wants to reach.
While other people might be afraid to set goals too large, maybe because they’re afraid they might fall short, a successful woman goes for it.
It might even scare her still, but she acts despite the fear and tries her best to make her goals a reality.
9. She Puts Her Foot Down When She Needs To
There are going to be times, especially in male-dominated companies, where she is going to have to assert her position and stance about a certain topic.
Although she tends to be in the minority when it comes to corporate leadership, she can also be the most influential and commanding voice in the room.
She isn’t afraid to call someone out for an ineffective policy or mandate if she knows a better alternative.
10. They tap Into Their Personal Power
Successful women take responsibility for their lives and tap into their personal power. They don’t let insecurities get the better of them.
I know, it can be difficult in the best of times to not dwell on your insecurities.
But successful people know that overcoming insecurities start with embracing your strengths.
We all have them, even if we’re not always aware of them.
This is where you start to really tap into your personal power. It’s a process that takes time, but the more you work at it, the stronger you’ll feel — and the stronger it’ll be able to help you.
You see, we all have an incredible amount of power and potential within us, but most of us never tap into it.
We become bogged down in self-doubt and limiting beliefs. We stop doing what brings us true happiness.
I learned this from the shaman Rudá Iandê. He’s helped thousands of people align work, family, spirituality, and love so they can unlock the door to their personal power.
He has a unique approach that combines traditional ancient shamanic techniques with a modern-day twist.
It’s an approach that uses nothing but your own inner strength – no gimmicks or fake claims of empowerment.
Because true empowerment needs to come from within.
In his excellent free video, Rudá explains how you can create the life you’ve always dreamed of and increase attraction in your partners, and it’s easier than you might think.
So if you’re tired of living in frustration, dreaming but never achieving, and of living in self-doubt, you need to check out his life-changing advice.
Click here to watch the free video.
11. She Develops Meaningful Relationships
As a leader, she knows her success doesn’t rely solely on her skills and determination.
She relies on a group of people to achieve something big together.
To do that, she forms good relationships with everyone she works with.
Although she may often speak her mind, she also understands the value of really listening to what others have to say.
This way, she engages her members in deep and meaningful conversations to get to know each other better and work more effectively together.
12. She Puts In the Hours
People may look at certain figures and think that they were merely overnight successes.
While, yes, it may have taken a night for them to be recognized, especially with the age of the internet, a successful woman knows that it’s all a lie.
There is no such thing as true overnight success.
The reality is that overnight successes are built on the back of hours, days, months of hard work.
She needed to learn how to do something, to gain new skills, grow as a person.
After potentially months of putting in the hours, that’s when the world finally recognizes her.
13. She Pushes Through Dips
If she’s the CEO, she knows that not every day or month is going to be sunshine and clear skies.
While there might be spikes in product sales on a certain month because of holidays, there are bound to be months in the year that yield much less sales.
These moments can be difficult for any CEO to push through. It could push the company over the edge.
But successful women know how to lead their team, as well as trust their abilities.
14. She Dares to Face Difficulty
When others are faced with difficulties and challenges, it becomes much easier to back down and return to a comfortable life.
Others might want to be rich but aren’t willing to put in the hours to get there.
Successful women tend to have what psychologist Angela Duckworth calls “grit” It’s the ability to push through the pain, embarrassment, and frustrations to achieve success.
As part of the minority, a successful woman can push through the layer of doubts that others tend to have about her.
She breaks through underestimations, proves them wrong, and makes way for other women to follow in her footsteps.
Becoming a Successful Woman
Becoming a successful woman takes more than just saying you’re one. It’s a lifestyle. It starts with setting goals and then achieving them.
The problem is:
Many of us feel like our life is going nowhere.
We follow the same old routine every day and even though we try our best, it just doesn’t feel like our life moves forward.
So how can you overcome this feeling of being “stuck in a rut”?
Well, you need more than just willpower, that’s for sure.
I learned about this from Life Journal, created by the highly-successful life coach and teacher Jeanette Brown.
You see, willpower only takes us so far…the key to transforming your life into something you’re passionate and enthusiastic about takes perseverance, a shift in mindset, and effective goal setting.
And while this might sound like a mighty task to undertake, thanks to Jeanette’s guidance, it’s been easier to do than I could have ever imagined.
Click here to learn more about Life Journal.
Now, you may wonder what makes Jeanette’s course different from all the other personal development programs out there.
It all comes down to one thing:
Jeanette isn’t interested in being your life coach.
Instead, she wants YOU to take the reins in creating the life you’ve always dreamt of having.
So if you’re ready to stop dreaming and start living your best life, a life created on your terms, one which fulfills and satisfies you, don’t hesitate to check out Life Journal.
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