Written by: Maureen Chiana, 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.
Happy International Women's Day! This year's theme, "Embrace Equity," reminds us of the importance of establishing a society in which everyone has the same opportunity to succeed.
"The best protection any woman can have is courage." ‒ Elizabeth Cady Stanton
As we celebrate women's achievements, we must also acknowledge the strength, fearlessness, and courage required to be a female leader. Neuroscience insights have shown that these qualities are not innate but can be developed through intentional practice and mindset. In addition, in order to be an effective leader, one must possess a range of skills, including emotional intelligence (EQ). According to research, women typically have higher levels of EQ than men, which can be a powerful advantage in leadership roles.
But EQ alone is not enough. It takes more than being in a position of authority to be a leader; it's about taking action to make a positive impact in the world. However, leadership also requires strength and courage. It takes strength to stand up for what you believe in, face challenges head-on, and persevere in adversity. It takes courage to take risks, try new things, and speak up even when difficult.
One way to cultivate strength and courage is to build a support system of like-minded individuals who can offer encouragement and help you stay focused on your goals. Another is to develop a growth mindset, which involves embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. These can be achieved through intentional practice; for example, regular mindfulness and meditation practice have been shown to increase resilience, improve decision-making, and enhance emotional regulation. Similarly, practicing self-compassion can help us embrace a growth mentality and get over our fear of failing.
Let's also use this time to honour the resilience, strength, and courage of women everywhere. I want to encourage women to acknowledge their strengths and embrace themselves with self-compassion.
As women, we often face societal pressure to be perfect. We're told we have to be the perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect employee, the perfect friend, and the perfect daughter. We're expected to have it all together, all the time, even when we're struggling.
But the truth is, no one is perfect!
We all have flaws, weaknesses, and struggles. And that's okay. It's more than OK ‒ it's human. So it's time to stop striving for perfection and embrace our imperfections with self-compassion.
It's time to treat ourselves with the same love, consideration, and understanding that we would extend to a stranger. It's about recognizing that we're doing the best we can with our resources at any given moment. It's about acknowledging our own strength and resilience in the face of adversity.
Let's commit to embracing ourselves with self-compassion as women. Let's acknowledge our strengths, accomplishments, and contributions to the world. Let's also acknowledge our weaknesses, our struggles, and our mistakes. And let's do so without judgment but with kindness and understanding.
When we embrace ourselves with self-compassion, we're able to build resilience and strength. We're able to face challenges with more courage and confidence. We're able to live more authentically without the need to hide behind a facade of perfection.
So let's celebrate International Women's Day by acknowledging our strength and resilience. Let's embrace ourselves with self-compassion, knowing we're doing our best now. And let's support and empower each other to do the same. Together, we can create a world where women are celebrated for who they are, their flaws and all, and create a more equitable and inclusive world where all women can thrive and lead with strength and courage.
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Maureen Chiana, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Maureen is the CEO and founder of The Mindsight Academy and host of Lead To Excel Podcast. She is a NeuroCoach, delivering Performance Enhancement Treatment [PET] by rewiring the brains of leaders to perform at their optimum.
She is a High Performance Coach, Corporate Consultant, Neuro-Leadership and Emotional Intelligence Specialist, an Award Winning Speaker, that leverages on Neuroscience insights of how the brain works, to empower leaders, executives, female founders and business owners to perform optimally and transform how they lead, work and live.
Maureen is passionate about helping people mitigate the biases that negatively affects them and their decisions, and her framework focuses on the Human Central Processing Unit – THE BRAIN, which helps leaders make better decisions ‒ especially under pressure ‒ thereby improving their overall or targeted performance.
