Ifeyiolisa Okoye MBA’s Post

<>  SWE: How Women Rise[1] The authors explain that “women face specific and different roadblocks from men as they advance in the workplace. In fact, the very habits that helped women early in their careers can hinder them as they move up.” The 12 habits highlighted are: 1.     Reluctance to claim your achievements 2.     Expecting others to spontaneously notice and reward your contributions 3.     Overvaluing expertise 4.     Building rather than leveraging relationships 5.     Failing to enlist allies from day one 6.     Putting your job before your career 7.     The “perfection trap” 8.     The “disease to please” 9.     Minimizing 10. “Too much” (i.e., too much emotion, too many words, too much disclosure) 11. Ruminating 12. Letting your radar distract you Being aware of which habits might be holding you back is the first step to overcoming them. Each chapter focuses on a habit, including anecdotes from women in the workplace facing these obstacles and tips for taking action to break these habits. In the final section, the authors present a few strategies for making lasting change. Cheers, Bill [1] https://lnkd.in/dp4xfkBh

The majority of the world's best pianists are men. Why? 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐧. Pianos were designed with the average male hand in mind. 🖐️ In fact, there are many things in this world that were created with men as the primary test subjects - from smartphones, fitness monitors and voice recognition, to modern-day medicine, car safety and even personal protective equipment (PPE). Against this backdrop, it's understandable that women may feel at a disadvantage as they attempt to climb that corporate ladder. The system, though perhaps inadvertently, simply wasn't created with their needs or abilities in mind. But there's a flipside to all of this - because for every critique, narrative (and frankly, myth) that holds women back from leadership, there's an expectation of men. 👶 Women can't be leaders because they're too busy being mothers. That begs the question, 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? ⏰ Women can't be leaders because they lack ambition. 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤? 💧 Women can't be leaders because they're too emotional. But 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬?  To balance the boardroom, it's important we don't start playing an 'us' versus 'them' game. Instead, the more gender intelligent we are, and the better we're able to understand, recognise and value our different strengths, weaknesses and privileges, the more gateways we'll be able to open towards an equitable society for all. Fantastic discussion at B.Connected's monthly breakfast briefing this morning, with a big shout out to all those who contributed their experiences and thoughts - Neha Thakkar, Smita Menon, PCC (she/her), Ima (Rahimah) Abdulrahim, Ian Wu, Maansi Gagroo Jain, Bhavna Toor (She/Her), Anuraag Bhatnagar, Binu Balan, as well as some lively audience members. Let's be the change. 💪 #womeninleadership #femaleempowerment #diversityandinclusion

How many times have you heard a talented and highly capable woman downplay herself? Women tend to be experts at self-deprecating. Diminishing our role or achievements. Dismissing compliments. And it’s not our fault. Social conditioning has taught us not to be arrogant. We see how other women are treated if they dare to stand out - they are attacked, resented, disliked or cut down because of their achievements and success. So, we can find ourselves stuck. We know that to progress in our careers, we need to be assertive and confident, showcasing our skills and achievements. But there’s a double bind. We also know that if we are too confident or assertive, we are perceived as violating societal norms. Women are expected to conform to more stereotypical traits of being nurturing and communal. But if we conform to these traits then we risk being overlooked or underestimated in both our authority and competence. We’re damned if we do, and we’re damned if we don't. No wonder we find ourselves hesitating to share our achievements. But if we don’t find a way to overcome these barriers and showcase our skills and achievements, we’ll never get to claim the leadership positions we deserve and, quite frankly, are more than qualified to perform in. Join me in my latest blog as I explore seven ways that you can promote yourself without feeling arrogant or uncomfortable. https://lnkd.in/gh54tQZv As women, the landscape for professional self-promotion is complex. Navigating the double bind of conflicting expectations makes it challenging.   However, overcoming these barriers is crucial for claiming the recognition we deserve.   I’d love to hear from you - what strategies work for you in your workplace?

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day. Back to my home country it was one of the most important days all around the year. It is a way to give words of gratitude to all the women who surround us both at home and at work, to show how important they are in our life path. For me it starts from family first. But it is not just about saying “Thank you” in one particular day of the year. I try to express unlimited words of gratitude to my beloved wife, daughter, mother, sister and other members of the family who gives me boundless support, care and love on daily basis. This strong feeling when you can tell them about new remarkable achievement in your life or when you need to share some emotions of pain and stress is truly important. Their strong belief in what I am doing gives me boundless motivation and strength to continue. And this is what matters most! At work where we spend most of our time it is hard to estimate importance of women. Remarkable product launches and marketing campaigns, powerful data-driven actions, passionate team leadership and personal touch are done by women all around the world and cannot be unnoticed. Moreover, being a person who strongly respects cultural diversity not just as words but as a way to add transparency, equity and freedom in making impact and generating ideas I do believe it brings us bigger contribution to our business and in general towards global world success. One thing that I would like to change personally and encourage everybody to do the same - let us say about it louder and do not mention it only in one particular day. Let us recognise each other’s impact on daily and weekly basis throughout the year. To all the women today I would like to say words “Thank you”. You inspire us, you motivate us, you move this world further and make it much kinder and more beautiful! P.S. When my wife read draft of this post, she was a little bit upset that there was only small mentioning of her. And I can fully relate to this! Moving to a new and unknown country while being pregnant, setting a life there, raising a baby with almost no support from our families, constant positive attitude to me during my job search. This is a HEROIC work and I cannot say quieter!

🚨 Controversial Thought Alert 🚨 A recent study from Cornell University has unveiled a significant difference in how men and women perceive their abilities and performance. Despite similar actual performance, men tend to overestimate their abilities, while women tend to underestimate them. For example, when asked to rate their performance on a test, women, on average, gave themselves a score of 46 out of 100, while men rated themselves at 61. Interestingly, women were closer to the truth! This phenomenon extends to the workplace as well. Men are likely to apply for a job or promotion when they meet only 60% of the qualifications. Meanwhile, women often wait until they meet 100% of the criteria. But here's the real question: Is CONFIDENCE driven by nature or nurture? Are these differences rooted in biological predispositions, or are they the result of societal conditioning and expectations? Are men naturally more confident, or have they been nurtured to take more risks? Conversely, are women biologically inclined to be more cautious, or have societal norms taught them to be more critical of themselves? What do you think? Are these behaviors a result of nature or nurture? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! Let’s start a conversation and learn from each other. #Leadership #WomenInBusiness #Confidence #CareerGrowth #GenderEquality #NatureVsNurture #ImposterSyndrome #VisibleLeadership

As a man, I find International Women’s Day a struggle. I struggle with the reality that given the current pace of change, it will still be many years before women globally will truly be treated as equals. I struggle with the realisation that my daughter will face personal and professional barriers, challenges and hurdles that her two brothers will not face – purely because of her gender. But what I really struggle with is the concept of allyship and the desire for practical things that can be done to ensure the day isn’t a day just for a performative social post, but a day that raises meaningful awareness contributing to the acceleration in the pace of progress. At the risk of appearing to mansplain, some thoughts on practical things that those of us in leadership positions can do to demonstrate impactful allyship include: - Challenging the status quo when it comes to flexible working practices. It is not uncommon for career progression to come at the expense of flexible working. Fight hard to unpack whether there is a genuine necessity preventing flexible working patterns from being applied to certain levels of seniority within an organisation. It is unlikely that any resistance will be able to hold up under that level of scrutiny. - Being deliberate about succession planning and accountable for the gender balance within the talent pipeline. As the succession pipeline is reviewed, if there isn’t a level of gender balance, target women within the organisation for development and ensure they are given the opportunities for growth so that this is rectified. As a leader, get comfortable with being explicit about the goal underpinning these development activities. - Recognising that there are differences in how different genders perceive things like job descriptions. Actively encourage women to pursue opportunities where they may meet some, but not necessarily all, of the desired skills and experiences. This is by no means comprehensive, and based on personal experience rather than any formal recommendations. I am sure there are far more qualified suggestions out there so keen to discover what other practical actions are worth highlighting.

Dr. Claire Zammit has this amazing advice to share ; Here are 7 POWER PRACTICES that I use in my life and work to create culture that supports women to rise – I invite you to join me: AMPLIFY other women – mirror back women’s brilliance, gifts, accomplishments, talents and opportunities – even those with more power and success than you! Let your own BRILLIANCE shine – take responsibility for letting others know about your strengths and abilities, accomplishments and contributions rather than wait for others to recognize you. RAISE your expectations of the women around you – women under-represent their own abilities… and men radically underestimate women (this includes your OWN possibilities!). SPEAK your ambitions out loud – normalize aspirations for having more visibility, money, influence, impact and anything that in your heart you desire. PRACTICE Self-Validation and Self-Authorization – stand in your worthiness to charge for your work, to be loved, seen, supported and treated with respect. You have the power to create the safety you need to be visible, have a voice, and give yourself permission to play your biggest game. Embrace the COURAGE to be disliked and be willing to publicly fail – expand your capacity to say and do the right thing even if you know that other people will disagree or you fear they won’t like you. Be willing to take risks and be visibly imperfect, learning and growing in response to failure and setbacks. EXPRESS the full spectrum of your power – practice expressing both Masculine and Feminine qualities and forms of power with confidence – you can be autonomous, assertive, strategic, logical as well as empathic, intuitive, nurturing and collaborative.

5 Uncomfortable Truths Most High-Achieving Women Spend Their Entire Careers Avoiding: 1.) Deflecting Compliments Hurts Your Career. For years, I was the queen of deflecting compliments—brushing off praise with "Oh, it was nothing" or redirecting it to others. I didn’t realize I was diminishing my value and reinforcing the idea that my contributions were not worth celebrating. This habit cost me visibility and career advancement. 2.) Your Achievements Won't Speak for Themselves. Here's why it takes women so long to learn this truth: 1️⃣ Belief 1: Good work alone should be enough. 2️⃣ Belief 2: Self-promotion feels like bragging. 3️⃣ Belief 3: Staying humble will make me more likable. Avoid this trap: Recognize that sharing your success is not arrogance; it’s accurately representing your value. 3.) Staying Silent Costs You Opportunities. Think of every opportunity you've missed because you didn’t speak up. I stayed quiet about a project that saved millions, assuming my work would speak for itself. It didn’t. A male colleague, who contributed far less but wasn’t shy about promoting his role, received the recognition—and the promotion. Face it: Silence doesn’t serve you. If you don’t promote yourself, someone else will—and they might not tell your story how it deserves to be told. 4.) You Can Be Liked and Respected, but Respect is Non-Negotiable. ✅ If you confidently own your achievements, you’ll be seen as a leader. ✅ If you continue deflecting compliments, you’ll remain invisible. ✅ If you stay silent, you’ll reinforce the status quo that women’s contributions are less valuable. Choose wisely: Would you rather be liked for your silence or respected for your contributions? 5.) Women Often Play Small, But the World Needs You to Play Big. Most people think modesty will open doors, but in reality, it’s flipped: owning your awesome is the key to unlocking new opportunities. Actions tell your story, so start making yours count by confidently representing your value.

Today, we celebrate how far women have come in the workplace and in South Africa, especially considering our history of inequality and the fight for voting rights. While there is still a long way to go, we have made visible strides with more female representation than ever before. In the past, when women were given opportunities in the workplace, there was an expectation to "act like a man" instead of embracing femininity. Today, we are seen and heard exactly as we are. I remember early in my career, being the only female in a boardroom, I was expected to take drink and tea orders or be the designated minute taker. We have come a long way since then, and today we celebrate having a voice, with our opinions and contributions taken seriously. Even with these strides, we are still expected to juggle many roles: mothers, wives, daughters, friends, caregivers, sisters, gym enthusiasts. We are supposed to have a social life, a career, good makeup, and stylish clothes... the list is endless. Some of the hardest and biggest lessons I've learned through various stages in my life and career, which I would love to share, are: 1. Let go of societal expectations that people have of you. 2. Stop reading magazines or blogs that highlight your imperfections or tell you how best to live your life. 3. Have fun, learn to laugh at yourself, and forgive yourself. 4. Practice gratitude as often as you can. 5. You need support structures around you, and also be a support to others as it takes a village, not only to raise children, but also to keep sane. 6. Sleep is underrated. 7. Don’t be too hard on yourself. 8. Look after your mind and body, and your connection with your spiritual side. 9. You can’t control everything, but you can control your reaction. 10. Honour yourself. Joining Blue Label Telecoms, I have come to appreciate how the culture promotes authenticity and allows for the external expression of oneself. My last words to all the Blue Label Telecoms ladies are: do not be afraid to let your voice be heard. Do not be afraid to stand out and hold your own. Remember, ideas come from people, so share your ideas. Do not blend into the majority. Hold your values close and stand by them. Yes, be flexible, but hold onto your core values. Aine Armstrong, Blue Label Telecoms Group People Experience and Transformation Executive.

Overcoming imposter syndrome isn't just a personal battle; it's a challenge embedded in the structure of our workplaces. Women often face a double standard: where men's failures are seen as growth opportunities, and women's mistakes are unfairly taken as proof of inadequacy. This skewed perception creates a hesitancy to take risks, to step into roles where we might not check every single box from the start. But here's what I say: Embrace the challenge. If you're waiting to feel 100% ready, you're holding yourself back. Growth and learning come from diving into the deep end, from saying 'I know half of this, and I'm capable of mastering the rest.' Because, let's face it, women have been adapting and excelling in varied arenas all our lives. Have you ever held back from a challenge fearing you weren't ready? Share your leap-of-faith stories below. #impostersyndrome #women #WomenInWorkplace #TakeTheLeap #corporateworld