Do you ever find yourself waiting for someone else to recognise your potential before you take the next big step in your career? You're not alone. Waiting for external validation is the biggest thing I see holding women back in their careers, and it’s understandable.

It feels good to have someone acknowledge our achievements, and we feel safer with a pat on the back or words of encouragement. However, if we’re looking to others for permission, we end up playing small. Not only will it be difficult to progress, but it can cause frustration, dissatisfaction in our work, and even resentment towards colleagues and superiors.

Imagine that a job is posted within your organisation for your dream role, but no one has approached you about it. You could take this to mean you aren’t good enough for the role. This feeling of inadequacy might cause you not to apply for the job, or to apply half-heartedly.

On the other hand, if you focus on your excitement about the opportunity, you’re more likely to put in 100%. You’ll have the energy to prepare a great application, ask questions, and connect with the decision-makers. Even if you don’t land the job, you’ll have made a lot of progress in this process.

Now we know the statistics: women make up only 12.5% of the property and construction workforce, and women in trades are a mere 3.5%. To truly increase women’s participation in our industry, we need to stop waiting for positions of power and instead take the initiative to advocate for ourselves.

Yes, this is hard, but no one else is going to do it for us. We need to take ownership of our lives and careers to move them forward in line with our goals. Many women find this challenging because we are often taught to put others’ needs before our own. But, if we want to step into our full potential, we need to give ourselves permission to succeed without looking for external validation.

So, think about what it will take for you to step up and lead in your career, life, and organisation. Reflect on what you need to believe about your abilities and the obstacles in your path. I support women every day in facing these challenges, so I know it’s possible for you too. If you need support, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn. I’m excited to see what you can achieve when you stop waiting for permission.

LINKS:

Mid-Year Check-In Guide

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Exceptional Leadership Framework: https://www.rebeccabangura.com/5-step-framework-to-exceptional-leadership

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