“You can find inspiration in everything – and if you can’t, look again.” Fashion designer Paul Smith believed this sentiment so strongly he curated a book on the subject.
Though the business world’s players are one of the richest sources of entrepreneurial inspiration and career guidance, there’s plenty more where that came from in less expected sources.
MADONNA LOUISE CICCIONE
“A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. That’s why they don’t get what they want.”Her musical achievements amount to a long list of superlatives, but as well as dominating the charts for four decades, Madonna is also a shrewd businesswoman, with four fashion lines, two lifestyle brands and a whole host of property and art investment companies to her name. She’s been described – by a visiting professor at the Cranfield School of Management – as “America’s smartest businesswoman”, “an organisation unto herself” and “a model entrepreneur”. But Madonna’s own words (above) speak volumes about the assertive approach she takes to her business dealings. Assertiveness is defined as the ‘quality of being self-assured and confident without being aggressive’ and is a learnable business skill that can take you far in the workplace. Asking for what you want can be tough – whether that’s a pay rise (something 35% of Network members avoid) or a helping hand with your career plans from the key decision maker in your life – the boss (something 53% of Network members have never done). Watch the Harvard Business Review’s guide to asking for what you want below, assess your own assertion levels and delve deeper in assertive behaviour to understand how you too can channel the simple but effective mantra of the global phenomenon that is Madonna.
GISELLE BǙNDCHEN
“The more you trust your intuition, the more empowered you become, the stronger you become, and the happier you become.”As the highest paid supermodel in the world – earning a reported $7,000 per hour, and the face and body of brands like Chanel No.5 and H&M – it’s safe to say that confidence isn’t an issue for Giselle. Confidence and self-esteem are often described in interchangeable terms, but in her statement above, the Victoria’s Secret Angel hits on another crucial aspect of confidence – self-efficacy. That is, the strength of your own belief in your abilities in various situations. If you doubt your own abilities, you are less likely to trust in your own judgment and act decisively. But like self-esteem, self-efficacy is something you can develop in yourself. You can do this through mastery experiences (seeking to gain the knowledge and skills you need to be successful in a particular task or challenge), vicarious learning (heightening your observation skills so that you are able to take lessons from the experiences of others), social persuasion (accepting positive feedback) and, finally, modelling behaviour. Fortunately for the 3.5 billion women in the world who aren’t Gisele, this latter component has nothing to do with notching up Vogue covers. Instead it relates to your ability to seek out experts in their fields and absorb what they can teach you about their craft – something you can do through collecting a portfolio of role models near and far. Get a firmer grasp of your own self-efficacy levels and set yours on the right path with the help of the everywomanNetwork workbook Boost your self-confidence.
SHONDA RHIMES
“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. Dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.”As the brains and pen behind big-hitting US dramas Grey’s Anatomy, How To Get Away With Murder, Scandal and Private Practice, Emmy award-winning Rhimes has used her platform to speak out against the lack of diversity in television and the entertainment industry as a whole. Well-loved for her strong female lead characters Meredith Grey, Miranda Bailey and Olivia Pope, Rhimes recently won a new army of fans upon the publication of her book Year Of Yes, in which she describes how she committed to accepting each and every opportunity that came into her life. As a self-proclaimed introvert, Rhimes also delves into the power of a quiet approach to leadership. Her above statement taps into her no-nonsense tack on career progression, and the idea, widely discussed here on the everywomanNetwork, that “goals without a plan are just dreams”. If you’re struggling to realise a dream, use the resources on the everywomanNetwork to overcome your fear of failure, step outside your comfort zone and turn your big idea into a tangible to-do list.
