I am a massive P!NK fan. She is a breath of authentic fresh air in a music industry that for the most part, reduces female artists to the sum of their body parts. Aside from her athleticism, her amazing talent and entertaining shows, she is also a pretty gutsy woman.
P!NK has been quoted as saying “You can’t move mountains by whispering at them” which I think is an awesome way to approach life’s challenges. It is also very apt for approaching business issues.
There are often articles I read that speak highly of the positive effects of more women in business and the corporate world. These articles usually refer to the ‘softer’ qualities and attributes that women can bring where issues are perhaps ordinarily dealt with differently in male dominated arenas. Women may approach situations more intuitively, or consider aspects that their male counterparts do not.
And that may be true. But I think women bring much more than ‘soft’ skills to the business table. Most of the women in business I know (and other women that I admire for their achievements) didn’t get there because they sat quietly behind the scenes. We shouldn’t mistake references to ‘softer qualities’ to mean ‘meek and mild’.
What I know of those successful women is that they are tenacious, determined, confident, driven and focussed. They are prepared to do whatever it takes to achieve their business and life goals. And I guarantee that to deal with big and important changes, they engaged in a great deal of roaring and very little whispering.
Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender