“I’ve always believed that one woman’s success can only help another woman’s success.” ~ Gloria Vanderbilt.
“Her Journey.” We explore the topic in many ways at Her Nexx Chapter. In fact, we dedicate a whole section to the subject in our virtual community, including articles on the tennis champion Williams sisters, our own Editorial team member Dawn Roberts’ battle against cancer, stories of homeless women, and the first Afro-Korean model. It’s very personal.
Looking at the success as women explore Her Journey relates over and over that the power for each woman is her relationships which include strong female support groups both personally and professionally. It’s the foundation of Her Nexx Chapter, and it’s amazing. Women have been disempowered in the past because we were unable to use the resources of others who understand what we’re trying to do and are bucking the system which is comprised of more males than females. Interesting information reveals women’s relationships with each other are now a part of what will make “Her Journey” successful.
David Malan’s article in the Harvard Business Review concludes both men and women benefit from “… having a network of well-connected peers across different groups, women who also have an inner circle of close female contacts are more likely to land executive positions with greater authority and higher pay, while there was no link found for the success of men in terms of the gender composition of their inner circles.”
It wasn’t long ago when the number of men substantially outnumbered women in the professional workplace. Now forums allow women to connect both inside and outside of their firm. This makes “Her Journey” our journey. The concept of strength in numbers comes to mind.
“There’s a new girls’ club that we didn’t have before, because the workplace was largely male dominated,” says Jocelyn Greenky Underwood, an office culture and politics expert and CEO of Sider Road. “Now that so many more women are entering the workplace, we’re finding our voice. We’re also building circles of trust with one another because we may be experiencing similar hurdles and have each other’s backs.”
The most important thing to learn in many walks of life is that a person is not blazing the trail alone. Once women connect, they learn they are not alone. They discover other women have had similar experiences (both good and bad) so they’re able to relate on many levels with each other. This is valuable.
Shelley Zalis, Senior Contributor for “ForbesWomen” explains her view in an article entitled “Power of The Pack: Women Who Support Women Are More Successful.” The concept centers on a theory embraced by women for eons – giving to others can fulfill our own value of self-worth. “We need to reverse the stereotype that women don’t support other women. There is research that shows women in particular benefit from collaboration over competition. Study after study shows women who support women are more successful in business.”
I’ll close with a valuable insight from another very strong woman: “Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women,” Maya Angelou.
Remember, we’re all in this together.
Her Nexx Chapter invites you to join our free Community where women from around the world are connecting with each other’s stories, exploring different experiences, and transforming ideas.
The Future of Connection for Women
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