Walking the Career Tightrope - Mortgage Women Magazine

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By Andria S. Lightfoot, COO, George Mason Mortgage, LLC

A common metaphor frequently invoked to motivate women in the workplace toward success is that of a hiker. Just put in the hard work. Climb, climb and you will reach the highest vista or the tallest summit. Clearly, those life coaches and motivational authors have never attempted to work a full-time job, get a graduate degree, and teach second grade math via homeschooling at the same time as many working moms are doing today. If hiking was my metaphor for achieving success in life, I think I would trade-in my hectic, multi-tasking, non-stop schedule for a nice long rest along the side of the trail! My actual experience as an executive, wife, and mother, however, has been very different from the hard work equals success hiking metaphor.

For many female leaders in the workforce, our experience is far more like walking a tightrope than climbing a mountain. Maximizing career opportunities, without sacrificing the fabric of who you are as a person, is a delicate balance for women. Any great tightrope walker can tell you success has four key components. First, you must strengthen your core. Second, you don’t look down. Third, balance is your friend. And lastly, keep on pushing until you reach the other side.

  1. Strengthen Your Core
    •  Pilates jokes aside, the core strength of great leadership is empathy and vulnerability. Don’t be fooled; they are not just “soft skills,” and they both influence many of the other skills we are all trying to cultivate in a successful career. Active, empathetic listening requires hearing what someone is trying to communicate below the surface, and it takes practice, authenticity, and integrity. Look to what strengthens the core of who you are and develop those traits that keep you grounded and focused.   Start by showing yourself some compassion and empathy! Stay curious to what interests you, excites you, and yes, bores you to death! If you are early in your career, listening closely to those around you will help develop important skills required to manage others. Perhaps you are stuck in a position where you feel you are not being utilized to your fullest potential. Then watch and listen, deeply! I once had a manager who kept telling me he was committed to my promotion only to ultimately be passed up. I finally stopped hearing what I wanted to hear, and listened to the meaning behind his words. Ultimately, I left that position and was promoted at a new company with a manager who’s verbal and non-verbal behaviors were congruent.

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