Celebrate International Women’s Day 2017 This Year By Being Bold

Today is International Women’s Day, a day to celebrate the achievements of women, inspire change, and move that much closer to gender parity. With the theme #BeBoldforChange, the challenge before us this year is to take action that truly drives the greatest change for women.

It’s been amazing and truly inspiring to see just how far we’ve come in cracking the so-called “glass ceiling” women have faced for so many years – but this hasn’t been a singlehanded effort, by any means. These great strides have come as a result of great collaboration.

With the World Economic Forum’s revealing prediction that the gender gap won't close entirely until 2186, the time to act is now. It’s time for all women to step up and be that mentor others can lean on and learn from; especially with studies showing that women have a more difficult time finding mentors than men.

My advice for women in leadership roles is simple - be a mentor. Try to make a difference in your sphere of influence by helping women better navigate their career path. Reassure these women that if their professional journey is full of twists and turns, both expected and unexpected, that this is okay. For me, the leadership journey is like making your way through a labyrinth, full of challenges and meandering paths. The wonderful mentors that I have been fortunate enough to have throughout my career, have helped inspire me to take control of my career path and navigate through the complex road to leadership.

I’m thankful for the wisdom I’ve received from a number of incredible mentors over the years, and thankful to work at a company that is committed to providing learning and networking opportunities for all their employees. Mentoring is one important piece of the puzzle that can be used to grow female leaders. Here are some ways to be an amazing mentor:

• Approach each mentorship differently – Every relationship is unique and should be treated that way.
• Take a genuine interest in your mentee as a person – A mentor/mentee relationship is a very personal one. Becoming an active listener helps to get to know someone.
• Be honest about mistakes you’ve made – Being open to sharing your own mistakes and failures helps build trust, gives your mentee encouragement to share their own mistakes and strengthens the relationship.
• Celebrate their achievements – Take the time to highlight and celebrate your mentee’s successes and achievements. They’re doing amazing things and should be recognized for that!

We know that once the mentorship relationship is naturally established, having that person who is wise, encouraging and supportive of your dreams is invaluable. By surrounding ourselves with a positive, supportive network of peers and by banding together, we can turn our words into action and encourage one another to climb the leadership ranks.

Starting this International Women’s Day, it’s time for us all to realize we have the power to make an impact and the ability to #BeBoldForChange. Through mentorship, collaboration and creating networks of inspirational female leaders at all levels, we can harness our collective knowledge and ambition, and find success together.