The Challenge of Going Further!
Fátima Ribeiro,
Executive Coach
The Forbes Forum – Powerful Women – The Challenge of Transcending – 2017 occurred this week in Panama City.
I had the opportunity to participate in the company of several “powerful” women, members of the APEDE Executive Women’s Commission and it was an enriching experience.
The messages were so powerful that I felt the need to capture and share them in this opinion piece.
A first reflection when writing was to look for the meaning of the words powerful and transcend on the page of the Royal Spanish Academy and with them redefine my own interpretation.
By powerful woman I understand the woman who has the power to make her choices according to her free will, who is active and effective in her actions. For the Spanish words “trascender” and “transcender”, I loved the image of something previously hidden becoming known: being or going beyond.
This definition of transcending has a lot of connection with my current focus on coaching and the goal of unleashing a person’s potential so they can give their best. The coach is someone who accompanies the client throughout the process and challenges them to go further, to transcend.
I thank the speakers at the Forbes Forum for their generosity in sharing their experiences and knowledge, leaving powerful and inspiring messages.
Based on my notes of the messages heard, I share the following ideas:
– Gender equity and cultural balance in organisations are increasingly a differentiation factor in productivity and efficiency. We must leave paradigms and beliefs behind and create conditions so that gender equality and cultural balance are a reality in our organisations.
– Many of the barriers come from women themselves, who have a belief in perfection and self-demand. Let’s learn from men, build greater confidence and apply to opportunities based on our potential and not based on our past results. Let’s work on our strengths and not on the weaknesses, let’s focus on the beliefs that empower us.
– Let us live according to our values, developing our talents and our diversity. Each one of us has something that makes us unique. Connecting with our essence, with our purpose, is connecting with our path in life. Live according to our being and not focused on having.
– Persevere, train, have the humility to request feedback and feedforward, have the courage to leave the comfort zone and the discipline for action. Leave stereotypes behind, change behaviours, assume challenges and responsibilities, without fear or guilt.
– Generate alliances and share knowledge. When we all win, we create something much bigger. Impact lives positively, leave a legacy, be transformational agents, care for and train future generations in a culture of inclusion.
– Search for coaches, mentors and sponsors. The coach with his tools, his active listening and his powerful questions supports us in discovering the purpose of life, in creating awareness, empowerment and new perspectives. The mentor shares his experience and knowledge. The sponsor acts as a godfather or godmother, promoting us in different environments, supporting the creation of a network of contacts and opportunities. Trust and commitment are the basis of any of these relationships.
Let’s transcend as people, as women, developing, sharing, inspiring and being agents of change for a more inclusive world!
