• ATHLETICS = SUCCESS FOR WOMEN LEADERS…..

    Athletics = Success for women leaders??  HMMMM…. REALLY?  My answer is absolutely.  But first, some new statistics.  A quick early morning report suggests that 90% of women managers and 94% of women who occupy the TOP SEAT in organizations have athletics in their background.  The standard reasons backing such research include the great experience that comes from learning team work; winning and losing; competition in general; and a “key” reason given by some researchers: you learn to play with people regardless of whether you LIKE them or not!  This is simply about the game as the “goal” vs the relationships.  That point usually gets emphasis because women are so socialized to build relationships.  Research from 30 years ago reported girls walking away from or stopping a game if there was discord between/among players.  But this research is old enough, and women and girls are so much more active in sports, I imagine that is far, far less relevant …. but it “lingers” as a belief.
    Although I agree with all the “learning” about competition and team work and winning and losing, I think there is a greater “good” that comes from girls and women being athletic.  My thinking comes from being an athlete all my life.  I see it as a huge issue in my way of thinking about myself — and about my attitude towards success and failure.  Here is my biggest take away from athletics.  I learned I was capable of more than I THOUGHT I was.  I learned to push myself to try things that felt harder — even impossible….i.e. I can’t run that far or that fast…..With a coach who said “try anyway,” I learned to test myself, to not back away from a challenge, to push both forward and THROUGH.  Boundaries I thought were physical were easily tested.  Boundaries in my MIND were harder…. but learning to push through made an enormous difference in the way I thought about myself and my physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities.

    As a result of my personal experience, I’ve done informal “surveys” with women leaders.  In workshops and seminars, I ask about athletic background. And with women clients I do the same.  That ability to push through is a consistent report of the women I ask.  And when I have women clients who feel they are giving up, sinking into negative thoughts and feelings, I eventually do that “athletic background check.”  Fairly consistently, although not a given, people who “give up” more easily have often not been challenged by athletics.

    I like to think that the inclusion of girls and women in sports across the board is contributing to the possibility of a seat ON the board.  Competitive sports build confidence.  We hopefully have several decades of girls and women who are stepping into leadership positions — and I believe athletics make a difference…at least in many, many situations.

    Think about your own motivations…. your confidence.  What helped you build that? What do you consider the things that still need some development?  What can you do today to begin go build in any areas you think need your attention?  You deserve to feel good about yourself.  To succeed. To move in the direction that you desire.  I am not suggesting going out and shooting hoops or kicking a soccer ball around or running in the next race in your area will change that…..but it never hurts to try!

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