To rise through the ranks of corporate leadership, women learn to fight. But that competitive attitude often means that we feel threatened by other women in the workplace and hold each other back rather than lifting each other up. How can we let go of a ‘me versus you’ mentality and shift to a collectivist view that benefits us all? How can we be mindful about banding together as women in business?

Jessica Higgins is an organizational workplace expert, strategic consultant and author of the new book, 10 Skills for Effective Business Communication. Huffington Post named her one of the Breakthrough Female Founders of 2017, and her work has been published in Entrepreneur, Thrive Global and The Ladders. Higgins holds executive and board positions in companies in the arts, consulting and technology space, and she regularly speaks on issues including women in the workplace, female entrepreneurs and the future of work.

On this episode of The Female Insight Zone, Higgins discusses the ‘me versus you’ mentality that fosters competition among women in business. She shares the mindset shift that helped her transition from being a fighter to being a leader and what she is doing to mentor other female business leaders and entrepreneurs. Listen in for Higgins’ advice around banding together as women and taking on new challenges with confidence.

Key Interview Takeaways

Women must break free from the ‘me versus you’ mentality. To climb the corporate ladder successfully, female business leaders often live in fight mode. But we cannot achieve equality until we stop competing against each other and shift to a collectivist view.

Lift up other women through mentorship. Higgins is working to promote women in business by mentoring other women to develop a leadership presence and supporting fellow female entrepreneurs.

Put your hand up. Too many women keep their heads down, believing they are not qualified for a particular role or raise. Higgins argues that no one walks into a new project or position knowing exactly what to do, and our job is to minimize the window of time it takes to ‘fake it until you make it.’

Connect with Jessica Higgins

Jessica Higgins’ Website

Jessica Higgins on LinkedIn

Jessica Higgins on Facebook

Email [email protected]

Resources

10 Skills for Effective Business Communication: Practical Strategies from the World’s Greatest Leaders by Jessica Higgins, JD, MBA, BB

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandberg

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