This week’s blog is directly influenced by my current read which is Grit and Grace by Sandra Haseley’s. This book is about the stories of 12 women who wrote about how they dealt with serious life blows and yet managed to rise up and also handle the situation with grace and humility. This blog is not a review of the book but more of an appreciation of the work done at two levels I.e. firstly the subject matter or content of the book and secondly the women’s collaboration in birthing this gift to all of us.
I am greatly inspired by the sisterly collaboration as it represents the essence of being a woman today. I firmly believe that the more women support each other and collaborate on large projects/ initiatives the more we can move the needle on women’s emancipation. Sisterhood and collaboration are the foundational elements for achieving our shared goal of ensuring society’s recognition and appreciation of the contribution women make in the formal economy. Their representation at the higher echelons of organizations and institutions cannot be overemphasised. Women’s time to lead is NOW whilst the world is grappling with major issues. We need the feminine and nurturing voice at the main table; more so now than we ever did.
The main topic for today is about GRIT… that innate ability to soldier on when you find yourself swimming against the tide. Life happens to the best of us…. Doesn’t that sound familiar? Often times these things are engineered and women often find themselves in unsupported environments all in the name of creating opportunities or ticking boxes.
The creation of equal opportunities should not even be a topic for discussion and yet many studies and papers; point to the fact that women remain under represented in key decision making platforms. When they are; they are often in the minority and have to prove themselves and show their worthiness in being placed in these positions.
Getting to a position is one big and considerable step however staying in the position and even better…trusting yourself enough to make the right decisions is often a challenge faced by many. In addition to letting go of self-doubt I want to add building what Prof Angela Duckworth calls “Grititude”. It’s the acceptance that you will make mistakes; perhaps fall hard but believing enough in your craft will get you back to the driving seat again. As they say…it’s not the number of times that you fail that matters; on the contrary it is how often do you rise again having learnt your life lesson(s).
“Grititude” is built in the arena; you have to be in the game to develop the necessary muscles; so put your best foot forward and lead with grace because you belong there and you have earned your stripes. Let’s raise our hands and let’s step forward and fill in that application form and declare to the world that we deserve to be at the table. Let’s do this unashamedly and with a great sense of confidence in our ability to change the course of society’s misfortunes.
Join me and my guests at the upcoming Incredibly You” event where we will be exploring this and other topics that matter to women today.
Don’t miss out…sign up using the link below and hurry up as seats are selling fast.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/138dxqTZs1aZR5aKKULuW8PTqOdRzGXEJGdwZSYo1oW8/edit
Pamthecoach
Zenande Leadership 
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