Women shouldn’t draw back from leadership, especially during tough economic times like these. The post-COVID-economy is looking to be one where we are extremely focused on rebuilding, growth in addition as collaboration. Embracing diversity may be a priority and businesses will shift to proactively embrace this.
The challenges of a COVID recovery and embracing diversity are tough challenges for everybody. Women also have the identical challenges as other business owners. Entrepreneurs are carrying the load to make sure their businesses, staff and family are all safe and learn to respect diversity whilst at the identical time ensuring you have got a business that adapts within the current crisis. Although women need to create a difference, this places a large weight on their shoulders.
What can help is to network, but there’s a challenge with most women not getting along with other women. Women need to learn and share the various challenges and also many opportunities and this will certainly help to compete within the male dominated industries.
The South African community also need to encourage entrepreneurs to grow by expanding interests and learning leadership skills from fellow members who challenge their perspectives and question their presuppositions. We as the society also need to encourage both personal and professional growth through connections to experts, mentoring and networking.
Although many of the challenges which entrepreneurs are now navigating haven’t been experienced within the world of business before or been addressed as priorities, I am confident that business leaders are going to be stronger as they stand together.
Entrepreneurship is lonely, and particularly so during times like these. When there’s no playbook or set of instructions to follow on the way to make it through a world pandemic, the power to be told from the experiences of entrepreneurs who face similar challenges becomes hugely valuable. In my experience as a pacesetter during the lockdown, the flexibility to nurture, protect and build relationships amidst all the chaos has been key for my businesses.
Relationships and empathy are massive characteristic strengths of girls and, as such, a significant reason why women entrepreneurs are well equipped to square tall during these times.
There’s a lot that women can do, starting small is also an option during these economic times. Pride must stand aside and start breaking all the boundaries.
