Women Leaders

I had the pleasure and honour earlier this week to be a part of a panel of women who hold leadership positions in the non-profit sector. It was hosted by ELLE.

We had a chance to talk about our careers, the best advice we ever received, our mentors and the challenges facing women who aspire to be leaders and what can be done to improve it. Yesterday, I blogged about my motivation.

Today, I want to share another thought with you. One of the questions we were asked was what was the best advice you ever received. It's hard to narrow it down just to one piece of advice but here's what comes to mind right away: If you believe in yourself, others will believe in you. You have to have faith in yourself. It was many years ago when this was passed onto me, but it has stuck with me.

I've worked with a lot of great people, people I consider mentors. I work with great people every day at Shepherds of Good Hope. But to believe you can do the job, to believe you can make a difference, it has to start with you. You have to believe in yourself. It won't always be easy but you have to start with that belief in yourself.

I also believe in what we do at Shepherds of Good Hope. I've had the good fortune of working in different industries and working with many different people. But every day, thanks to our donors, our volunteers, and our staff, we make a difference in the lives of so many people who have so little. We do it because we believe.

I'd love to hear what advice you've been given in your career or life. Leave a comment or send me an e-mail at asilverman@shepherdsofgoodhope.com.