The opinions of contributing entrepreneurs are their own. </p><div>
Key Takeaways
- A survey by Chief and The Harris Poll shows that 86% of senior female leaders are more ambitious than before and are challenging conventional career paths.
- Career diversification and support from a network of women leaders will amplify your journey to self-made success.
Last year I jumped off the corporate ladder.
For too long I chased the corporate dream of a glass corner office with a view of the city. I raced to get bigger, better titles and more money. I wanted to make sure I had enough boxes below me on that org chart to show how big my team was. I was looking for confirmation.
And then I decided to jump off. I decided to pursue my dream of being a full-time writer, since I had just published my second book, and pursue other areas of interest. At a time when job security no longer exists, I decided to take a chance: take a chance on myself.
But the people around me cannot yet fully understand what I do. “Don’t worry,” a friend said to me recently. “It’s a tough market. But you’re super talented and you’ll find another job soon.”
Others have been more direct, and perhaps not as friendly, peppered with all kinds of comments and questions:
- “Are you taking a step back? I’m sure you’re tired. Go ahead and rest.”
- “Have you lost your drive? That makes sense if you’ve had to deal with corporate America.”
- “Are you just not that ambitious anymore? What happened?”
And then I saw a new national survey commissioned by Chief and conducted by The Harris Poll. It revealed exactly what I, and so many women, have been feeling. We don’t relinquish leadership: we redesign ambition on our own terms.
“Were Call BS about the narrative that women leaders are rolling back their ambition,” said Sabrina Caluori, chief marketing officer at Chief, and Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll. “It’s not fading, it’s on fire.”
Here are three ways I’m redefining leadership on my own terms, along with so many other women.
Related: We Must Teach Our Daughters to Stand Up for Themselves at Work – 3 Lessons as a Woman in Corporate America
1. Reclaiming what ambition looks like
According to Chief’s research and The Harris Poll, 86% of senior female leaders say they are more ambitious now than they were five years ago. And yet, when we make decisions about our careers that don’t align with the status quo or the traditional definition of corporate ambition, we are labeled as simply giving up. I know that for me, and for so many other women, ambition is multi-layered. I invest more in my financial success and the financial success of the people around me. I want the opportunity to take charge and make decisions about my career. And I no longer chase titles and proximity to power; I chase time and flexibility.
2. A new look at our careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Since January, more than 450,000 women have left the U.S. labor market. This is one of the steepest declines on record (not counting the pandemic). Black/African American women have a higher unemployment rate than other groups of women. There are a number of reasons, including layoffs, forced back-to-office mandates, burnout, inability to advance a career, and more.
In reality, 82% of women surveyed agreed with this statement: “The changing economy has made my current career progression less reliable, so I am opening myself up to new avenues of advancement.” We can no longer truly have a single revenue stream; Loyalty in the workplace is dead.
Like many women, I am multi-hyped. I have multiple professional identities at once: I am a best-selling author. I am a board member. I am a workplace strategist. I am a keynote speaker. I am an advisor to the C-suite. In this market I am building a diverse portfolio of options. The old playbook is dead and the path to success is no longer linear.
Related: Stop Telling Women to ‘Smile More’ — It’s Time to End This Double Standard in the Workplace
3. Surround ourselves with other ambitious women
As I’ve stepped off the corporate ladder and into this new season of my career, I have to admit that it can feel unsettling and lonely at times. And with so much economic uncertainty, I’m reminded that my network is my net worth. So many women have bought my books, recommended me for board positions, hired me to do strategy work, nominated me to keynote a conference and more.
According to the survey, two-thirds of women believe their problem solving is accelerated when they tackle business challenges with other female leaders. Instead of begging for a seat at a table where there is no chair for me, I am willing to build my own table. And that’s exactly what I do with other ambitious women, whose ideas, energy and support give me the fuel to chase my dreams. I now realize that ambition is not about reaching the top of the ladder, about reaching the end, about reaching that final destination. It’s about evolving, it’s about the journey, it’s about redefining what ambition looks like, on our terms. Bold and unapologetic.