What Makes a Powerful Woman?Title: What Makes A Powerful Woman? You have permission to publish this article electronically What Makes A Powerful Woman? When you hear the words “powerful woman”, what picture comes to mind? Do you envision a woman who you feel has attained success, or a woman who has taken on a battle of some sort and has won? Is it a thought of a woman you feel is in a powerful job position? Do you picture a woman who appears extremely popular? While all of these things can invoke images of power, what you’re seeing is just the end result. You’re not seeing the eight simple underlying traits these women possess to get them to the point of being deemed powerful. There are many women in the world who have not lassoed what you and I see as success, or who haven’t had the opportunity to take on a big battle in their lives. Still, they are powerful. There are numbers of women out there in normal, supportive day-to-day jobs. They’re powerful, too. There are millions of women who don’t exude popularity. Yet those women can be just as powerful as the ones you picture when you hear the words,powerful woman. Powerful women have eight individual qualities that serve as the central core of their lives. They live and breathe the first seven of these, which keep them true to themselves and help them achieve the eighth trait easily. When a woman possesses and practices these qualities on a daily basis, she becomes the essence of a true, powerful woman, no matter what her worldly picture may look like to others. 1)Gives It All She’s Got– a powerful woman will give all she can give to any task at hand, without question, and without complaint. Example: A woman salesclerk who normally spends her time at work out on the floor interacting with store customers is asked by her manager to do a task she doesn’t like. When she goes into work one day, she’s asked to organize a stock room, which entails moving boxes, unpacking those boxes, and placing inventory in an organized fashion on shelves. Even though it’s a job she doesn’t like, she takes on the task without complaint to her manager or others, and she diligently follows through to completion on the project. 2)Never Gives Up– a powerful woman never gives up. Period. She goes after what she wants in life and she doesn’t quit, no matter how difficult the going may get. Example: A woman decided at a young age she wanted to be an artist, and make her living from her creative talents. Many obstacles are placed in her way. She has had to take other jobs just to keep food on the table. Sometimes she’s so tired she just wants to give up…but she doesn’t. She keeps going, day after day, month after month, and year after year. She doesn’t allow negative influences. She doesn’t listen to those who put her dream down. She doesn’t allow others to pull her away from her ultimate goal. And she doesn’t know the meaning of the words “I can’t”. Plain and simple…she never gives up on her true dream. Ever. 3)Speaks Her Mind– a powerful woman is not afraid to speak her mind. Example: A woman is involved in a group discussion about how to fix a problem. Others who are more qualified are very generous with their suggestions, however this woman feels she has a good idea about how to fix the problem much more quickly and easily. Though it’s hard for her to get a word in, and even though she’s in a room with seasoned professionals, she opens her mouth and shares her idea with a conviction and belief that it’s the right action to take. She doesn’t worry about what others will think about what she says. She isn’t concerned that some may criticize her for her thoughts. She isn’t attached to their acceptance of her idea. She speaks her mind with a calm confidence only a powerful woman could exude. 4)Respects Herself and Others– a powerful woman is respectful in all situations. Example: A married woman is asked by her co-workers to go to a bar after work. She doesn’t feel comfortable in a bar environment, plus she knows her husband would be unhappy, as he looks forward to their evenings at home. Rather than going along with the crowd for fear she might not be accepted, she respects herself by declining the invitation. She does so without fear – as a powerful woman always knows that acceptance must come from within first and foremost. In addition, she respects the choices of the others who go to the bar, despite the fact she might not agree or approve. And she doesn’t treat them any differently because of their choices. 5)Stands Up For What She Believes In– a powerful woman is confident in supporting her beliefs, no matter what the consequences. Example: A woman believes that all people – regardless of race, color, creed, sex, etc – should be treated equally. In a company board meeting, a discussion ensues about hiring a particular applicant who happens to be a mother of two versus hiring another applicant who happens to have no children. Despite the fact the mother of two is clearly more qualified, several of the board members express a desire to hire the other applicant due to her childless lifestyle. The powerful woman expresses what she believes – which is that the applicant with children is clearly more qualified and should be the one hired for the position. The powerful woman states it is unfair to discriminate against the mother of two in this manner. When the others try to sway her belief on the issue, she doesn’t back down. She clearly states her belief again, and refuses to adopt a way of thinking and behavior which isn’t in line with her core beliefs. 6)Inspires Herself And Others– the ability to inspire naturally resides within the powerful woman. Example: A woman has been criticized recently, and the critical statements are running through her mind. Rather than accept the critical comments from others, she speaks to herself about her gifts, talents and positive traits. Just as she would tell someone else who came to her with the same issues, she tells herself to hang in there, that things will get better. She doesn’t allow the negativity directed toward her by others to consume her life or get her down. Instead she responds to the negativity by focusing on the positives and by offering herself hope for the future. 7)Shares Her Power Willingly– a powerful woman willingly shares her gifts, talents, skills and knowledge with others. Example: A woman has developed a unique recipe that proves to be a hit at many of the social events she attends. She enjoys the compliments, and loves the fact others look forward to the dish she’s serving. It makes her feel good. She basks in the glow of her success in pleasing others with her recipe. At her next event, she is asked for the ingredients that make this recipe so special. The woman has a choice to share, or to keep the secret recipe to herself, so that her dish will continue to be the envy of others. The powerful woman will share, and do so gladly, because she is confident of the gifts within her that give her the ability to constantly create new dishes others will enjoy. 8)Makes A Difference In The Lives Of Others– this quality is at the core of every powerful woman’s being. It is something that, deep down, every woman wants to achieve on a daily basis. It is a quality created by behaving according to the previous traits, for when a woman lives by the first seven, she will easily and effortlessly become the woman who makes a difference in the lives of others. Example: A businesswoman comes across a homeless girl on the street. The girl’s appearance is disheveled. Her clothes are torn; her hair is a knotted mess. The girl is smoking a cigarette, and looking down at the ground. The businesswoman glances at her watch, and realizes she’s late for work. Yet she turns and walks up to the girl. She hands the girl $20 to cover some of her needs. She offers inspiration and words of encouragement when she tells the girl that she doesn’t have to accept this life she has somehow ended up in the middle of, and how, with a little effort, she can become anyone she wants to be, and do anything she wants to do. One year later, the businesswoman receives a thank-you card in the mail. In the card is a $20 bill and a business card from the owner of a new boutique…coincidentally located on the same corner where she’d stopped and spoken to the destitute girl. The businesswoman smiles inside, knowing she’d taken the right actions to make a difference in the life of someone else. And that, for a powerful woman, is what makes the journey worthwhile. As you can see, it doesn’t matter what a woman’s role in life is – that’s just the outer picture the world sees. It’s the possession and application on a daily basis of these qualities and traits that make a woman – no matter who she is or what she does for a living – truly one powerful chick. J Jai Johnson is the artist and designer behind 1PowerfulChick.Com, a boutique offering a line of gifts designed to celebrate the extraordinary power of women who make a difference through all walks of life. |