It is a well known fact in human psychology. We only see what we believe. I was speaking a few years ago on a panel of C-suite women about how to achieve career success. One woman in the audience asked: “How did each of you shatter the glass ceiling?”. Every single one of us on the panel looked surprised. I was personally surprised at my own response. No one had asked me that question before. I said “I don’t really think I’ve experienced a glass ceiling”. All my career, I had been so focused on the goal, I had no time to think of the barriers. The others on the panel had similar experiences.
Now that I am in the world of helping women advance, I am well familiar with the organizational biases that exist – mostly unconscious mindsets that have unintended consequences. However, I ask the women I work with and talk to, to stop focusing on the glass ceiling and start focusing on the “Sweet Spot”. So what’s the Sweet Spot?
What’s the Sweet Spot?
- It’s when you are inspired and come alive at work
- It’s the place where your personal joy meets an important need in the world
- It’s the place in the organization where you’re inspired to make your biggest contributions
- It’s where you feel most “at home” within your authentic self
- It’s when you stand in purpose and express your unique talents
If we focus on finding the Sweet Spots, the glass ceilings become irrelevant. When we focus on the glass ceiling we are the victim of an external environment. When we focus on the Sweet Spot, we are empowered to make a difference. It’s all about where we focus. Because what we focus on is what we believe. And what we believe is what we achieve.
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Additional Information
Discover the Authentic Brand YOU – to connect with the Sweet Spot within you
Write your own leadership story – TEDxTalk by Dana Theus
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