Achieving is all about beating the competition to get to the next level. Every woman in Kenya wants to be crowned winner, of course, but there’s only so many tiaras to go round. So, how do you get into that exclusive club of achievers? You force yourself in, girl.
Unfortunately, many women don’t wish to be associated with traits of competitiveness. In 2018, can you believe? Many fear being called pushy, “too much” and, generally, bad bosses. Do you? This influences how close women in Kenya get to the, metaphorical, glass ceiling – leave alone shattering it.
It’s okay to shy away from competition only if it’s your personal trait to be like so. Otherwise, you’re letting outside narrative prevent you from utilizing the breadth of your talents. The outside narrative is really real. I’m not making things up. I never do. One instance it’s evident is in dating. Do entrepreneurs even have time to date? Anyway, many surveys prove that men will first hesitate when they meet the actual smart, driven woman all say they want. This is backed by Jenna Birch’s book, ‘The Love Gap’.
For the benefit of your business, and more, you have to see the competition in good light. It will help you in at least 5 ways, as achieving women already know:
Your strengths
Kenya is increasingly a very competitive society. Small business owners and job seekers know too well. And it’s a good thing. It pushes everyone to bring their A-game to the table. It generally raises the standards of the game. In your affairs, this directs you to focus on what the rest can’t quite match you at. Everyone has their thing.
Why you must do this is because “competition is for losers” and you have to quickly look to win. And if you’re doing good, you know HerBusiness allows you to slack. Use these lines as excuses: “work smart not hard,” and “work ethic takes you so far, talent is the difference.”
Your weaknesses
Okay, we get it. You’re want to get right to the point, you live by the 80-20 rule. You probably think you’re better than us, don’t you? You cannot be until you cover for your weaknesses. When you’re putting enough effort yet your business is falling behind, it’s usually because your weaknesses are dragging you. Yes, take time to work on them. But in business, this oft means employing individuals who complement you by skill and personal traits. Unfortunately, many entrepreneurs have a bias of employing people who are like them. It’s something we definitely have to talk about, stick around.
Perseverance
In 2018? Get out of here!
Really, patience is a virtue useful for all long term benefits. You know that the overnight success comes after many days of being number 2. Even socialites in Kenya know this (seriously, find the BBC documentary). Competition will never just cede ground for you. So, you live and work knowing it will take time for you to emerge the winner. Nevertheless, you must set timelines for how long until your patience runs out.
Awareness
The definitive trait of a successful business, that is ahead of competition, is how all aspects of operations become aligned. This requires thorough planning with contingencies included. It also needs you to sometimes prioritize long-term payoffs or the bigger picture over simpler immediate gains. As a business woman, you do it all the time when you let us buy at a discount. We like that. This level of anticipation will always help you make the best decisions and maneuver past competition.
Your confidence
We touched on this in the intro. You really need to believe that you are that good. Many still concern themselves with where the line is between confidence and arrogance. What a waste of time. A confident woman simply draws that line wherever she feels like. Competing and overcoming competition helps you see yourself in better light. This will always encourage you to go for things, which means exploiting the right kind of opportunities.