Nikki Haley’s Advice to Future Female Leaders
By Erika Head
Do you ever feel like the women around you judge each other more than they support each other? Despite the feminist movement and efforts to empower women, women are often the harshest critics of their own gender. Why do we have this reputation?
Nikki Haley, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and governor of South Carolina, and 2024 Presidential contender, recently released a new book, If You Want Something Done: Leadership Lessons from Bold Women, challenging this disappointing social norm. Pointing to stories of outstanding women throughout history, Haley makes a strong case for why we need to support each other.
If we hope to see women succeed, we need to support one another in leadership roles. In positions of leadership, women fall prey to the “likeability penalty,” where a woman becomes perceived as less likely the higher her position. Outspoken women, rather than seen as “aggressive” or “ambitious,” should be praised for speaking up and leading.
“In our own small way, we can inspire, mentor, and encourage other women to do great things.” — Nikki Haley
Supporting women in leadership does not mean you have to agree with them on everything. Women should find unity and common ground to make progress. During a book club with the Network of enlightened Women, Haley reminded students that women care about more than just one issue. “The part about politics that's really demeaning to women is the fact that they think the only thing we care about is whether we're pro-life or (pro-abortion). We're so much more than that. Women manage the finances in the house. They're the mothers that deal with the education of their children. They care about safety and crime. They look at what they need to do to save for their retirement and the future of their family. They care about wars, and we care about everything.”
Additionally, there are more issues that we are united on rather than divided on. When we work together and find common ground, real, effective change is possible.
“We are so much stronger when we join together with others. We are so much better off when we use our personal successes to help others succeed.” — Nikki Haley
Women should encourage confidence in one another. Harvard Business Review reports that women rate themselves as less confident compared to what men rate themselves until they reach their mid-40s. Lacking confidence affects workplace decisions like applying for a job and being willing to take risks. Confidence is key to standing up for your beliefs, and Haley advocates for women to find confidence in themselves by pushing through fear.
“So many women, they second-guess themselves. They look for someone else to validate them. They look for someone else to support them. You don't need that. You have everything you need to be successful. You have everything you need to accomplish whatever goals you want to. The only thing that keeps us from being in the room is hard work. Work hard, show that you deserve to be in the room, and when you do that, the world is a better place.” — Nikki Haley
Another obstacle we face is other women in the workplace. “Queen Bee Syndrome” is a term used when women hold each other back from advancing in the workplace through sabotage. The Journal of Development and Learning Organizations found that “70 percent of female executives feel they have been bullied by women trying to block their professional ambitions.”
Women should not wait 40 years to close the confidence gap. We already face obstacles in the workplace. The last thing we should be doing is tearing each other down.
We should surround ourselves with a supportive community of women because this is how we thrive. A Forbes study found that women benefit from collaboration, not competition. Women who support other women are far more successful in business.
“When you see another woman doing something, give her that extra push,” Haley encouraged. We should follow Haley’s example of voicing our encouragement and support when we see other women succeeding, regardless of their politics.
Erika Head is a junior at Oakland University in Michigan and President of the Network of enlightened Women chapter on campus.
Media via Theo Wargo
