“To achieve happiness, you need to have purpose in life.”
Last week we hosted the panel “Women and Power: A Cross-Cultural Panel of Female Family Leaders” at the Purposeful Planning Institute (PPI). It was composed of Michelle and myself, Veronica Yepez of Perpetum Family Office, and three other female CEOs and/or aspiring female family leaders—Maria, Anika, and Sofia—from Mexico and the USA.
Each woman on the panel has taken over, or is considering their role, as leaders in their family’s organizations. During our conversation, each shared:
- The challenges and opportunities they’ve faced,
- The complexities of growing their own leadership within their families,
- The tools and strategies that have served them, and
- How they continue to elevate the power, contribution, and impact of women in the Family Enterprise.
We want to share some of the key highlights from the panel with you, as they were incredibly insightful.
3 Insights from Female Family Leaders
1. Realize your value.
You’re worthy, but realizing that isn’t always easy. Sofia is from Mexico, and described how in her traditional family, her mother wasn’t expected to develop professionally—she studied, but never worked. For Sofia, becoming a part of the family business was a way for her to get what she’d always wanted: to achieve balance in her life while being true to herself. The family business is now a part of who she is; she’s able to be of service to her entire family while providing a voice specifically for her female family members.
2. You don’t have to be perfect to make a decision.
Anika shared that as women, we often feel we have to be perfect before we can move forward, especially if we lack experience in a specific task. We feel as if we simply cannot make mistakes. But feeling like we have to learn everything and be the expert before we take action can hold us back. It’s time to learn how to jump in and make mistakes, because ultimately, we’re not going to get ahead if we remain stagnant.
3. Be true to yourself.
This was a theme that kept coming up during our conversation. This was first touched on when discussing managing the expectations of the family. In order to properly do so, you must see and identify your own limits, shared Anika. Ask yourself: What are my responsibilities and what aren’t? What should I be focusing on and what isn’t for me to solve?
It came up again when discussing one of the big struggles in family business: The ability to speak how you feel and be true to yourself, while also having the intelligence to be the bigger person in the room. In these situations, Sofia advised, it’s important to remain calm, breathe, and see various options free from emotion. Your first reaction may not be the best, or most suitable one.
Next Steps
Alongside Veronica of Perpetum, we’ve created the Worldwide Women’s Council (W3C), a place for female executives to come together and share with one another—much like what transpired during this panel. The W3C is a dedicated safe space for growth, leadership, and community. If you or someone you know would benefit from a community of like-minded, trusted individuals like this, you can learn more about the W3C here and connect with us if it sounds up your alley.