Growing up, I never thought of myself as being a leader. I always assumed that leaders were confident, talkative, and powerful people and those qualities I just didn’t have. I’m the type of person that usually stays quiet and prefers to absorb information during class discussions, gets intimidated by large groups (talk to me one-on-one though and I’m awesome!), and did I mention my public speaking fears? Yup, not exactly leader material. I always preferred working behind the scenes and letting someone else have the spotlight. Yet I always supported leaders, especially other women, who could bravely handle any situation that comes their way and still have a smile on their face and stay positive. Secretly, I wanted to be just like them but I didn’t think I had it in me. It took years of growing mentally and putting myself out of my comfort zone (and not always getting great results) but eventually I was able to become a leader. Even though I’m sometimes considered to be a “quiet” person. Here’s how:
Overall, leadership is a skill that can be learned and there’s no such thing as a “natural leader”. It takes years to get it right which means that a lot of mistakes are going to be made but that’s just all a part of the process! We need more women in leadership positions and you can be a part of that change so my best advice is to stay resilient and learn and put leadership to practice as much as you can.
Thanks for reading,
-Ruya
