“Leadership Is A Practice” & Other Fabulous Lessons From Inspiring Ladybosses

The women of The Girls’ Lounge are the heartbeat of our amazing community. Without a doubt, the wisdom that you all share so willingly about what you know and what you learn from each other inspires so much of the collaboration that powers our group. We recently had the privilege of sitting down with three inspiring and influential women to talk about the lessons they’ve learned throughout their careers — and what lessons they would teach their 22 year old selves.

“Leadership is a practice, it’s not a final destination in life,” Alyse Nelson, co-founder of Vital Voices told us. “It’s a constant learning environment.” We’re making that into an inspirational poster, stat, but we also have to contend her point: her opinions, and the stories of the other women in this video, cement them as true leaders and icons.

1. Embrace the bumps. “I wish I could have told my 22 year old self,” entrepreneur Lisa Sun told us. “The bumps in your career will make you stronger, better, and the highs are right around the corner.” The founder of Project Gravitas considered both the highs and lows of her career to have been equally influential.
2. Take things in. “Don’t always take things personally,” Alyse tacks on to her earlier advice about life and leadership. “Don’t be defensive. Take things in, listen, and move through things without letting things stick to you.” The key to Alyse’s wisdom focuses on this idea of learning from your surroundings without being overwhelmed by them.
3. Hop on the train. “I was completely naive,” MAKERS co-founder and producer Dyllan McGee told us, in advice that speaks especially strongly to women who have yet to find their singular calling. “I had no idea what I wanted in life, but I was excited for the ride.”

For more words of wisdom, watch the below video, and feel free to pass along questions you want to #AskHer in the comments.