In today’s world, success can be defined by the number of years you have been married, the position you hold in your company, the size of your bank account or the house that you own. While each woman may define success differently, there is no denying that successful women over the world have similar characteristics that indeed set them apart from the rest.

Having worked with a number of incredibly talented, well-educated, highly successful women over the years, we have come to notice that there are specific characteristics that highly successful women all have in common. These are the characteristics that women have incorporated into their every-day lives because being ordinary simply wasn’t good enough. In doing so, they have earned high-level positions at some of the world’s biggest companies and have empowered other women to do the same.

 1) They are passionate about their lives, both personally and professionally.

There is a saying that states, “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Nearly 14% of C-Suite jobs are held by women, and you can bet those women love what they do. When someone has passion for the work they do in their industry, it drives them to want to do more, to be more, and to give more to those around them. This passion is infectious; it’s magnetic. They become the women that everyone wants to be around. Their passion empowers others to give their all to the company which in turn leads to growth and overall well-being throughout their environment.

2) They manage their expectations realistically.

In a study by the Harvard Business Review, researchers concluded that generally speaking, men felt confident applying for a job where they met only 60% of the qualifications whereas women only felt confident applying if they met 100% of the qualifications. Further research suggests that over time, the most successful women have realized that striving for absolute perfection is an epic waste of time and energy and only leads to disappointment and unhappiness.

Barnard president Debora Spar states it best in her op-ed piece for Glamour magazine, “We each, if we’re lucky, will have our chance to leave a mark on the world, but we are trying too hard to be perfect. So don’t emulate Wonder Woman; think about what’s wonderful to you instead. Then boldly, audaciously, joyfully, leave the rest behind.”

 3) They do not hesitate to take risks.

Some of the world’s greatest achievements were obtained simply because someone somewhere took a calculated risk; they stepped out of the confines of traditional thinking and paved the way towards progress. Successful women don’t merely follow the paths of others, they break out and form new paths of their own. As Marissa Mayer, CEO of Yahoo, states, “If you push through that feeling of being scared; that feeling of taking risk, really amazing things can happen.” The same can be said for author J.K. Rowling who never in a million years believed that anyone would appreciate her incredible storytelling until her Harry Potter series became a smashing success.

4) They realize that sometimes failure is part of the process.

Everyone experiences failure from time to time. The sign of a truly successful woman is in how she handles those failures. Empowered women realize that growth comes from failure if they are able to take a step back and analyze the process. They ask themselves,” What went wrong and how can I improve things in the future?” Having the ability to handle failure with grace and dignity while problem-solving and growing their company is definitely a characteristic of highly successful women. This could explain the fact that women are starting businesses at 1.5 times the rate of men. Failure is not an option; it’s a learning experience.

5) They understand the importance of nurturing authentic relationships with others.

This is exactly what NAWRB is all about; creating an environment where women can come together to encourage, educate, and empower one another. It is of the utmost importance to have a tribe of women that can be relied upon and trusted in order to build one’s businesses on a solid foundation. When women ban together, network and pool their resources, and encourage one another in the process, they bring to the table something that is more valuable than gold. Highly successful women want to see other women succeed as well and are more than happy to contribute to that success in any way possible.

These top 5 characteristics of highly successful women represent just a fraction of what it takes to make it in the world of women’s small business.

Why joining the NAWRB movement matters?

Since August of 2010, NAWRB has been championing women in business, to bring more diversity and inclusion to the real estate industry through awareness, opportunities, and access.  

Through NAWRB we help women in real estate advance themselves toward meeting and exceeding their professional aspirations by educating, empowering, and connecting opportunities to their professional development and business success.

Join our elite group of women who strive to succeed personally and professionally with their businesses helping advance women forward regardless of the obstacles placed in front of them.

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