How can women own their power unapologetically and make confidence their superpower?
In this episode of Your Last Potato, Abda Rothman speaks with Randa Ahmad, who shares insights from her 27-year career in the male-dominated water sector, about navigating challenges and thriving by embracing unapologetic confidence.
🔹 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
• The psychology of workplace dynamics: Understanding that businesses consist of people with individual differences is crucial. Just as with family, finding common ground is essential.
• The Power of Male Allies: Discover how male colleagues can serve as mentors, while recognising potential competition among women and the importance of women empowering each other.
• Strategies for Handling Challenges: Learn to address unfair challenges by seeking advice from mentors and colleagues to ensure fairness.
• Investing in Yourself: Understand the significance of mental and emotional investment in your career, and learn to prioritise efforts based on the return.
• Leadership vs. Management: Empower others to succeed through leadership, with a focus on continuous learning and adaptation.
• Building Inner Confidence: Counter negative self-talk and imposter syndrome by building inner confidence and self-belief, understanding that external validation alone is insufficient.
• Asserting Authority: Learn strategies for handling pushback and confidently asserting authority in leadership roles by assessing team dynamics and addressing issues effectively.
• Setting Boundaries: Appreciate the importance of setting boundaries and taking credit for your work to protect your energy and own your contributions.
• Leveraging Resources: Utilise available resources and tools for leadership and career development, such as coaching platforms, networking communities, and mentors.
💡 Coffee Confessions Segment:
Randa highlights how being a leader can make team members insecure and the importance of empowering them by building bridges and addressing issues as a group, as well as recognising the need to lead and manage different individuals in different ways.
📌 Actionable Takeaways & Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
• BetterUp: A coaching platform connecting professionals with certified coaches.
• Mind Tools: Resources offering a variety of articles for personal development.
• LinkedIn Learning: Resources for leadership and career development.
• Mentors: The importance of finding mentors within your work sphere.
Randa emphasises the importance of strong leadership skills and empowering those around you, advocating for leadership development among young people. The episode concludes with a reminder that confidence is about owning your power and showing up as your authentic self without apology.
