Recently, I found myself reflecting on a powerful truth: Behind many confident women is another woman who once believed in them. It could have been simply a few words like “You can do this.” And yet those words had the power to change everything.
The Power of Encouragement
Every woman has experienced moments of doubt. When I first joined my toastmasters club, I was terrified of speaking in public. Many times my inner voice whispered:
- Do I belong here?
- Is my voice strong enough to be heard?
In those moments, what I needed was encouragement. One day, before a meeting a lady came up to me and asked “When will we get to hear your speech?” I was surprised because I thought I was invisible and no one noticed that I didn’t speak. She told me, “Pick a date, you can do it.”
That encouragement was more than kindness, it became transformation. It caused me to start visualizing myself delivering a speech in front of 40+ people. The more I thought about her words the more possible it felt.
A simple word of belief can spark courage. And courage has a remarkable way of opening doors that once seemed closed.
The Women Who Open Doors
Many of the opportunities we celebrate today exist because someone chose to open a door for another woman. I became a toastmaster because I wanted to sharpen my public speaking and communication skills, period. Today, I am the President of my club because someone said, “I believe in her ability to lead, she would be perfect for this opportunity.”
These moments may seem small, but their impact can be life-changing. When one woman opens a door, many others eventually walk through it.
The Ripple Effect of Support
Encouragement rarely stops with one person. It spreads.
A woman who has been supported often becomes someone who supports others. A woman who has been believed in learns to believe in the potential of others. As a leader in my club, I have made it my mission to encourage other women to take up leadership roles in and out of the club.
Slowly, quietly, a ripple effect begins. Confidence grows. Leadership emerges. Communities become stronger.
Choosing Collaboration Over Competition
One of the most powerful choices we can make is to replace competition with collaboration. Unfortunately, this doesn’t always happen and women end up being their own worst enemies.
As women, we should celebrate another woman’s success as if it were our own. There’s need to recognize that someone else’s light does not diminish our own. In fact, when we lift others, we create a brighter world for everyone.
Often times we are the masters of the private lift. We congratulate and cheer in the DMs, we provide a shoulder to cry on and we give great advice over coffee. This is beautiful, but it is passive. Mentorship is good but sponsorship is the game changer. Mentorship is a conversation, sponsorship is a commitment.
For us to change the landscape of women leadership, we have to move from being silent supporters to being loud advocates. Lifting another woman means being willing to spend your own social capital to ensure she is seen.
In my work as a communication coach, I’ve seen that the most effective leaders don’t just hold the door. They renovate the entire entryway. Here is how you can do it too:
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In a meeting, when a woman’s idea is overlooked or re-explained by someone else, speak up “I want to go back to what Monica just said. That was a brilliant idea and we should explore it further.” When you do that, you are using your voice to lend her your authority. This is called the amplification strategy.
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When a high stakes project is being discussed and a qualified woman isn’t in the room, say her name. Don’t just say, “she’s good.” Say she’s prepared, capable and the right choice.
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Use your platform (like LinkedIn) or podcast to publicly highlight the wins of a woman you admire. Visibility is the currency of credibility. When you tag her and celebrate her work, you are opening doors she might not even know exist yet.
A Question for Reflection
Take a moment to think about this:
- Who is the woman who believed in you when you needed it most?
- Have you ever told her how much it meant?
- Who is the woman you can lift today?
Sometimes the encouragement we give today becomes the courage someone carries into tomorrow.
Rising Together
As we reflect on the spirit and theme of this year’s International Women’s Day - Give to Gain, let us remember that progress is rarely achieved alone.
It is built through support, mentorship and through women choosing to lift one another. Because when women lift women, something remarkable happens:
- Confidence multiplies.
- Dreams expand.
- The world rises with them.
Closing Thought
Your words may be the spark that reminds another woman of her strength. So speak encouragement, share opportunities, open doors and never underestimate the power of lifting another woman. Because when women rise together, the impact reaches far beyond what we can see.
Your legacy isn’t defined by the titles you’ve held, it’s defined by the women you’ve pulled up alongside you. My challenge to you as you finish reading, is this; who are you mentoring in private, but failing to advocate for in public? It’s time to stop whispering and start being loud!