'You must work twice as hard as boys' — that's what my wife teaches my daughters
'You must work twice as hard as boys' — that's what my wife teaches my daughters
Consulting is a tough profession, but it's even tougher for women. One of the major issues is a lack of confidence. What if you could get a reliable method to build confidence? Read on.
You must work twice as hard as boys — that's what my wife teaches my daughters.
My wife's methods can be strict.
At times, my daughters' schedules were busier than mine as a consultant.
In addition to their regular school, they attended various extracurricular activities such as competitive gymnastics, swimming, ice skating, art, music (two instruments), coding, languages, and acting.
It felt like we were training a team of Navy SEALs, not raising kids.
I wanted to give them a little bit of slack.
But I didn't intervene.
After all, I knew nothing about what it takes to succeed as a woman in this world.
My wife knows better.
She is a strategy consultant who joined the same firm and office as me just a year later.
I had an opportunity to compare our journeys within the same environment.
And I was shocked to see that she faced much tougher challenges than me.
I want to discuss one specific challenge: a lack of confidence.
And I apologize if this might come across as mansplaining; I've discussed it with my wife, and she shares these views.
According to my wife, women are generally less confident than men.
They are less likely to assert their positions, challenge leadership, or advocate for their interests.
This can hold them back in a competitive environment like MBB consulting, and often, it can make the difference between success and failure.
But I also noticed that women in consulting are exceptionally competent.
If they reached this point, they survived the grueling selection process that began in school, continued through university, and extended into the corporate world.
This means they can do the job well, often better than men.
Imagine what could happen if you had a reliable method to boost your confidence.
How much better could your career trajectory be?
Through my coaching program, I help MBB consultants build their confidence. They learn in a safe environment, study proven playbooks, and complete real-life exercises to apply theories in practice.
I would like to speak with you directly about how I can help you become a more confident and successful consultant.
In my coaching program, I observed a similar trend.
Out of 23 consultants in the program, five are women.
They follow a similar journey.
They start with very low confidence, which was badly damaged in their first months of consulting.
But they take learning very seriously, completing all required lessons and exercises, asking questions, and practicing new skills.
After just a few weeks, we see a step change in their performance. They start producing decent outputs, make much fewer mistakes, and improve their productivity.
Leaders start providing positive feedback instead of negative one.
Consultants become more confident and motivated.
They discover that, apparently, they are creative and versatile problem solvers.
That happens because they are provided with a safe and nurturing place to learn and grow. It’s an unfair advantage they need to balance things out.
Once they rebuild their confidence, they become better prepared and equipped to face the hostile realities of the consulting world.
If you are an MBB consultant struggling with confidence and want to achieve high performance, please Book a 1-1 Discovery Session to chat with me directly.
Learn more about the Hero's Journey coaching program.