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Women, Books and Business Issue No.6
Women and Self-Improvement: Empowering Growth, Confidence and Communities!
Tashaya Singleton
September 18, 2024
INSPIRATION
"Too many people overvalue what they are not
and undervalue what they are."
- Malcolm Forbes
Women
Empowering Personal Growth and Confidence
The self-improvement industry has grown into a $38 billion market, with women leading the way in pursuing personal growth and empowerment. Women across all ages are increasingly investing in themselves, recognizing that self-improvement is not just about achieving external success but enhancing every aspect of life—from confidence and communication to health and well-being.
A study by the Harvard Business Review in 2016 found that women’s confidence rises steadily from their mid-20s until their mid-60s, often surpassing men’s confidence during the same period. In contrast, men experience a lull in confidence between their 40s and mid-50s. This confidence boost in women is a significant shift, especially in a world where women are often subject to societal pressures like the "Prove-It-Again" bias, described by social inequity scholar Joan C. Williams. Women are frequently required to repeatedly prove their competence, while men tend to be socialized to project confidence even without needing to.
Given these societal challenges, it’s no surprise that women are driving the self-improvement industry. Women account for 70% of all self-help consumers and purchase 62% of self-help books. Technology has also expanded the reach of self-improvement, with 40% of adults using self-improvement apps, and women are a major part of this digital trend. These tools help women enhance their communication, improve their health, boost happiness, learn new skills, and even focus on spiritual growth—key areas of life that women are committed to improving.
Despite this progress, women continue to face obstacles. Research from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that 80% of women struggle with low self-esteem and are less likely to self-promote than men. This hesitancy can impact career growth and self-advancement. Additionally, many women carry the burden of caregiving, with 76% of women providing up to 10 hours of care for others each day. While these responsibilities are substantial, women still recognize the importance of self-care, with 80% of women acknowledging its critical role in their well-being.
Self-improvement for women is about more than just professional development—it’s about fostering a balanced, fulfilling life. Whether improving mental and physical health, increasing confidence, or deepening spiritual well-being, women are on a journey to become their best selves. This journey is about making lasting changes that align with their goals and values.
By embracing self-improvement, women are not only transforming their own lives but also inspiring positive change in their communities. As more women invest in themselves, they are redefining what it means to be empowered, confident, and successful, creating a ripple effect that extends far beyond personal growth.
LEADERSHIP & BUSINESS
Leaders Encouraging an Improving Mindset
In today’s business environment, effective leadership is about more than just delivering short-term results. It's about fostering a culture where individuals are encouraged to grow, learn, and continuously improve. A key part of that is understanding and promoting an "improving" mindset, as opposed to a "proving" mindset. The difference between these two mindsets can shape the trajectory of both individuals and entire teams, influencing their ability to adapt and thrive.
A proving mindset is characterized by a constant need to validate oneself in the eyes of others. Individuals with this mindset feel pressure to "prove" their worth by appearing competent, often at the expense of genuine growth and learning. As a result, they tend to be resistant to feedback, interpreting constructive criticism as a personal attack. They become defensive, worrying more about how they are perceived than whether they are actually improving. This mindset is driven by insecurity and fear of failure, which can lead to avoiding challenges.
The proving mindset aligns with a fixed mindset—the belief that abilities, intelligence, and talent are static and cannot be developed. Individuals with a proving mindset tend to see their successes or failures as definitive measures of their capability, avoiding tasks that might expose their weaknesses. This ultimately limits their personal and professional growth.
Characteristics of a Proving Mindset:
Focus on appearances
Resistant to feedback
Lack of confidence
Fixed mindset (Closed Mindset)
An improving mindset is built on the understanding that personal and professional growth is a lifelong journey. Individuals with this mindset are self-aware and open to feedback, recognizing it as a valuable tool for improvement rather than a critique of their abilities. They don't take feedback personally but view it as information that can help them grow.
This mindset aligns with a growth mindset—the belief that skills, intelligence, and abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. People with an improving mindset seek out challenges, understanding that they are opportunities for learning and development. They are confident in their ability to adapt and grow, even in the face of setbacks. This mindset is essential for fostering long-term success, as it encourages continuous learning and resilience.
Characteristics of an Improving Mindset:
Self-awareness
Open to feedback
Confident
Growth mindset (Open Mindset)
There are several factors that influence whether someone adopts a proving or improving mindset, these include age, gender, and level of confidence. As people grow older and gain experience, their mindset often shifts. Over time, they may become more open to learning from feedback and less focused on constantly proving themselves.
Confidence plays a key role in shaping a person’s mindset. Individuals with higher self-confidence are more likely to embrace an improving mindset because they don’t see the need for improvement as a weakness, but rather as an opportunity. In contrast, people with lower confidence can contribute to a proving mindset, where individuals are constantly trying to validate their worth.
Gender also plays a part in mindset development, as societal expectations can influence how men and women view themselves in relation to success and improvement. Women, for example, often face societal pressures that contribute to the need to prove themselves repeatedly, whereas men may be encouraged to exhibit confidence, even if it’s not always backed by experience or knowledge.
Leaders have a significant role in shaping the mindsets of their teams. To cultivate an improving mindset, leaders should focus on recognizing and praising more than just outcomes. Instead, they should also celebrate the process—hard work, determination, and resilience. By valuing effort and persistence, leaders encourage their team members to approach challenges with a learning mindset rather than a need to protect their ego.
Strategies to help Leaders to Foster an Improving Mindset:
1. Encourage learning and growth
2. Praise the process, not just the results
3. Lead by example
Ultimately, success is driven by the attitude with which we approach challenges and opportunities. An improving mindset is about embracing the learning process and seeing each obstacle as a chance to grow. Leaders who foster this mindset in their teams create a culture of adaptability, innovation, and resilience. When individuals feel empowered to learn and improve, they become more capable of driving long-term success, both for themselves and their organizations.
INSPIRATION
"The three "C's" of leadership are Consideration, Caring, and Courtesy. Be polite to everyone."
– Brian Tracy
BOOK OF THE MONTH
“The Power of Positive” Thinking, by Norman Vincent Peale, is our book of the month. This book serves as a reminder to not allow the circumstances we’re facing to defeat us, and to be grateful for all the good things in our lives. I read it almost every year, and always seem to find a new inspiration.
As soon as you open the book, Norman Vincent Peale gives you the framework for believing in yourself and lifting your confidence. He recommends the use of visualization, affirmations and prayer. Later on in the first chapter, Believe In Yourself, he takes you through the process he used to help a man that was in deep despair reframe his thoughts and become an empowered overcomer. He also reminds us that our thoughts can defeat us long before we begin taking action to resolve the problems we face in life, so developing a positive thought process is essential to success and happiness.
In chapter five, How to Create Your Own Happiness, he lets you in on the secret to happiness – that it’s a choice. Every day we wake up, and we have the ability to choose to be happy or to choose to be unhappy.
I know many of us are saying to ourselves, it’s not that easy. And you’re right, choosing to be happy isn’t always an easy task, especially during challenging times. But, as you read Norman Vincent Peale’s nine-year-old daughter’s reasons, as well as other children, for being happy it helps you realize that we can create our own happiness by the things we do, the places we go, and the people we surround ourselves with. He also talks about the technique of replacing unhappy thoughts with happy ones as well as using affirmations and prayer, to make happiness a habit.
In chapter seven, Inflow of New Thoughts Can Remake You, Peale lists seven steps to transform you and your life for the better, helping you become more successful. He also gives a 10-step technique for relaxing in chapter 14, Relax for Easy Power. Relaxing is something many business owners and entrepreneurs put on the back burner because of the busyness of life. This book is an excellent read for anyone looking to improve their relationships, develop inner power and take control of the circumstances in their life.