Category Archives: Articles

Is It OK To Put Yourself First?

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by Mariska van Beek

Do you allow yourself to put yourself first? People often get quiet when I ask this question.

They confuse putting themselves first with being selfish. What they don’t realise is that when you allow yourself to choose for yourself, it means you take good care of yourself. Which is such a great thing to do and such a great thing to teach your children as well as your employees. It makes us independent, stable people. Being able to cope in life. Being able to love yourself as well as others. Continue reading →

Effective Women Leadership: Imitating or Being Authentic?

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by Tatiana Bessmertnaya

Have you ever met these types of business women who copy paste men’s style?

In our business lives we see many examples of how former subordinates begin to imitate their former boss’ style taking them as a role model for successful and effective management. Or business women demonstrate men’s styles, acting in a certain way to meet the norms set by others within a male-dominated business culture.

What is the reason behind the choice to imitate men’s styles? Is “copy paste” just the easiest way? Is it the thinking of being less competent than men? Is it lack of self-confidence to express who they are and to embrace a wider range of leadership characteristics needed to run an organisation effectively? Is it women’s fear to integrate more aspects of herself into an existing community? Or is it a strong inner setting that to be successful in the business world you should act and be like a man? Continue reading →

Six Habits Which Won’t Make Anybody Happy

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by Marcel van Wiggen

On a regular basis I am meeting people who have become experts in feeling miserable, frustrated or even anxious. Whatever happens, their very first reaction is negative. This does not happen consciously or deliberately. They have, over time, unconsciously, trained themselves in becoming outstanding in negative thinking.

It does not matter who you are and how you perceive life, the destructive habits below will make you feel bad. So, make sure you are not picking up these habits! Continue reading →

Putting Your Own Needs First

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by Anja Uitdehaag

“Women lose sight of their goals by taking on extra responsibilities. We are virtual responsibility magnets. We don’t make these decisions consciously or deliberately but out of fear that if we don’t act on a need it will never get resolved. But we fail to realize that once we become responsible for something we might be responsible for it forever.” – Pat Heim; Hardball for Women

According to Pablo Picasso “There are only two types of women – goddesses and doormats”.

Let’s have a closer look at the differences: Continue reading →

Unleashing Unlikely Leaders

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The vast majority of the world’s poor are women. They bear almost all responsibility for meeting basic needs of the family, yet are systematically denied the resources, information and freedom of action they need to fulfil this responsibility. The Hunger Project firmly believes that these women are the key to ending world hunger. When given a voice, these women become powerful and important change-agents in raising their families and their villages out of poverty. Unlocking the creativity, leadership, entrepreneurialism and productivity of the poorest of the poor is what we do. We build leaders. We especially build women leaders.  Continue reading →

I Am Just Doing My Job!

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by Anja Uitdehaag

If you are anything like me, you probably believe your work should speak for itself.

Women, more often than men, believe that hard work will be recognized and pay off and do not do enough to network with their organization and self-publicize their achievements. When a more senior position opens up, they assume they will be considered based on their accomplishments and credentials, despite having been reluctant to voice them.

However, just rolling up your sleeves and working long hours is no qualifier to go up the career ladder in the business world. Continue reading →

Believe You Can Succeed And You Will

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by Anja Uitdehaag

  • Can I really do this?
  • What if people don’t like what I have done?
  • What if I cannot create something new?
  • She is so smart, much better and more worthy than me;
  • I will never be successful – success is for others.

I seem to be pre-programmed to question myself.

When self-doubts creep in, I get highly sensitive and quick to take things personally. Or – when things have not gone as expected – I just do nothing and give in to the disappointment. Continue reading →

Think Twice! 

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by Mine Batiyel

Have you ever been homeless? Forced to leave your family? Do you know what it really means to be scared, I mean really scared? What about hunger? Feeling the cold in your bones? Worst of all, not knowing where you are?

Quite a well executed summary of my short life to date. I have still not given up. I am trying to survive. I still believe in people even have faith in them. Sometimes I do think that I am contradicting myself but knowing things could still be worse than what they are just gives me the energy to keep going. Continue reading →

The top has been reached. What’s next?

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by Anna Zubitskaya

“After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb”.  Nelson Mandela

We aspire to be happy, successful, free, accomplished, famous, loved, etc. in our lives. Many of us set ambitious individual, professional or career goals to make our aspirations come true. Large part of these many pursue their path to desired top with persistence, passion to win and commitment. Continue reading →

I Was Looking For Consolation, I Found Happiness

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At some point in life, we all take a decision about the question: “What shall I do in life?” Schools, workshops and seminars lead us to have a specific profession or a job. So,that’s already decided. Health, law, politics, engineering, architecture, technology, education, gastronomy, etc. We work in one of these fields, maybe in a tiny office or in a very big company or in a family firm or in a government office. Some of the women work in the most tiring job of the world: as a mother and a housewife. Continue reading →