Hillary Clinton made history during the Democratic National Convention when she became the first woman ever selected to run for president by a major political party. The convention then went on a mission to try to humanize the “most famous, but least-known person in the country.”
Speakers described a person who likes to binge on HGTV and buffalo wings. A person who helped a 9/11 survivor get medical care. A person who had to be asked three times before she said yes to marrying the future president of the United States.
Love Hillary, or hate her–there is no arguing that women around the world view her as a role model.
But I know many female business leaders and entrepreneurs wonder if she has the same fears and hesitations as they do–and they’d like to know some of her dirty little secrets.
Here, I unpack three questions I think many of us would like to ask the presidential candidate, but never would.
Do you doubt yourself?
Some of the most successful women in the world have admitted that they have had a confidence problem.
ABC News reporter Claire Shipman says that she often found herself telling people she just got lucky when she was assigned to be a CNN correspondent. Katty Kay, anchor of BBC World News America, theorized her popular public profile in America had much to do with her English accent.
In Shipman and Kay’s book, The Confidence Code, they cite that female leaders, like Christine Lagar and Angela Merkel, often feel like they need to over-prepare for tough situations in order to make up for a lack of self-confidence.
Chances are, you’ve doubted yourself heading into difficult situation like a challenging meeting with investors. And, chances are, you’ve been able to compensate by doing your homework, using self-talk, and having mentors.
How do you know when to take the risk?
Leading and starting businesses are full of risks. And, throughout Hillary’s career, she’s had to take some pretty big risks, too.
She was in the situation room when Osama Bin Laden was killed. She prevailed over Vice President Biden to send in more troops to Afghanistan. She helped President Obama decide whether or not to use military force in Libya.
Research shows that women are twice as more cautious than men. Instead of jumping in, they take calculated risks. They get advice from multiple sources and arm themselves with the best information possible so that they can be confident in their decisions.
It’s likely Hillary has done this (especially in matters of life and death).
How does your success impact your relationship?
What do you do when you rise through the ranks or your business takes off and your partner seems less than thrilled?
There is much speculation as to whether Hillary has encountered this problem. What will happen to President Bill Clinton if Hillary is elected president? What will he do? What role will he play? How will he react if his wife sits in the Oval Office he once sat in?
Research suggests that a man’s self-esteem suffers when his female partner succeeds. Successful women I know advise to involve their partners in their careers by talking about it and asking for input. This helps replace a sense of threat with a sense of worth.
We may never know if Hillary’s secrets to success. Still, when it doubt, most powerful women seem to take the time to do their homework and learn from others’ experiences before taking action.
I encourage you to share and support other female entrepreneurs with your own.