7 Things They Aren't Teaching You in Business School - That They Totally Should

There are many skills and qualities that business schools don't teach you. As women, we often feel like we need to follow a rulebook instead of our heart when it comes to succeeding in the business world. I say - this outdated way of thinking is holding us back from reaching our true potential as leaders. Here are seven things that business schools aren't teaching us - but should - so that we can unlock our true potential - and build the lives we want - on our own terms.

Self Compassion

There is so much power in being kind to ourselves. In business school, we're taught to strive for perfection, but forcing those unreal expectations on ourselves is harmful. Learning to accept our mistakes and be kind to ourselves is essential for self growth.

How can you start being more compassionate towards yourself? Accept your mistakes. Allow for failure. Understand that perfection is an impossible goal.

Besides, you don't need to go for perfect by society or business school's standards. You need to strive for the perfect you want to create. And only you get to decide what that looks like.

When wee are kinder to ourselves, we become better problem solvers, decision makers, and communicators - all qualities necessary for success in the business world. By learning how to practice self-compassion, we can create whatever we want to create.

Self Trust

We're taught to trust the process, trust the numbers, trust the systems - but never to trust ourselves. That's a huge mistake. To reach our full potential as female leaders, we have to learn how to trust ourselves and follow our intuition.

When we trust ourselves, it empowers us to take risks that we normally wouldn't take - which unlocks a world of possibilities. We start taking action instead of overthinking things. And we become thought leaders - because we're not afraid to go all in our beliefs and share them with the world.

Self Concept

Before anyone else will believe in you, you have to believe in yourself. In business school, we're taught to seek external validation. We're taught to look for praise from our mentors, outperform our peers, and get the best grades. But we're never taught to simply believe in ourselves - without the validation from someone or something else.

The reality is that your self-concept is the most important thing when it comes to success. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will either.

The Power of Your Thoughts

We're taught the power of ROI, systems and processes, and analytics - but never the power of our thoughts. And it's a shame - because our thoughts have an incredible power.

You've heard the saying - our thoughts create our reality.

Positive thoughts lead to positive outcomes - and the same goes for negative thoughts. That's why it's important to be aware of our thoughts, and how they shape our careers, businesses, and ultimately, our lives.

You're Allowed to Change Your Mind

We're taught to pick a career path and stick to it. We're taught to make a decision and follow thought on it. I don't know who made this rule - but you are allowed to change your mind.

It's ok to explore different paths and possibilities. It's okay if you decide what you thought you wanted isn't actually what you wanted. You don't have to stay stuck in one place - especially if you're not happy.

Society might call you flaky - but you don't have to be locked in by society's standards and expectations - you get to choose what works for you.

There is No Blueprint for Success

You are your own blueprint. There is no one size fits all formula for success - and there is no one way that success has to look. Your success is going to look different from someone else's - and that's ok.

If you want to do things differently - do them differently. You don't have to do what everyone else is doing to be successful. Trust yourself, and trust your path.

It's important to focus on what works for you. You get to decide what success looks like - and it doesn't have to look like the way society says it should.

Success Doesn't Have to Be Hard

We're taught this idea that success is to be hard - tons of hours worked, loads of stress, and a brutal pathway to get there before finally coming out on the other side. But that's not true. Success can be enjoyable, fulfilling, and fun - and it should be those things.

Focus on enjoying the process instead of just the outcome, and the journey to success will be a lot more enjoyable. I firmly believe you'll find that success is easier when you're not stressed out and working around the clock to build something in a way that is totally draining your soul.

It is essential for us, as female leaders, to go beyond the teaching of business school so we can tap into our true power. Self-concept has a huge impact on success, so it's important to be aware of our thoughts and how they shape our lives. We are allowed to explore different paths and change our minds if we're not happy - society doesn't have the last say. Success doesn't need to look like what everyone else says it should, nor does it need to be hard work with no enjoyment along the way. Remember that you get to decide your blueprint for success - focus on what works best for you and enjoy every step of the journey!