Women who create extraordinary lives, businesses and organizations unquestionably possess an elevated command of personal leadership.
Ask a thriving woman who has achieved any amount of personal and professional success and she will tell you without hesitation that it was an inside job that got her there. Leadership is not a position -- it's a constant, conscious and very often, courageous decision.
Contemplating a bold move, feeling stuck or simply wanting to step into a more luminous version of your current self? Consider some of the following practices, along with a few of the brilliant women who will inspire you to become dedicated to them.
1. Commit to a Reality Reset
Brilliant women consistently choose to see life as a playground of wisdom, wonder and wealth of opportunities.
Making the decision to view the world through a lens of compassion rather than comparison, of joy rather than judgment, transforms your lived experience exponentially.
When you walk through your days actively seeking chances to create good, express gratitude and celebrate others, the universe unfailingly reciprocates your efforts in abundance via relationships, resources and divine downloads of inspiration.
Get inspired by: Gabrielle Bernstein and Marianne Williamson
2. Release your Regret Demons
Brilliant women heed the sage words of Henry David Thoreau: "Never look back unless you are planning to go that way."
We've all missed the boat, been looked over, fallen short, not shown up, and said the worst possible thing at the worst possible time.
Acknowledge the value of your past by honouring the lessons you needed to learn and leave the rest behind. Your unrelenting presence in the present is truly the greatest gift you can give to your future.
Get inspired by: Sera Beak and Danielle LaPorte
3. Aspire with Heart and Fire
Brilliant women are ignited into action by purpose and passion more than ambition and recognition.
Further, they endeavour to establish "goals with soul," alongside a healthy relationship with expectations. As Danielle LaPorte explains in The Desire Map, "Intentions and goals are tools for liberation. But when we use goal chasing like a hammer, it can beat up on our self-esteem, relationships and creativity."
When you detach yourself from specific, rigid outcomes and temper fierceness with flexibility, you are far more receptive to fresh ideas and new opportunities.
Get inspired by: Waris Dirie and Elizabeth Gilbert
4. Impassioned Self-Care
Brilliant women know that habits define destiny.
Stretching into your widest possibilities entails prioritizing hours in the bedroom over those in the boardroom, indulging in vinyasa more than vino and holding dedicated, regular space for your personal and private relationships.
Significant health risks aside, keeping overwhelm and exhaustion at bay is vital to the renewal of creativity and energy stores.
Brilliant women swear by the power of exertion-induced endorphins, along with regular fresh air, as an elixir for innovation and problem solving. Simply put: sleep, sweat and connection manifest brilliance far more often and organically than all-nighters and marathon sessions at the computer ever will.
Get inspired by: Kris Carr and Arianna Huffington
5. Dismiss the Critics
Brilliant women understand that what other people think of them is really none of their business.
When you start to play a bigger game in the world, those unfortunate sufferers of tall poppy syndrome inevitably begin to emerge in droves. As Aristotle once said, the only way to avoid criticism is to "say nothing, do nothing, be nothing."
The paradoxical truth is that brilliant women tend to fail harder, faster and more frequently - simply because they repeatedly step into the arena and "dare greatly," while the vast majority of people sit idly, but certainly not quietly, on the sidelines.
As your star rises, stand tall and stay classy by remembering this gem from Brené Brown: "Don't try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer."
Get inspired by: Ali Brown and Maysoon Zayid
6. Share Space with Luminaries
Brilliant women connect boldly and bravely.
Assuming Jim Rhon's assertion that we are generally the average of the five people we spend the most time with, brilliant women are inclined to surround themselves with other thought leaders, change agents and light workers.
Brilliance tends to be contagious, so harnessing the shared energy and connection of mentorship, masterminds, conferences and workshops is an infinitely wise move.
Brilliant women also know that it's always too late to build a relationship when you need it. Routinely cultivating and growing your tribe guarantees a support network to carry you through challenges, as well as to propel you upwards when you set your sights higher.
Get inspired by: Marie Forleo and Chantal Pierrat
7. Be Shoulders to Stand On
Brilliant women always aim to elevate the women beneath and beside them.
As former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeline Albright, notoriously quipped in a 2006 keynote address, "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women."
Genuinely brilliant women always spend a substantial portion of their hard-earned influence, prominence and position as currency to promote, educate and inspire the women they lead, serve and support.
Get inspired by: Betty-Ann Heggie and Sheryl Sandberg
Are you a brilliant woman with an essential practice that hasn't been included? Who are the women inspiring you to step more fully into leadership? Please share in the comments below!
I'd also love to hear from you at: connect@jamiyoung.com