SMARTMOVES
portfolios, should be diversified. You should seek mentors with similar interests, and with dissimilar interests. Mentorship should not just be a popularity club. You should seek mentors of various age groups, as long as they have sincere wisdom to share. You should also choose mentors who can support you in difficult times, but who also challenge you and push you to be even better than you ever expected to be. Mentors are special people who have the ability to see potential, and help you reach that potential even when there are difficult situations to navigate. With this insight, professional women of all ages can have a better understanding of what to look for in a mentor, and how to grow their professional relationship to fulfill their great potential—in transportation or any other industry. n
other women, provide opportunities and lift each other up. The professional direction women receive from other women is essential. Consider the things female professionals need to be successful. Outside of professional talent and hard work, sometimes women need support from others to champion their ideas and goals, which, studies continue to show, may not always receive the same amount of direction and priority as those of male colleagues. The right mentorship goes beyond emotional support and advice. It can be imperative to help growing female leaders understand and successfully navigate the political minefields that every organization encounters, male dominated or otherwise. Finding mentors can be challenging for professional women, particularly younger women. Mentors, like
women—of all career levels—inside my own organization. I’ve also made it a priority to focus on nominating women colleagues for industry awards and speaking engagements inside my organization so they can shine under their own spotlight. It was also important that I encourage them to attend the Women’s Forums held by various associations for additional growth opportunities. IT’S OK TO NOT BE “JUST ONE OF THE GUYS” I wanted to become a strong female mentor who could demonstrate to others how to be successful without having to be just one of the guys. It has been important to be strong and to show how to make it okay to be female, even feminine, in the industry and serve as a leading example to others. It is important for women to mentor
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October 2022 • Inbound Logistics 33
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