Why We Need to Empower One Another
Breaking the cycle of workplace competition: why women must uplift each other instead of tearing one another down.
I work in an industry where the patient rightly comes first, yet at the senior leadership level, the environment can often feel fiercely competitive. Too often, individuals are willing to undermine others to climb the corporate ladder. Unfortunately, I have witnessed this behavior most acutely in women toward other women.
Early in my career, I admired female leaders in my organization, thinking, “She’s incredible—how can I become like her?” However, as I spent more time in the corporate world, I began to see a troubling pattern: instead of supporting one another, women sometimes push each other down. As I progressed in my role, this became even more evident, with celebration giving way to jealousy and a mindset of “I struggled to get here, so you should too.”
We must learn to embrace one another, honoring both our achievements and our challenges without comparison or competition.
I recently found myself in a situation where a male counterpart made me feel small. In that moment, my confidence wavered, and I needed to step away from work to regain my composure. As I did, I noticed two women from a nearby business out for a walk. Their simple act of stopping to ask if I was okay was exactly what I needed.
I joined them, shared what I was experiencing, and the encouragement and reassurance they offered helped restore my confidence. That moment reminded me of the power of women supporting women, and it is exactly the kind of compassion and uplift we need to offer one another more often.
As leaders, we must be intentional about shaping this kind of culture. When we encounter women who are struggling or in need of support, our responsibility is not to guard our own success, but to uplift, mentor, and make space for others to rise.
We must be the voices that say: don’t give up.
I challenge you—find a woman, lift her up, and remind her of her strength and her limitless potential to achieve extraordinary things.
