Ambition, Courage & Grit: Girls, Some Gifts are Yours to Keep

‘Tis the season to give...and sometimes regift! Below is an article I wrote right after The Epic Mentor Guide released, drawing on some favorite quotes from women I admire. In the spirit of secret Santas and miracles that last, I'm rewrapping with light edits and sending it this morning with love. Some gifts are ours to keep.

'Tis the season to give.

To think about what those around us want most, to wrap it well, and to give with abandon and love.

But sometimes, there are gifts we’re meant to keep.

To hold onto and use. And, like any heartfelt holiday message, this is a sentiment that women in the workforce want the next generation of leaders to know…now.

From the pages of The Epic Mentor Guide, our book where 180 women graciously considered authentic questions from girls about work, here are three gifts from those wise women that girls are meant to keep:

Ambition.

“My ambition and faith in being an entrepreneur continue to grow with the support and grounding influence of my close family and lifelong friends. Their infectious positivity, mentorship, and encouragement of me to follow my gut has been instrumental in how I have followed my dreams and developed Dylan’s Candy Bar.” —Dylan Lauren, CEO of Dylan's Candy Bar

“Hard work and ambition aren’t enough. You have to be strategic, intentional, and take help from others.” —Shellye Archambeau, CEO, Silicon Valley Leader, Board Member, and Author of UNAPOLOGETICALLY AMBITIOUS

Courage.

“My advice for girls about salary negotiation is to have confidence and courage to have a conversation about salary. Confidence is knowing what value you would provide for the job and courage will provide the voice to sell your value. Your starting salary is very important—if you start too low you can never catch up! Lost salary is gone forever! —Lilly Ledbetter, Equal Pay Advocate and Inspiration for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, whom we miss dearly

“Believe in yourself and gather the courage to ask questions to people in your field. It is extremely beneficial to learn from veterans or mentors willing to pay it forward because they have the experience and will likely save you from making the same costly mistakes they’ve made in the past.” —Atoya Burleson, Founder of insideLINES Podcast

Grit.

“Grit is probably not as important as honesty, but it is important. A young adult who is gritty is eagerly pursuing career options that align with their developing interests and values, and does so with a daily dedication to feedback and improvement, and resilience in the face of (inevitable) setbacks.” —Angela Duckworth, Founder and CEO of The Character Lab, Author of GRIT, and Professor at the University of Pennsylvania

“[S]how who you are and what you are capable of in the moments where you have been tested and flexed your resilience. Share how you dealt with defeat and conflicts because a little grit goes a long way.” —Christy Pambianchi, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer at Intel

Are there more gifts to unwrap? Of course. And they’ll be entrusted to you along the way. But this season, as we see women stymied in the C-suite, missing in the boardroom, and pulled in all directions by a workforce that still needs restructuring, ambition, courage and grit might just be the gifts we all need now.

Offered by wise women for girls to have and hold. To keep and cultivate. And someday, to share with those who come next.

Because…’tis the season to give.

Looking forward with joy,

Illana

To give the gift of mentorship or slip 180 epic mentors into a stocking, grab The Epic Mentor Guide for your favorite rising leader, her troop, team, squad or sorority. Available here and everywhere books are sold. Do you hear what we hear? Wise women telling girls about the world.

ÊXTRAS: Three more books we continue to love this holiday season, from rockstar role models we admire: (1) Rising Troublemaker: A Fear-Fighter Manual for Teens by Luvvie Ajayi Jones; (2) You Are More Than Magic: The Black and Brown Girl's Guide to Finding Your Voice by Minda Harts; and (3) Girls Who Green The World by Diana Kapp. Stack up on the epic advice!