Female Leaders Share the Most Impactful Business Lesson They’ve Learned in 2020

The Crunchbase “Female Founder Series,” is a series of stories, Q&As, and thought-leadership pieces from glass-ceiling-smashers who overcame the odds and are now leading successful companies.

Although the New Year is on the horizon and promising a fresh start, we can’t look forward without first looking back at what this year has taught us.

For the following 19 female leaders, the lessons 2020 has brought have been nothing short of abundant. In order to survive this tumultuous year, they were forced to think quickly on their feet, accept that done is better than perfect, and push past old habits to make space for a new framework of thinking.

Yet perhaps the most significant part of what the year has brought is not necessarily the lessons themselves, but how they’ll be put into action going forward. As we’ve all learned these past months, the future can be wildly uncertain, but 2020 has prepared these womxn to overcome any obstacle they may face along their journeys.

Secil Altintas

Associate at Axa Venture Partners, a global tech fund that invests in extraordinary teams with vision and drive across enterprise, digital health, cybersecurity, and fintech.

Most Impactful Business Lesson in 2020: To practice radical compassion and to focus on my being as a foundational part of each day. Prior to COVID-19 hitting, I was planning on launching a series of in person workshops focused on supporting womxn to “Amplify Their Greatness”. Yet with COVID-19 all of that changed, as I had to take care of my daughter at home full-time while pivoting my business offerings. The overachieving perfectionist part of me often felt overwhelmed and anxious that I wasn’t doing a lot of the things I had planned. Practicing compassion at all costs has helped me to ground myself in a place of being that is calm, centered, and focused on being present.

What I’ll Do Differently Moving Forward: By being compassionate with myself, I have a lot more space to work with my clients and create workshops in a more organic and relaxed way. Things don’t have to follow the old rule book, and what matters most is how I am mindfully tuning into myself and authentically sharing what’s possible in the moment with my clients.

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