CEO Stories: Secrets of successful women

RESILIENCE

In profiling successful women, Dagher realized what they all shared and what set them apart was how they reacted to the numerous obstacles they faced, personal and professional. It was a lesson that resonated strongly with Dagher, who saw her own mother learn how to run the family business after being widowed. Her mother instilled in Dagher the desire to be financially independent and sparked her interest in other women’s stories of resilience.

SPANNING THE GENERATIONS

Dagher notes there is a different level of confidence in older women, whose track records allow them to feel more comfortable about their success. Yet none of them take their achievement for granted. Two standouts of the older generation, in Dagher’s eyes, are designer Josie Natori, who refused to put limits on herself and made a pact with her husband to put their marriage first; and novelist Mary Higgins Clarke. The widowed writer endured numerous rejections before she got published, persisting out of necessity. By contrast, millennial women are more inclined to think broadly and be highly entrepreneurial.

ASK, ASK, ASK

Neither generation claims to have conquered the challenge of work-life balance; instead, they have made accommodations, such as getting extra help at home, working odd hours after children are asleep, and relying on flexibility in their jobs. To Dagher, this is part of another important lesson for women: don’t be afraid to ask, whether for help, an opportunity, for people who can help guide you to the next level, or for advice.