The most important asset that any woman aiming to succeed in business should have is self-belief, Kalyani Pillay, CEO of the South African Bank Risk Association, told the audience at the FNB Business East Coast Radio Ladies’ Breakfast in Durban a few days ago.
She said women should not be obsessed with titles in business, but the satisfaction that one earns from a chosen field. “You need to ask yourself, what drives you? Are you where you want to be in your work or job? Have the playing fields changed?”
Pillay advised business women to have balanced lives, both personally and professionally. “Apply some of the lessons gathered from business in your personal lives. For instance, from a human resource point of view: do you have the skills to achieve what you want to in life?”
Besides, she said women should portray themselves outwardly the type of person they want to be perceived as. “If not, do something about it. Don’t sit around and wait for five years.”