Women Who Inspire: Female Role Models and Impostor Syndrome

Once again, SNGULAR's StageOne becomes a place of inspiration and suggestion. On this occasion, it hosts three leading women in the company who, in honor of the celebration of International Women's Day 2024, offer us deep and personal reflections, touching on some of the most significant themes in the discourse of women's roles in the workplace. (See full conversation here).

Sarah Harmon, Amaya Lasa, and Silvia Quitián, under the attentive moderation of Giulia Palma, invite us to be part of an intimate and authentic dialogue that will lead us to reflect on topics such as the importance of female role models, impostor’s syndrome, and the impact of diversity in the workplace, among others. Below, we summarize some of the key insights from this hour of exchange and co-creation that took place on March 7, 2024.

The Power of Role Models

We are seeing it with football: in the last 9 years, the rise of female role models in this sport has led to an increase in participation of no less than 55% more women. Women who have finally dared to pursue their dreams.

"Having female role models is having the possibility to pursue dreams." - Giulia Palma

During the event, our participants shared their female inspirations, from iconic figures like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé to business leaders like Judith Faulkner of Epic Systems.

"Above all, I am inspired by women who have had the courage to turn their lives around." - Amaya Lasa

But mainly, each one highlights the inspiration derived from the people around them in their daily lives, such as family members or coworkers, reminding us of the value and power of our closest environment.

"There are many women who inspire me, but in my daily life, it's my coworkers..." - Sarah Harmon

Impostor Syndrome or Lack of Confidence?

Statistics show us that 7 out of 10 people suffer from Impostor’s Syndrome, but what exactly is it and how can we detect and overcome it?

The view, shared by the three of them, indicates that Impostor Syndrome is an emotion that can affect anyone, regardless of gender.

"Then you realize that it's not just your problem, it's a general problem, so things change." - Silvia Quitián

SNGULAR's strategic advisor, Sarah Harmon, demystifies it by acknowledging that it's simply a lack of confidence.

"They're the ones who discuss their achievements and then undermine them." - Sarah Harmon

And to overcome it, one must seek, "less perfectionism and more courage."

In the case of women, the Director of Human Resources Administration, Amaya Lasa, contributes her suggestion, especially aimed at those women who are also mothers:

"Let's avoid thinking that we must be superwomen and do it all: continue to be good women, mothers, daughters, colleagues, and professionals..., I wanted to evolve and grow professionally, but that meant losing time with my children. And when you start to take on a bit more responsibility, a bit more leadership, you have that frustration when you get home and one day you couldn't make it to the school gate to pick them up."

Embracing Diversity in the Workplace

Another topic discussed during the roundtable is diversity in the workplace. The guests comment that it not only enriches teams but also promotes an environment of innovation and creativity.

Silvia Quitián, Senior Marketing Product Manager at SNGULAR, points out: "In diverse teams, ideas flow much faster. There is a capacity for problem-solving, agility, creativity, innovation, and a desire to achieve more." Throughout the event, participants explored the significance of cultivating inclusive settings that promote a sense of value and respect for all, highlighting the resulting sense of integration.

"It has favored me, empowered me a lot, helped me grow, and if I grow, the team grows, if the team grows, the company grows, so there's no doubt. Diversity always." - Amaya Lasa

The root of the diversity problem, or rather, the lack of diversity, that we have in companies today is surely tied to biases caused by the educational model that, to this day, still presents "the female nurse" and "the male doctor", and as demonstrated by awareness campaigns like Always' "Like a Girl", is instilling obvious harmful prejudices in the evolution and future.

"We have to change the system and we need more allies among leaders, the people who are currently leading governments and the education system. Companies need more allies and these allies have to believe 100% that diversity is good to be more creative." - Sarah Harmon

Part of a Bigger Discourse

At SNGULAR, we believe that provoking spaces and conversations like this is essential to foster improvement, open-mindedness, and questioning of the most limiting foundations that hinder the evolution of society.

This event is part of a much larger movement at SNGULAR, stemming from the #sngularwomen campaign, which seeks to disseminate, inspire, and above all, ignite the spark of change to build a more sustainable, inclusive, diverse, and ethical world.

If you missed our live roundtable, we invite you to watch the recording at this link and share your reflections in the comments. Don't miss out on our upcoming activities, follow us on our social media to stay informed about future events:  Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.