Chapter Five

Dare to Learn at Every Age

Become a Knowledge Seeker to Maintain Your Competitive Edge

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.

John F. Kennedy

“The best way to build self-confidence is to build knowledge,” says Adriana Karaboutis, global chief information officer at Dell. “Learn, learn, learn.…Know your subject matter and be able to talk about it.”

Knowledge is the second pillar of confidence, after attitude. It means knowing what you don't know as well as what you do, and it is critical to every leader. So many of the women I interviewed cited cultivating knowledge as foundational to their confidence. The deeper our knowledge, the more we feel we have the right to call the shots, even when others dispute our choices. ...

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