Last Saturday on the 30th of November the second edition of LEAP Women Summit was held. After a successful first edition in 2018, this year’s edition was welcomed with a lot of excitement. In the completely full conference room, successful women and those who aspire to be entrepreneurs one day, came together to share experiences, new knowledge and to lead themselves to be the best woman they can be.
AI is still a baby
The focus of this year’s edition of the Summit was questions related to artificial intelligence. From interesting presentations brought to us by Hajdi Ćenan and Christina Calje, we managed to establish that AI is still in its baby stages. Learning and tasks that machines enriched with AI can do now are still very narrow and it’s only good in specific things. Right now we should still be more worried about people who are empowered by AI and not machines. AI will continue being developed and through the usage of AI with general widespread knowledge, we will have an eye-opening experience in embracing technology in a way to help and level-up our society.
Millennials aren’t destroying privacy
The crisis of privacy online and being endangered with the rise of AI pull a question will we go back to more privacy and how to operate with AI that is under the radar. Right now, we see a backlash. Millennials are more vocal and they value privacy. Companies are getting called out and held responsible because new generations are informed with AI that keeps bubbling up more and more.
With problems related to artificial intelligence, Christina Calje suggests a sector-based involvement of the corporations to self regulate and protect users’ rights. Harmonizing that should be done on the international level.
Smile and create your own
When asked how did she feel to be underestimated, Dragana Lipovac replied with „I just smiled.“ Because honestly, it is hard to speak up. That’s why learning not to just let it go is incredibly important in the corporate culture. Speak up and stand up. If you think you can do it better, you should do it.
Getting the experience and skills needed to start your empire can be a daunting task but knowing what potential lies ahead of you in the future is a motivation to follow your craziness and never give up on your initial idea. Overcoming invisible boundaries, whether it’s at your job or private life is achievable. The only thing to know is, nobody is holding you back. Find it in yourself how to be a leader and your own boss and rock it.
Overnight success
…is possible. If you work overnight. Motivating yourself through surrounding yourself with others who share the same aspiration and evolving as a person will all help you to get to the point you want. Most women’s’ key trait is that they look for long-term leadership and the way they engage to find purpose is something we should all take and use it as our motivation to succeed in a game that is constantly changing, and women are here to help it come to a harmony in the business environment.
Feeling like an impostor
The last lecture of the Summit was presented by Iva Gospodnetić. In a vague title of her presentation “You’re an impostor – and that’s OK” she brought the visitors a story about a young woman who despite all her successes, still didn’t believe that her skills and talents are responsible for them.
She calls this the “impostor syndrome” where an individual might feel like they’re lying because they don’t think they’re good enough or think they belong in a certain business or private environment. Most people excuse it as just luck. They don’t think for themselves that they are truly capable of achieving something.
It happens mostly with women but men aren’t free from it either. Impostor syndrome can be caused by doing something too effortlessly – explains why people also think they’re liars, it also comes from family backgrounds. Whether your parents pushed you to be better or did nothing to comment on your successes it can still trigger the syndrome.
The key to overcoming these negative thoughts, feeling confident in yourself and acknowledging that you are a skillful proficient person is to share your thoughts. Surrounding yourself with others who share the same problem is the way to help each other.
Conclusion
Listening to experiences from different backgrounds, by women who have ventured into business themselves because they wanted to create and operate better, those who have seen the need for inclusivity, those who partnered up with their better halves to create their own center of the world that is held in a company founded on passion to bring diversity, is important to bring light for the next generation of women entrepreneurs. Motivate them and show them that the world is filled with possibilities.
