909: LEADERSHIP MINDSET: How Patriarchal Perfectionism May Be Harming You

You may know by now that I could preach all day about how women are programmed by the patriarchy to show up in this world in very specific ways that primarily (and almost exclusively) benefit white men. Please know when I say “patriarchy” I am referring to a system that is not only harmful to women but also undermines and completely stunts the emotional development of most men. This system benefits few, but the few who benefit have the most tremendous power - globally.

Our patriarchal society has created numerous social constructs that lead us to unknowingly behave in ways that benefit some (mostly men) while holding others back (including but not limited to: women, people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, people with neuro diversities, people with disabilities, and people with larger bodies).

Over the years, I’ve talked about mom guilt as a social construct and imposter syndrome as a social construct. Both of these social constructs are part of a system that intentionally makes women and moms think and behave in specific ways that ultimately limit how they show up in the world. These limitations create more space for others (most commonly white men) to have more opportunities to find success, build wealth, and amass power.  

In today’s episode, I’m going to talk about perfectionism as a social construct that largely impacts women. We will dig into different forms of perfectionism, as well as how you can start to reject perfectionism to get out of your head and get on with your life. Once you see perfectionism for what it is, I hope you are able to reframe your mindset around it to release some of the internal expectations that have perhaps been holding you back for years - if not decades. Buckle up. This is a good one!  

Links mentioned:

• NYU Article: Problematizing Perfectionism: A Closer Look at the Perfectionism Construct
• Harvard Business Review Article: How Perfectionists Can Get Out of Their Own Way
• Harvard Business Review Article: Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome 
• Book: Inclusion on Purpose by Rushika Tulshyan

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