Life Lessons in What Beyoncé Has Taught Me About Career Development
I'm going on the record to share that I take personal offense that Beyoncé did not win Album of the Year for Renaissance at the 2023 Grammy Awards. I’m also reflecting on how Beyoncé’s experiences with music's biggest night have a lot to do with you and your career.
I think what Beyoncé has experienced at the Grammys year after year after year, is that she continuously puts out seminal, soul-baring, culturally moving music without getting accolades, recognition, or being honored for her expertise by people who judge music. That experience is something that a lot of black women are very familiar with — the experience of doing really good work, maybe baring your soul, being vulnerable and open at work, and having that openness, vulnerability, and exceptional work be passed over for mediocre work that doesn't even move the culture forward in any significant way.
I think that Beyoncé’s life is a testament to this. In her work, she is partnering, collaborating, borrowing from the culture, and reflecting what the culture needs. One of the things that she teaches me again and again is to collaborate, to partner, to not do things alone.
She is the most awarded Grammy winner ever and that speaks to the value and impact of collaboration. That's something that we can take away from watching her.
Another thing that I'm reflecting on as a professional, career woman, is that Beyoncé lives a very private life. That's a good lesson for professional women just in general. There's so much value in being who you are. Showing up authentically and being vulnerable as you work. Being vulnerable is necessary to connect with other people and to build meaningful relationships. And relationships absolutely matter.
We can't disregard relationships or pretend they don't exist; they matter. We have to leverage them. There’s something so beautiful about picking your battles and being intentional, and not being dismayed when bullying people try to disturb you or throw you off your square. So much of that war can be hard — challenging, daunting, disruptive, frustrating — but it can be invigorating.
One of the things that came up for me is one of the things that Beyoncé has been very adamant about: that she's going to manage her career the way she wants to. So often, what I see from women in general, and Black women in particular, is that we don't have boundaries at work.
We just put ourselves out there and exhaust ourselves and give our employers literally everything without having boundaries about what we expect from those same employers in return. Saying no and having boundaries sometimes comes with consequences, but you'll be better for it.
I'm really excited to serve women who feel like Beyoncé. If that's where you find yourself right now in your career, I invite you into mentorship.
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