I've been fortunate enough in my working life to have worked for and with some truly inspirational & supportive women, I work for one now, in fact. Despite having forged successful careers in a mainly male dominated industry the one thing they all had in common was their ability to maintain their femaleness. Over the years they shared insights and words of wisdom, too many for me to reference, but here are a few of my favourites:
• Don't try and be 'one of the boys' – as a woman you bring something unique to the table, embrace that uniqueness it will make others around you value your contribution
• Don't say yes when you really mean no – it's OK to have boundaries but if you don't respect them, no-one else will
• Always have a plan – when you apply for a role have a clear view as to the role that it will lead too
And my personal favourite 'there is a special place in hell for women who don't support other women – don't go there'.