As we celebrate International Women’s Day, women have a choice, Advance co-founder Malvika Singh writes for finews.com: to wait for change to come about, or to shape it. She chooses not to wait – and urges other women to take action too.

As I reflect on International Women’s Day or IWD, I believe we will have succeeded when, ironically, we won’t need the occasion anymore and simply celebrate International Human’s Day. When was the last time we celebrated International Men’s day? We all agree it is a complex topic which requires important enablers such as government policy, organization, social, leadership and culture change. I want to focus on the most important element: This is you, and the power of one.

What’s your BHAG?

The force of one is the power that each one of us has to change the world. The most common way we give up this power is by thinking we don’t have it. Twenty-five years ago, this question changed my life and work. – «If anything were possible what would you love to achieve?» The premise being that transformational change, the kind that changes the world, starts with a so-called BHAG: big, hairy, audacious goal.

Being a highly skeptical scientist, I wanted to disprove this concept. So, I set two impossible goals for myself: to run a marathon and to open and head the European offices for the firm I worked with in Switzerland. At the time, I was incapable of running more than a kilometer and was convinced about the glass ceiling.

Not to mention that I felt I was too young and thought my boss did not like me. What was extraordinary is that I achieved both within four months! It begged the question, what else had I not imagined and asked for? This was a turning point in my life and became my life’s work and passion.

Women Have Choices!

Changing the world starts with – you! There is an imperative to act now: we are undergoing major transformations in the finance industry like everywhere else – economically, socially and politically. We need to be activists. We have a choice: to make history or be shaped by it! History is littered with examples of breakthroughs, revolutions and innovations – all start with one person’s «BHAG,» which galvanizes support to make it happen. Ordinary people achieving the extraordinary.

There are insights from neuroscience, psychology and behavioral economics that give us a blueprint to achieve the power of one. For the last 30 years, I have been privileged to work with extraordinary leaders and organizations and have tried and tested these concepts – and they work! There are some key ingredients to unlocking the power of one, the recipe varies but the key ingredients stay the same. They are relevant for everyone regardless of race, gender, age, or level.

90/10 Principle

The first ingredient is the BHAG. We know from neuroscience and behavioral economics that the brain has two operating modes – automatic and intentional. This was highlighted by Nobel prize laureate Daniel Kahneman.

We tend mostly to be on the autopilot mode. The first step is to get off this autopilot and get into the driving seat. If anything were possible, and it usually is, what would you love to achieve? This question is relevant for our lives, our profession, our relationships, all things that matter to you.

BHAG is a muscle you need to train and build every day. The time to start is now: scare yourself every day. Train this muscle. I’m a strong believer in the 90/10 rule: 10 percent is what life gives you, and 90 percent is what you make of it. You have a choice, you are constantly choosing, consciously or unconsciously. What do you choose? To be in the driver or passenger seat? To be the architect of change or an observer?

Shut The Duck Up!

The next thing that kicks in after you set a BHAG is the very loud and sometimes deafening inner voice: «I’m not smart enough. I am too old, too young, too junior … There is a glass ceiling. This does not work in banking …» The list is endless. It’s like a duck sitting on your shoulder quaking away. This is your internal survival mechanism whose intention is to keep you safe and in your comfort zone. You need to shut the duck up! Advice here is to reframe to something more helpful such as: «I have what it takes.»

The third key ingredient is to surround yourself by a committee of «angels». When you come up with a BHAG, I can promise you, people including yourself will give you one hundred reasons and arguments why it can’t be done. There is ONE reason why you can and will: because you want to do it. This is what matters. Surround yourself at work and at home with people who support and nourish you.

As we celebrate international women's day today, we have a choice: To wait for the changes to come about or to shape them. I choose not to wait.

Malvika Singh is the founder of Impact, an international consulting and leadership development firm with offices in Switzerland and the U.S.. Based in Zurich, she works with CEOs, senior executives, and teams including in the financial services industry on organizational and leadership development, culture change initiatives, high-performance team development, and innovation. Singh is also a co-founder at Advance, a Swiss business association for gender equality in Switzerland.