The Ladies of GHT is a vibrant community within GHT dedicated to empowering women, fostering professional growth, and building meaningful connections. What started many years ago as a monthly happy hour has evolved into an amazing group of allies that focuses on leadership and professional development. Through book discussions, workshops, and collaborative events, the group creates a supportive space for women to share experiences, learn together, and champion each other’s successes. Its mission centers on uplifting team members, challenging industry norms, and cultivating an environment where every woman can thrive.
In 2025, we read the book, How Women Rise, by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith. The book suggests that women often face unique challenges in leadership due to ingrained habits and behaviors. Success requires recognizing these patterns and adopting new strategies for growth. With twelve common self-saboteurs, it offers practical strategies to break down these barriers:
12 Common Self-Saboteurs
- Reluctance to Claim Achievements: Women often downplay their successes instead of owning them confidently.
- Expecting Others to Notice and Reward Hard Work: Believing that merit alone will lead to recognition, rather than advocating for oneself.
- Overvaluing Expertise: Staying too focused on technical skills instead of building influence and visibility.
- Building Rather Than Leveraging Relationships: Networking is essential, but leveraging those relationships strategically is key.
- Failing to Enlist Allies from Day One: Not seeking support early in new roles or projects.
- Putting Your Job Before Your Career: Prioritizing current responsibilities over long-term career growth.
- The Perfection Trap: Striving for flawless work instead of focusing on progress and impact.
- The Disease to Please: Overcommitting or saying “yes” too often to avoid disappointing others.
- Minimizing: Using language or behaviors that make oneself seem smaller or less significant.
- Too Much: Overexplaining, overpreparing, or overworking beyond what’s necessary.
- Ruminating: Dwelling on mistakes instead of moving forward.
- Letting Your Radar Distract You: Being overly attuned to others’ needs at the expense of your own priorities.
What's Next for Ladies of GHT
Through awareness and collective support, we equipped ourselves with valuable tools to navigate challenges and advance our goals, all while uplifting one another throughout the year. As we move into 2026, the women of GHT are embracing the transformative strategies outlined in How Women Rise to elevate their impact and leadership within the architecture and engineering industry. Our focus is clear:
- Shift from Perfection to What Matters Most: We are prioritizing progress and outcomes over perfection, channeling our energy into initiatives that drive innovation and client success.
- Build Visibility and Advocate for Ourselves: GHT women are stepping forward to share accomplishments, lead conversations, and ensure their contributions are recognized across projects and the industry.
- Develop and Leverage Strategic Networks: Collaboration is key. We are strengthening connections within GHT and beyond, creating partnerships that open doors and amplify our influence.
- Practice Self-Promotion Without Guilt: We are owning our achievements with confidence, celebrating successes, and inspiring others to do the same – because visibility fuels opportunity.
These strategies aren’t just words, they’re actions shaping how we lead, mentor, and innovate in 2026 and beyond.
As we reflect on this empowering year, it is evident that our success is defined by the shared commitment to uplift each other, challenge the status quo, and create a lasting impact. The Ladies of GHT serve as a crucial network of support in a field where women are often underrepresented. Together, we inspire resilience and confidence, confront stereotypes, and amplify each other’s voices in navigating male-dominated industries.