Women’s professional lives are typically influenced by both individual choices and societal expectations. Generational beliefs about work – often unconsciously internalised – shape decisions and limit aspirations. These constraints not only affect many women’s individual careers but can also perpetuate restrictive norms for future generations. This article explores the cultural and societal norms shaping women’s career trajectories and offers practical strategies to overcome inherited expectations by embracing empowerment to pursue one’s authentic professional goals.
Understanding inherited expectations
Cultural norms, family values and generational pressures heavily influence women’s professional lives, whether we realise it or not. While these beliefs may stem from protective or practical intentions, they often discourage risk-taking and innovation. For example, my father questioned my decision to attend university, seeing it as irrelevant for someone he, and many others of his generation, believed was destined solely to marry and have children. Today’s societal pressures add further layers of complexity, demanding professional success alongside caregiving excellence. This dual burden often contributes to burnout, guilt and hesitation in pursuing leadership or entrepreneurial opportunities. Recognising these influences is the first step to redefining what career fulfilment means for us individually.
Cultural contexts: navigating global career dynamics
Cultural norms often shape women’s professional options differently across societies. Here are a few examples of these dynamics and a strategy for navigating each one:
Muslim societies: Tradition meets progress
In Muslim-majority cultures, caregiving roles often steer women toward professions like teaching or healthcare. For instance, Saudi women entering male-dominated industries frequently need strong family support to overcome resistance.
Strategy: Family-focused career programs can foster understanding and encourage women to pursue ambitious goals while respecting cultural values.
India: Patriarchy and early marriage
In patriarchal societies, women face pressure to prioritise marriage and family over career aspirations. Urban Indian women increasingly enter corporate roles but often face career interruptions post-marriage.
Strategy: Flexible workplace policies and accessible childcare help women maintain professional growth while fulfilling familial responsibilities.
Indonesia: Matriarchal innovation
In matrilineal societies like Indonesia’s Minangkabau community, women often excel in family businesses but hesitate to explore external leadership roles.
Strategy: Culturally sensitive mentorship programs can help women expand professionally without alienating traditional values.
China: Confucian harmony and stigma
Confucian ideals emphasise family harmony, often limiting career choices for women labelled ‘leftover’ if unmarried by their 30s. Many pursue stable government roles to meet societal expectations.
Strategy: Promoting diverse success stories and redefining career ambition can challenge these constraints.
Overcoming the limitations of societal and family expectations: Real-world coaching examples
The following examples demonstrate how my clients successfully overcame limitations imposed by inherited expectations and unlocked new opportunities for growth through coaching.
1. Prioritising stability over risk
Many women are guided toward ‘safe’ careers over entrepreneurial or unconventional paths. For instance, Sarah, a marketing executive in Cambodia, hesitated to pursue a start-up idea due to her parents’ fear of failure. Through coaching, she tested her entrepreneurial skills by leading a global project at work, building confidence without abandoning stability.
2. The myth of perfectionism
Society often demands women excel at both home and work. Emily, a working mother, felt obligated to juggle Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) meetings and corporate deadlines while resisting help at home due to fear of judgement. Through coaching, she confronted and dismantled myths around perfectionism and the pressure to ‘do it all’. This empowered her to set boundaries and delegate responsibilities, ultimately creating the balance she both craved and deserved, freeing her from unrealistic societal expectations to achieve balance.
3. Living parents’ dreams
Some women follow careers chosen by their parents rather than chase their own passions. Anita, an engineer, realised she pursued STEM to fulfil her parents’ aspirations. Reflection exercises helped Anita align her career with her authentic interests and values. Consequently, she later transitioned into product design, integrating her technical skills with her passion for creativity.
Empowerment as a catalyst for change
Empowerment enables women to redefine inherited expectations and live authentically. Ashkan Tashvir’s ontological perspective in Human Being emphasises empowerment as fulfilling one’s intentions while inspiring others.
Distinction of Empowerment
Empowerment is rooted in a healthy relationship with one’s capabilities and limitations:
- Healthy empowerment: Achieving meaningful goals and inspiring others.
- Unhealthy empowerment: Feeling ineffective or stuck, often perpetuated by societal constraints.
Instead of waiting for permission, women can cultivate empowerment through deliberate action and mindset shifts.
My personal experience with empowerment as a distinction led me to deeply understand the incongruence between what my heart wanted (to do a PhD) and how societal and cultural expectations were holding me back. I initially went to university to study law, as this was regarded as an ‘acceptable profession’. Sitting in the lecture hall, I felt stuck and yearned to pursue my first love of geography and my fascination with people and culture. Mid-way through my law degree, I developed a healthier relationship with empowerment – though, at the time, I didn't know what it was from an ontological perspective – and changed my major to geography. My empowerment journey didn't end there. Slipping back into an unhealthy relationship with empowerment, I found myself pursuing transport planning (a traditionally male role), which held more social clout than my passion for culture. It would be a decade later when the health of my relationship with empowerment improved that I went back to uni to follow that (until then) elusive passion to complete my PhD in cultural geography.
Empowerment in action: case studies
Here are some more stories of clients who have had their own empowerment success stories:
Balancing ambition and tradition
Li Mei, a professional in China, faced societal stigma for being unmarried at 30. Coaching helped her reframe her mindset, focusing on career growth rather than external pressures. She secured a leadership role and became a mentor to other women navigating similar challenges.
Blending tradition and growth
Ana, an Indonesian entrepreneur, felt confined to her family business. A culturally tailored mentorship program enabled her to scale her venture while honouring her community’s values, illustrating how growth and tradition can coexist.
Breaking free from inherited norms
Michelle, an HR manager, realised she pursued corporate success to fulfil her father’s dreams. Pivoting to consultancy, she aligned her work with her passion for inclusivity, achieving professional and personal fulfilment.
Strategies you can try to overcome inherited expectations
1. Self-reflection and awareness
Understanding internalised beliefs is critical for change. Journaling prompts such as, What beliefs about work have I inherited? or What would I do if societal opinions didn’t matter? can help uncover unconscious patterns.
2. Seek mentorship and coaching
Mentors and coaches provide valuable guidance in challenging societal norms and unlocking potential. For example, reverse mentoring allows younger professionals to share insights with older leaders, fostering mutual growth.
3. Redefine success and perfection
Letting go of perfectionism is essential for sustainable progress. Creating a ‘stop-doing’ list – eliminating non-essential tasks – enables you to focus on meaningful goals. Priya, an Indian manager, thrived professionally after delegating household responsibilities and prioritising self-care.
4. Build supportive networks
Women’s networks like Lean In Circles provide a space to share experiences, normalise ambition and gain practical advice. These communities inspire empowerment through collective growth.
Creating an empowered future aligned with personal ambitions
The weight of inherited expectations can limit women’s professional growth, but empowerment offers a path to rewriting career narratives. By developing self-awareness, seeking mentorship and coaching, redefining success and perfection, building supportive networks and setting boundaries, women can break free from societal constraints and align their careers with personal aspirations.
Organisations also have a role in fostering inclusive environments that honour diverse goals and ambitions. Ultimately, empowerment is about redefining what’s possible – not just for oneself but for society as a whole.
The journey begins with one question: Whose dreams am I chasing – mine or someone else’s? Answering this honestly unlocks the door to a future where women can live and work authentically, creating ripples of change for generations to come.
If you’re interested in stepping out of the hold of inherited expectations, let’s talk about how I can support you in unlocking the door to your empowered career.