Character and Competence

"You will never lose your character...something that no one can ever take away." - Diane von Furstenberg

Mental toughness builds a foundation for life. You can lose anything - health, family, friends, job, resources - but your character is yours. 

It's a great privilege to have coached young Melrose women who are emerging leaders in business, education, medicine, the military. 

Here are some lessons from von Furstenberg's MasterClass, from Chapter 15 on "Mental Toughness." 

"Be true to yourself." 

"It's practice. It's every day. You cannot lie to yourself. Ever. It's hard."

"You have to be close to who you are, what you want, how you want it." 

"You have to be your best friend. You have to count on yourself...you have the keys to your destiny." 

"Women designers design clothes; men design costumes." 

"To be a woman was an advantage...women are strong, maybe women are even stronger, but often they forget to show it. Never be afraid to show your strength...deal with it with delicacy." 

"Confidence is everything...it's completely magical."

"You are the woman across the room that others see as confident."

"You have to be real. The truer you are to yourself, the easier it is to be confident." 

"Follow your instincts." 

"It's your journey. Live your journey the best that you can." 

"If you are truly honest with yourself...you'll be fine." 

"Success and failure...live together at all times." 

"When you're at the bottom...you know that you are not. There are setbacks." 

"Face the truth. Why am I failing? How can I change it?" 

Many leaders will emerge from the current edition of MVB. Focus on character and competence to make that happen. 

"The magic is in the work."