099 Balancing Your Grit and Feminine Strength: The Power of Vulnerability in the Military w/ Sidney Jacques

6ers, we know that the Army values strength, determination, and perseverance, but sometimes this can lead to a culture that does not encourage vulnerability. Sidney Jaques’ experience demonstrates that balancing your grit with feminine qualities is a powerful antidote for this kind of culture. Balancing grit as a woman requires a more nuanced understanding of how to leverage feminine qualities such as nurturing skills, emotional intelligence, and empathy.

Major Sidney Jaques is an Adjutant General Army officer, the 2nd woman to serve in the 75th Ranger Regiment, and the creator of Balance Your Grit, a network for trailblazing military women.

Balancing grit is becoming increasingly important for women, especially in male-dominated fields like the military. There is a need for a supportive environment in any team environment as Sidney references her days on the hardwood at The University of Scranton to her time in the Amry, where one can maintain being persistent and tenacious in their goals while also seeking support when needed and prioritizing their mental health and emotional well-being.

As a result, you will discover that feminine qualities, regardless of gender, can be a source of strength and resilience. By being more comfortable in how you express yourself, you can build stronger relationships with your colleagues and superiors, communicate more effectively, and inspire others.

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00:57 - Sidney ties in parallel methods and practices as a Collegiate basketball player and the Army community
03:13 - How great team support its members and how a sense of community gave her confidence
03:49 - Being outside of her comfort zone for the team and the younger generation of women in the Army
05:54 - This is what I have loved about the army: the selflessness. The ones that are great are very selfless.
06:32 - You can still make a comeback after a bad streak of games if you just keep going
07:57 - Growing up in a rough culture and not knowing how to process and communicate when something is wrong
09:16 - How her social media page allowed her to actually control gradually how much she can share and come back to its purpose
11:29 - Getting into a creative rut and how she deals with it and recenter
13:13 - Her growing focus on connecting and matching people that can help each other
16:06 - Taking the big sister role professionally
17:44 - How Sidney came up with Balance Your Grit
20:13 - The challenges of maintaining your identity as a woman
21:21 - Finding fulfillment in embracing her feminine side and how it liberated her true self

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Connect with Sidney Jaques:

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