(NewsNation) — Some play poker for fun, while others see it as a quick way to make some money. But the skills women learn in poker can also help them succeed in their professional and personal lives as well.
Ellen Leikind, founder and CEO of Poker Divas, a company that provides corporate teambuilding, leadership and diversity programs, said many lessons learned at the poker table are crucial for being good at business. Those include reading people, getting comfortable asking for more, taking risks and making decisions.
“The mindset of a successful poker player and the mindset of a successful businesswoman is playing to win, as opposed to avoid losing,” Leikind said. “Getting in that play-to-win mindset is where your success begins.”
Women are also finding that poker can help them manage their families.
Erin Lydon, president of Poker Power, says lessons learned from the game can be as simple as getting better at negotiating with a teenager or getting one’s spouse to take out the trash.
These sound like small things, but they can actually be “really impactful,” Lydon said.
Only 10% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women and about 5% of professional poker players are female, but this shouldn’t discourage people.
“If you don’t sit, you can’t play, and if you don’t play, you can’t win,” Lydon said.