By Hannah Coakley

This is it. The final season began January 18.  It’s the last time we’ll see Shonda Rhimes’ passionate and confident heroine Olivia Pope grace our small screens each Thursday night. Once a lawyer, now a fixer in Washington D.C., she is the main character of ABC’s hit show Scandal. Not only is she known to be the best in the business, but she just seems to have her life together (well, mostly) and looks amazing while doing so. Independent, driven and strong, even when things go awry, she is still a queen. Just as Shonda Rhimes does in the entertainment industry, Olivia Pope leads us by example, and she knows how to handle any situation. She shows us many ways to be the best girl boss we can be. Here’s the best advice we’ve garnered from Pope:

Dress the part. You can’t deny the girl knows how to dress. She wears trendy coats, carries stylish handbags and can always be found in a sleek power suit with a matching pair of shoes. She’s never worn the same outfit twice. The woman even looks flawless in her loungewear. She shows us how to own our personal style. Whatever yours may be, own your look.

Have confidence. Olivia emanates confidence. She walks with purpose and demands respect. She knows her abilities and proves that to succeed you need to believe in yourself. Let’s use her as a symbol of being the boldest women we can be. This woman’s confidence got her into the Oval Office, and it established her powerful reputation. See where a little confidence could get you — you might be surprised.

Have a backup plan. Olivia never allows herself to run out of options. We should always have a plan B, C and so on. We need to be flexible. Independent women should be ready for anything; expect the unexpected. Don’t put yourself in a situation where failure causes you to hit rock bottom. Pope always gets back up, brushes herself off and fights until the end.

Listen to your gut. Olivia solves all her cases with her gut. She trusts her intuition. If something feels off, or dubious, it just might be. Concentrate on what gives you that feeling, so you don’t get caught off guard. Trust your instincts.

Be a leader. Leaders control a situation. They make decisions quickly, delegate when needed and communicate clearly, and that’s just a start. Olivia Pope is a fixer. She deals with people’s problems on a regular basis. She cannot afford to be passive and let others take control. We need to channel our inner Olivia Pope and lead.

Cover photo by Ashton Bingham on Unsplash

Story photo by Emily Heath