Leveraging Female Leadership Traits for Success

While more women are advancing to the ranks in corporate America, there are still huge gaps in the representation of women who hold top-level positions. This Pew study revealed that just 4.8% of women hold corner-office jobs at Fortune 500 corporations. When it comes to politics, the figures are slightly better but still tilted toward men. While this still seems pretty low (since women contribute more than 49% of the world’s population, as per the World Bank judgments), the good news is that the balance is changing, and more women are taking places of power and leadership on both the world and corporate boards. Despite these still rather abysmal amount, there are a handful of traditionally female qualities that both men and women can leverage and become great leaders.

Empathy

Empathy is traditionally viewed as a feminine characteristic. However, as per the study by Development Dimensions International, a global leadership consulting firm, it is the single several important leadership traits that guarantee overall benefit. While it’s recognized as a soft skill or an interpersonal/people experience, empathy in a leader promotes cooperation and responsibility in the workplace. Empathy has become such a crucial quality for leaders and companies that many corporations extend empathy training, according to a 2016 story in The Wall Street Journal.

Persuasiveness

A 2005 year long study from Caliper of more than 300 women leaders at significant firms worldwide showed that women manage to be more persuasive than men – thanks, in considerable part, to their humility and empathy. According to the study, women manage to be more attuned to situations, which means they can certainly take in information on all sides, synthesize it, and consolidate it into a larger solution. This skill presents them measurably more effective than their male counterparts.

Part of the quality of persuasion means genuinely understanding the idea you are impersonating. Charlotte Beers, the previous CEO of Ogilvy & Mather, points out in a 2012 article for Fast Company, pathos and intensity are incredibly compelling – and they can move the needle toward success, both individually and professionally.

Entrepreneurial spirit

As per the same Caliper study, females tend to be more willing to take small opportunities than male leaders. This is mostly a result of women’s willingness to reinvent the controls and turn difficulties into opportunities. Women are often willing to flex the commands to get things done. Part of this reason is a result of the enthusiasm to pursue a more fulfilling workplace and life. The Harvard Business Review study mentioned earlier shows that women excel in taking the initiative and driving for events. 

That could be because women tend to promote creative limits and innovate to get better individually and professionally. A 2006 study stated by the American Psychological Association points out that women are more likely to be “transformational leaders” and cause employees to be more dedicated and creative.

Humility

Women usually don’t like to toot their horns; thus, humility is often examined as a characteristically female leadership trait. Sadly, corporate America often conflates confidence with competence because, as the Harvard Business Review records, people generally confuse displays of confidence as competence shows. On the other hand, humility allows a leader’s humanity to peek through, inspiring people to follow.

Not only does humility inspire “fellowship,” but it also tends to help organizations focus more on overarching goals. Take a 2015 study of 105 computer hardware and software companies published in the Journal of Management. It shows that CEOs’ humility leads to better performance and increased flexibility, cooperation, and collaboration in developing strategies.

Just because these leadership qualities tend to be more prevalent in female leaders doesn’t mean that leaders of any gender can’t cultivate them. By sharpening your skills as a leader and usually good human, you can easily reach leadership success. Focusing on soft skills like empathy, humility, resilience, entrepreneurial spirit, and persuasiveness can help increase both its financial success and the happiness quotient of employees and their family members.