A Woman Shouldn’t Have To Lead Like A Man

I founded LeadHERship Global because I’m dedicated to helping support women reach their full potential. It’s for women in leadership who are ready to claim their power and change the world. Right now, women are the driving force in the economy — here in the U. S. and around the world. Women-led businesses can help create tremendous positive social change, make women financially independent, and positively impact the economy.  

I learned early in my career about the transformational power of leaders coming together and solving problems. I had the good fortune of working for one of the most prestigious leadership organizations in the world and was responsible for their global marketing. I saw the multiplier effect that happens when leaders come together to do business, solve problems, and pursue opportunities. I decided I wanted to create something similar, but uniquely for women. 

I wanted to help women step into feminine leadership with courage and connect with other inspiring leaders that could help them define their vision and expand their influence. We’ve created an opportunity for women to connect around intimate, unfiltered conversations with some of the world’s most influential global leaders. Sometimes the conversations are heated. Sometimes they’re vulnerable. But they’re always animated because that’s what happens when women, unafraid of challenging  the status quo, sit down and tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues. 

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, women entrepreneurs run 42% of all American small businesses. They employ nearly 13 million people and generate more than $1.9 trillion in revenue. Last year, women started 1,821 new businesses every day, and 64% of these were started by women of color. Women-owned businesses grew more than 87%. But it’s important to recognize that the impressive growth of women entrepreneurs is not always based on the pursuit of an opportunity, but out of sheer necessity — especially during 2020. 

Women have been put under phenomenal pressure as a result of the pandemic, but coped well in many ways because they are used to multitasking and dealing with the work/home divide. 

The pandemic intensified the challenges that women already face — balancing childcare, school, household labor and full-time jobs. But this crisis is also an opportunity. If companies make significant investments in building a more flexible and empathetic workplace, they can retain women leaders and nurture a culture in which women have equal opportunity to achieve their potential over the long-term. Women have unique leadership capabilities that position them well to thrive in the rapidly evolving global workplace. 

The human tragedy of COVID-19 is the ultimate case study in high stakes leadership. The ones who passed this test with flying colors are disproportionately women — despite the fact that women make up only 7% of heads of state. None of us can afford to miss the lesson here. 

All leaders, including men, can learn from what we have seen women do in this crisis. This moment in history offers a fascinating and real-time opportunity to understand the consequences of women-led initiatives. 

It’s important that men learn how to connect with women in authentic and genuine ways and that women embrace men as allies, supporters, and mentors. 

We each have different leadership skill sets, and we should understand and recognize those differences and celebrate them. Women shouldn’t feel they must lead like a man, but that they are able to lead in a more feminine style and be respected for it.  n

LeadhershipGlobal.com

Related Articles

The Rise of the Rest

Subscribe to Real Leaders AOL co-founder Steve Case speaks candidly about why regional innovation hubs are crucial to solving the world’s greatest challenges — and what he’s trying to do about it. If you’re trying to get Steve Case to take a look at your business, your address better not be Silicon Valley. Co-founder and leader of AOL —…

The Art of Enoughness

Subscribe to Real Leaders A conversation with internationally acclaimed conservation photographer Cristina Mittermeier on consuming less and working to dramatically boost funds for the environment, so our kids might just get to live in a plentiful planet. The day I interviewed Cristina Mittermeier, I was two weeks into life on my new farm. Cristina had…

Responses

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *