Men’s work ethic revolves around the pay he receives from a job. Meanwhile, women’s work ethic compels them to value their job based on the enjoyment and fulfillment that they receive from their job. The demand for women in leadership roles is increasing slowly but steadily. Although recent data showed that women hold only 24% of senior leadership positions, the same data also highlights that such firms produce phenomenal results in their businesses. Instead of encouraging women to act like men, it is time to empower men to learn from women and adapt to some of their qualities.
In this article, we will discuss seven practical leadership lessons to learn from women. We have witnessed these qualities in various female CEOs and founders. Men should learn these lessons from women so they can also manage and empower their team in a much better way.
Communicate Thoroughly
While communicating, male leaders focus on providing information to their subordinates but miss on adequate interaction. In comparison, female leaders provide information and interact deeply with their associates. Men often leave their subordinates in confusion. Women leaders share all updates and also their own lack of information about any matter. Thus, women leaders can build trust and credibility and help their employees deal with uncertainty. Men can also adapt themselves to follow women’s way of communicating to build trust with their subordinates.
Empowering Everyone
Women leader act as an example that empowers their employees. Women have enough authenticity, empathy and compassion for others, including their team. They share credit and recognition with their team. We all know that appreciation has the intense power of bringing the best out of people. Female leaders are excellent at motivating others to perform better.
Evoking the Spirit of Teamwork
Female Leaders motivate and drive everyone’s focus to a common goal. They are good at evoking the feeling of teamwork as they make room for everyone to participate and conduct open discussions. Instead of focusing on their own individual success, women help their entire team to be successful. When employees see their work as a team effort instead of an individual’s work, they feel more comfortable and less stressed, thus performing much better.
Building Strong Relationships
One of the most notable benefits of women in leadership is that they are naturally good at building strong relationships. They connect deeply with everyone on their team and understand them better. Employees will be comfortable sharing their hopes, ambitions, and fears with female leaders. I have seen employees keeping in touch with their previous women bosses even after switching to another company.
Resolve Conflict with Collaboration
Women can manage conflict much more effectively as they believe in collaborating with their team to solve the issue. In contrast, men choose to go for confrontation and exclusion. Women tend to give more importance to listening and understanding rather than fighting and excluding. Their kind and respectful approach toward others makes resolving conflict effortless and smooth. In many companies, the chief executives leave the task of resolving conflict to female bosses and HRs.
Retaining Employees
Since the benefits of women in leadership are motivating the employees to perform their best, appreciating their good work, and instilling positive intangible values. Thus, employees stick longer with a firm. An employee will always choose to stay in a company with such positive values even if the salary is slightly low in the long term. Thus, companies with female leaders will have a low attrition rate. Following a typical female leadership style can help retain employees within a firm for years to come.
Maintaining a Happy Work Environment
Women are better than men at maintaining a happy and energetic work environment due to their fun, friendly and jolly nature. Since women make everyone feel understood, appreciated and empowered, they contribute to a friendly and cooperative environment. Female leaders gladly take charge of conducting fun activities in the office to keep their employees cheerful and excited to show up at work. Many employees switch to other companies even after getting good pay because they crave a positive and friendly work environment.
These were some leadership lessons to learn from women. These lessons are practical and can help anyone run a business smoothly and with joy. There are tons of other things women are better at than men. The corporate world needs more women for chief executives and leadership roles.