A few weeks ago, we talked about Feminine Leadership qualities and how everyone, regardless of their gender, has these qualities to various degrees. Following our curiosity, we wondered if others see these qualities as assets in the workplace.
Before we tell you what we discovered, you might be wondering why this matters to you. We believe that regardless of gender, political affiliation, religion, role, organization type, etc., EVERYONE deserves a meaningful and prosperous work-life.
What we k
now for sure is that in order to have that, we need a better understanding of Feminine Leadership Qualities, since these qualities can positively impact our decisions and ultimately our quality of life.
Our Facebook & LinkedIn poll showed that Inclusiveness (soliciting and listening to many voices) was the Feminine Leadership Quality most appreciated in our online community’s day-to-day work life!
Although this was an informal poll, check out what the Journal of Applied Psychology says:
A collection of studies has shown that women experience more “uncivil” behavior in the workplace from other women than men, from bosses to entry-level employees.
The participants were asked to describe their own personalities, and the researchers found something familiar: men who were warm and assertive were treated much better by their male co-workers, while women who were assertive and perceived as dominant were more likely to be treated badly by other women. In other words, men who acted less stereotypically “manly” were met with approval, while women who didn’t conform to gender norms, in terms of workplace demeanor, weren’t. “This suggests that men actually get a social credit for partially deviating from their gender stereotypes, a benefit that women are not afforded,” Gabriel and her co-authors wrote.
This is what we call the Queen Bee Syndrome.
Additional research demonstrates that, in many fields, women feel that their position is continually threatened as the “token female”. Further, they feel that there’s little to no room for any other women in leadership, and that female coworkers will come for “their” spot rather than rising alongside them.
The research group LedBetter discovered that of the 234 companies that own almost 2,000 of the world’s most recognized consumer brands, only 14 of the companies had a female CEO, while nine of them had no women at all serving in executive positions or on their boards.
How can women feel motivated to strive for promotions and work hard to earn a seat at the executive table if there is little to no evidence that their organization understands the value of Feminine Leadership Qualities in their leaders?
Increasing this understanding starts with you doing what you can to create a more inclusive environment. Otherwise specific efforts to recruit women into leadership roles in corporate settings are useless if companies don’t encourage a work culture where they can succeed. – Inc.com
If inclusiveness is so important, why do we fight each other instead of “adjusting the wheel” and standing shoulder to shoulder?
When you take the time to understand who you are being and the emotions that affect seemingly straightforward decisions – like promotions, new hires, and delegation of assignments and roles – your workplace will absolutely change for the better.
Here is what I know to be true:
- An optimistic view of being inclusive with others versus being skeptical of BIG personalities = easier goal achievement = increased productivity!
- When you are appropriately vulnerable and show your true personality at work you will positively impact your team = a better sense of community = employee engagement!
- By 2025, millennials will account for 75% of the workforce. Millennials want to work with purpose, and they want their workplace to be aligned with their values. Developing a human connection with your workforce = longevity of your organization!
If you’re interested in bringing more feminine leadership qualities to yourself
and your organization, I am opening my schedule for the next 2 weeks to support you.
(Leave no feminine leader behind).