I have a fairly distinctive vantage point to view women in business. First, I am a woman who is founder and CEO of my successful marketing agency. Second, nearly 75% of our employees are female. Third, almost all of our clients are women as well. So, I have extensive experience working with smart, savvy and successful ladies who I genuinely respect.
Even in the face of rising misogyny in today's male-dominated world, the business women I have the privilege to work with are prospering.
Surrounded by so many accomplished women, I've noticed that they see and process things differently than men, which helps them excel in situations that men may not. In fact, this business sisterhood has learned to take advantage of the following five gender-specific talents and skills.
1. Nurturing nature
Women are naturally nurturing, ready to encourage, support and mentor others. This can build a super-loyal staff and customer base. It also means they are good at evaluating their own strengths... and know when to delegate or seek help when they aren't so good at a task.
This encouraging temperament makes them great listeners and counselors, too. These advantages make women amazing at networking and collaborating. They really know how to use this skill to help build trust and increase business.
Okay, I admit that this nurturing sometimes makes women into control freaks or cause them to hover like helicopter parents. I've worked with my fair share, and I discovered that all they have to do is concentrate on letting go and allowing co-workers and employees to discover their own solutions.
2. Purposeful passion
My female counterparts have in common a profound sense of purpose and driving passion for what they do. They are emotionally attached to their work and want to do a great job every time. Most women enjoy order and stability and are hard-wired to make things better. These characteristics make them wonderful entrepreneurs.
Along with this sense of purpose, comes dedication. They aren't afraid to get their hands dirty, work long hours or getting into the nitty-gritty details of a project.
Side note: I practice what I preach and am no prima-donna at work. I do what must be done, from making copies to posting my own blogs, as will any of the dedicated women I work with.
3. Visionary outlook
Women are not bogged down with B.S. They not only can see the forest through the trees; they can also see every tree, leaf, and even the nesting birds. It's this attention to details that makes them visionary.
Women aren't encumbered by good-old-boy networks and teamwork analogies from too many years in competitive sports. They focus on where they want to go, and they work on fulfilling that vision.
I call this point of view looking at the world through "goal-colored glasses." Women have an innate talent for stretching their perspectives, cutting through layers, getting to the heart of a problem and solving it. (By the way, that's another reason they make such terrific entrepreneurs.)
4. Multi-tasking talents
In addition to handling their professional roles, women are adept in handling a number of other tasks, including family matters, childcare, shopping, feeding everyone, managing the household, and many more. From bandaging a skinned knee to putting dinner on the table to making the most of a budget, women have learned to efficiently and effectively multi-task. This ability carries over into their jobs.
You don't have to take my word for it, though. Through my company's time/project management software, I can plainly see how the woman I work with jump from one client, project and job to another, without skipping a beat.
5. Driven by opportunity
Women calmly deal with family emergencies, sometime on an hourly basis. They are able to face business crises with the same aplomb... confidently and self-assuredly.
When faced with a challenge, they see the opportunity in it. They learn what they can from the situation. Then, they form a solution that takes advantage of the opportunity. It's this kind of grit that keeps them growing and prospering.
For example, when our psychologist client was unable to provide counseling services to her out-of-state or out-of-county clients because of legal issues, she did not sit back and accept the problem and loss of income. Instead, she came up with an online coaching service. We helped her get her website started. The result: an additional business opportunity was born.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I am continually awed by women in my own life and the ones I read about every day. They inspire me and are mentors for other women.
I sincerely appreciate their unique perspectives and talents. All I can say to the women in my life is, "You rule!"