"I feel there is something unexplored about women that only a woman can explore."
- Georgia O'Keeffe -
Since the dawn of time, men have outclassed women when it comes to inventions, the spread of world-changing ideas, the magnitude of their impact due to leadership, the number of accomplishments—the list goes on.
But have people ever considered batting an eye when it comes to women?
Women living beneath the shadow of men is no news to anyone. Still, fortunately, little by little, women have been making their presence known by dominating the scene in politics, education, sports, medicine, and so much more.
Women are just as capable as men when it comes to equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need for success. There’s a plethora of proof of why women are the leaders we need to achieve success for generations to come, and we’ll gladly enumerate them.
Science has proven that women leaders possess the soft skills needed for being a great leader
According to the study of Dr. Alice Eagly, a scholar who specialises in women’s leadership, women do make better leaders due to the fact that this sex tends to be more transformational leaders.
What this means is that women are a lot better when it comes to actively and sincerely listening to others; they’re more eager to develop others; and most often than not, their brains are wired to think out of the box; whereas males are the complete opposite of all the aforementioned information.
Next, we’ve all probably heard of things like, “Women are too emotional.” Now, this kind of thinking often has a negative connotation to it, but in actuality, this is what makes women succeed in a myriad of fields.
Reports made by the likes of the World Economic Forum’s Future Jobs state that in order to become a successful leader of tomorrow, one must be equipped with emotional intelligence, mentoring, empathy, listening skills, and innovation.
These leadership traits are frequently demonstrated by women, and most of the time they are more effective at using them than their male counterparts.
The science supporting all of this was developed through research done at the University of Southern California. Women are hardwired differently compared to men; as a result, women react differently to situations.
For instance, the study in question focuses on how men and women react to stressful situations. With the help of neuroscience and neurobiology, it was shown that women make better decisions when faced with stressful situations, whereas men tend to lean toward making riskier decisions.
However, this only applies to both sexes in difficult and stressful situations. If they were in normal circumstances, then both sexes would pretty much react the same way and make similar decisions.
These results have something to do with how the brains of men and women react to their cortisol levels. When cortisol levels rise, a woman’s brain can manage them better, leading to better decisions.
Women have proven their expertise in leadership countless times
Have you noticed the rise in women's leadership throughout history? What about the likes of Kamala Harris, the first woman to become Vice President of the United States?
Or Kathriin Jansen, the head of vaccine research and development who was tasked with creating a COVID-19 vaccine in less than a year? How about Whitney Wolfe Herd, the creative mind behind the famous dating app called Bumble?
These are just to name a few.
A lot of other notable women have proven to the world that their leadership skills can move mountains. From developing vaccines to leading an entire country amidst the pandemic, women are dedicated to nurturing, aiding, and providing support for millions of people.
Not to mention, several of these women who handle such heavy responsibilities are mothers themselves. Imagine juggling two responsibilities at once! One prime example of this would be Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand. She was a new mother when she carried one of the heaviest responsibilities anyone could ever shoulder—leading a whole country.
Before she stepped down from her role, she accomplished many feats, such as taking quick action against gun violence, helping with unity and social change, and one of her most prominent and recent triumphs, exhibiting strong leadership amidst the pandemic, wherein 25 New Zealanders were the only casualties that succumbed to the virus.
5 Ways how women can prepare the next generation toward success
1. Embracing the feminine energy
Feminine energy is something that women are born with, and that’s something to be proud of! Women are known for their compassionate nature, patience, and holistic vibe, and those qualities are something that most leaders in our generation today must be equipped with.
One doesn’t need to be a woman in order to incorporate feminine energy into their leadership roles; rather, this is something that women leaders can impart to anyone, regardless of their sex. This is exactly why women leaders are in-demand in almost any company today.
2. Encouraging others to develop their “caring side”
The next generation of leaders must be aware of the fact that there’s nothing to be ashamed of for exhibiting a “caring side.” In all actuality, having a caring side, AKA being emotionally intelligent, is an integral ingredient for success.
According to a study by McKinzey & Company titled Women in the Workplace 2021, it shows that women are more compassionate compared to men. The study further implies that this kind of trait that women possess reinforces positive effects in a traditional workplace.
For instance, those who work under female leaders report that they feel more productive and engaged in their work, and this is all thanks to the emotional support that women are openly exhibiting to their team of employees.
How much of a difference does emotional support make to employees, anyway? It actually has a very big impact on how an employee feels about their work. If an employee were to have a domineering superior, then that wouldn’t really motivate them to go to work.
But what about when an employee wants to file for a leave of absence due to an emergency? What if their boss were to be someone who lacked emotional intelligence? Surely they would be robbed of any sympathy coming from their boss.
These could all be prevented if more women were placed in corporate positions. Most often than not, women leaders would lend an ear and listen to the grievances of their employees.
Moreover, women leaders are likely to offer help when it comes to navigating challenging situations; in turn, this would pave the way for employees to feel less burdened with their work and personal lives at the same time.
3. Breaking away from traditions and standards
“To feel fear and do it anyway. Know you’re allowed to have fear and be nervous but you can repurpose it to fuel your passion and follow your dreams.”
- Jera Foster-Fell -
Unfortunately, despite living in a modernised society where a myriad of changes have gradually been accepted, biases still linger in every kind of workplace. This is especially true for women, for they face inequality on a daily basis.
On the bright side, countless women have broken the mould and freed themselves from traditions and standards.
When one willingly makes themselves a prisoner of their comfort zone, they will never succeed in life. The process of breaking free from such a thing is truly daunting and uncomfortable, yet achievable.
Once overcome, success is bound to be at the finish line.
Women leaders are the pioneers of breaking away from their comfort zones, so it’s only natural that the next generation learns from them.
Take Indira Gandhi, for instance; she was India’s first female Prime Minister who bravely advocated for women’s rights and ultimately placed the country on the pedestal of international recognition.
4. Imparting the importance of valuing relationships
Success can be an impossible feat without assistance from others, and this is where the importance of valuing relationships comes in.
Women leaders have excellent social skills, and this is a great asset when it comes to achieving success because it binds a team together, and when teamwork is at hand, success becomes reachable.
5. Facing the world courageously
“Just keep doing things that make you nervous. If you feel anxious that’s probably a good sign. Just go with it.”
- Tory Rust -
Sometimes, all it takes is a leap of faith. Women have had their bouts with situations like this, wherein they almost missed their chances of getting a great opportunity had they not taken the risk.
Imagine if women weren’t courageous enough in the past to advocate for their own rights to education or voting; perhaps we would be witnessing an entirely different society today.
Fortunately, notable women like Marie Curie were courageous enough to put women alongside men with regard to groundbreaking success.
See, Marie Curie was the first person to ever win two Nobel Prizes, and such success didn’t end with her. Lots of other women were able to achieve great success too!
Women leaders are proud to share their success stories with others, hoping that it will ignite a fire within them to be more courageous. If this becomes the norm in society, then the next generation will have success within their grasp.
Final words
Women leaders are the future.
It would be great for the next generation to learn a thing or two from women because they possess enormous knowledge and experience when it comes to achieving success.
If you would like to know more about how you can start working your way toward success, please browse my website to learn more!