Leading Like a Woman

I recently returned from a two-day retreat with 15 other women CEOs. It was powerful being together with these kick-ass women who lead every day in their businesses and their industries. We learned a lot together, laughed a lot, and honed our leadership skills in order to bring greater value to our respective companies.

While I was at the retreat, I found myself in a very introspective mental space. You see, I realized that female leaders are both empowering and inclusive. And – in my experience – more so than their male counterparts. I also realized that there are too few women in leadership positions.

Women are underrepresented in leadership roles. According to Harvard Business Review, only 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs are women, and just over 5% of executives in Fortune 500 companies are women. The Women Presidents’ Organization, or WPO, reports that only 3% of women-owned businesses gross over a million dollars a year, worldwide.

Historically, men are looked to lead. There are some great examples of female leadership throughout history – Joan of Arc, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Margaret Thatcher – but we hear about them because they were the exception, not the rule.

So much has been written about why women are missing in senior leadership – from poor childcare provisions to institutional bias. But one thing researchers can’t agree on is whether there are fewer women leaders because they’re less effective at the job, or because society expects them to be. But what can be agreed upon are the common traits of great leaders, many of which women excel at over their male peers.

Successful leaders are the power and intellect behind their organizations. Successful women leaders don’t rely on favors; they earn respect and truly believe they can influence their own advancement by serving others. They are the visionaries charged with steering their brand around pitfalls. They must know when to seize opportunities and how to rally employees to work hard toward their company’s goals. According to my research, the three undervalued traits of female leaders are the following:

1.      Grit. Grit is the perseverance and passion to achieve your long-term goals. Today’s business world is filled with uncertainty. And uncertainty creates distractions, stress, and obstacles. Having the "grittiness" to thrive in the face of adversity is necessary to be successful long-term. Women leaders have grit. They are able to look forward while still tackling everyday complications in both their business and personal life.

2.      Passion. While women have been historically viewed and stereotyped as emotional leaders by men, I believe they are just passionate explorers in pursuit of excellence. When women leaders are not satisfied with the status quo, they want to make things better. These women leaders get things done and avoid procrastination by using their tenacity to feed their passion for success and equity.

3.      Tenacity. Women in leadership positions often face challenges that men never will. Many of these challenges center around our historical place in society – as caregivers. Family events and schedules often fall, by default, to us. For these reasons, it’s especially important for female leaders to demonstrate both confidence and determination when it comes to business. These extra responsibilities are not justification for setting aside businesswomen under some pretense that they are delicate or distracted. Rather, they are compelling evidence of the weight we carry and our ability to act as leaders in all facets of life.

I have been a member of various business round table groups for over 14 years now. I have, more often than not, been one of the only women at the table. While I strive for understanding when I am in these groups, I studiously push to be understood as well – not just as myself, but as a leader and CEO.

And to the amazing women in my personal and professional life, thank you for the opportunity to be inspired and mentored by your leadership.

*Edited on 1/8/2019 to remove reference to Indira Ghandi

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