Gone are the days when a woman sat at home and tended to her children while her husband worked for the whole household. Modern women now have access to education, which gives them the conviction to be better members of society.
However, no matter how much times have changed, women still possess the qualities that make them women. Some of these qualities were considered weaknesses before, but today, they’re keys in solving even the worst problems this generation has known.
Here are the qualities that make today’s women the best leaders:
1. Empathetic
Although this quality isn’t exclusive to women, this is one of their prominent traits. According to this article, empathy makes women better leaders than men. Female-led nations handle any crisis better than male-led nations. Nations with male leaders took a long time to fix things as compared to woman-led countries.
2. Collaborative
While being collaborative isn’t an inherent trait exclusive to any gender, women proved how this quality makes them great leaders. Modern examples would be Jacinda Ardern, prime minister of New Zealand, and Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan President.
These women handled the country’s fundamentals marvelously, whether in terms of medical and development. They both took advantage of their country’s strong research capabilities, and their collaborative efforts not only minimized the problem but also saved thousands of lives, proving that women can lead too.
3. Problem-solver
Women seem to be slated to be detail-oriented. With this comes the itch to solve situations no matter what. The compelling need to solve problems without overlooking details makes them great leaders. Aside from leaning on available expert advice, they also have the innate gut instincts that drive them towards their end goal.
4. Great listener
Known for being in the details, women make great leaders because they listen intently. They can appreciate other people’s viewpoints, which is one of the secrets in inclusive leadership. Their decisions are products of balancing right and wrong based on their subordinates’ opinions. Everyone gets a chance to speak, and they don’t dominate the conversation.
5. Nurturing
Women are built to take care of their children and nurture them. When she brings that nurturing instinct into her office, she makes waves. The best scenarios bring the best of this quality in her that’s essential to create success around her.
6. Strong communicators
While it’s not a definitive trait for women, communication is one of their strongest skills. Whether it’s communicating with co-workers, partners, or employers, women make it easier to create clear and open conversations. In leadership, miscommunication leads to the worst-case scenarios, and women’s apt for this trait helps her avoid them. She listens and confides, which lets her achieve crucial decisions.
7. Can wear many hats
Hats off to women can balance households and career duties seamlessly. Women are built to pivot and focus on solutions in every situation. This trait makes them an excellent leader. They can shape-shift from being a nurturing family member to a leader with eyes on the prize.
8. They check their egos
Ego-centric leadership brings no glory to any organization. That’s why women can be a breath of fresh air in men-saturated groups. Women can keep their egos in check and don’t let it get in the way of their decision-making process. As partners, customers, or board of directors, women navigate with a unique subtlety in them that’s only possible with egos kept in straps.
9. They have high emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence lets women recognize emotions in themselves and others and be able to relate. In leadership, it’s a prime trait that sets apart great leaders from the rest. Often branded as hysterical by the patriarchal society, women score higher than men in emotional intelligence. She exemplifies this critical value as she evaluates aspects of her decisions with empathy and compassion.
10. Takes initiative
According to updated research by Harvard Business Review in 2019, women score higher than men when it comes to taking the initiative. This study is based on HBR’s database of reviews, where they ask people to rate each leader’s effectiveness. Women scored 55.6, which is 6 points higher than men.
11. Resilient
Scoring the second highest in the same research, HBR found out that women make great leaders because of their resilience. Scoring 54.7, women scored 4 points higher than men did.
12. Practices self-development
Another trait that makes women competent leaders is that they practice self-development. As they listen and empathize, they use their new-found knowledge to develop their set of values. They understand that their personal development will echo positive results in their career.
13. Develops others
While this quality is tied to their nurturing nature, developing others takes courage and patience. Women make it look easy to implement an inclusive leadership that helps their members progress to their full potential. They invest time and energy to make the partnership count.
All these leadership qualities boil down to women’s nurturing tendencies. That’s why, whatever position they sit on, they’re bound to make things work without compromising their people’s welfare.
