I am always surprised by how many people say I want to be a leader, but I don’t think I have what it takes. Upon inquiring why they believe this, it often comes down to their perception of what a leader is and what a leader should do. What are the traits of a woman leader anyway?
I held a managerial position whereby the company owner fundamentally believed my only job was to tell people what to do. Leadership is a science, and, by far, it is not just about telling people what to do.
Differences between feminine and masculine leadership
Consider the following example. You work for an employer who gives you orders for every single task you must complete. Alternatively, you work for an employer interested in knowing about you and your talents. She wants to get your input on achieving the task and giving you the responsibility to get the job done.
Assuming you have been trained and have the right tools, your performance will be significantly higher with the second employer. This is because the leader gave you ownership of your own work and empowered you to make the decisions.
How to be a female boss
The empowering leader gives you your power. Leadership is more about standing alongside and coaching than standing over controlling the other.
- Leadership is not about your power; it is about empowering others to feel their own power and supporting them to be their best.
- Leadership is about having a strategy and vision; it is about getting people on board and committed to your plan, gaining their trust, and building connection and team spirit between team members.
- Leadership is about taking your team through change and growth and empowering them to help them grow.
- Leadership is about using constructive conflict to bring about innovation and change.
- Leadership is about organizing and delegating jobs so others feel ownership and accountability to their own work.
- Leadership is about boosting morale and motivating others and developing talent to help the company achieve its goals. It’s about getting everyone on board.
Go through each of these criteria above but put it in the context of your life at home. Notice how you conduct many of these in your life already. Leadership is not only about functional skills, but it is also about your personal qualities and how you make things happen.
How Do You Score?
Give yourself a score out of ten for each of these criteria. If you score over 60, you are on your way to being a great leader:
Developing a plan
Getting people to buy into ideas
Gaining trust and building connections
Building team spirit and boosting morale
Supporting people through change and adversity
Being resilient when things get tough
Organizing and delegating jobs
Motivating others
Planning and achieving goals
Developing talents
Monitoring progress
Maybe you have the traits of a woman leader
So, are you still asking yourself, “What are the traits of a woman leader?” I didn’t think so. You know what it takes to become strong, resilient and intelligent, if you don’t already inhabit these traits.