They Can Learn How to Take Greater Initiative
Women consistently have to work harder to be respected and reach greater success. A Hive study cited by the World Economic Forum found that women are assigned and spend more time on non-promotable tasks. This means they have to work a bit harder and on more things at once, consciously seeking out more opportunities to reach that next level. That grit and determination has led women to outscore men in 17 out of the 19 skills that separate great leaders from average leaders. One of these areas is initiative! Taking initiative is perhaps one of the most important things a leader must be confident in to succeed.
They Can Learn How to Embrace Emotion & Be Empathetic
There’s a great disconnect today between employees and C-Suite when it comes to being empathetic and showing emotion in the workplace. Nearly 70% of CEOs (most of which are male) are afraid to show empathy in the workplace due to a fear of being less respected for it. When in reality, over 80% of employees would consider jumping ship to find a more empathetic workplace. Where is the disconnect? Men are often taught that to be stone cold is to be strong. Showing emotions is weak. So, when it comes to empathy, which is deeply rooted in understanding emotion and effective emotional communication—men shut down. When in reality, empathy is one of the most powerful leadership qualities there is.
They Can Learn How to Collaborate More
A Harvard Business Review article about how women disproportionately carry the burden of collaboration in the workplace shared the research from Dr. Pat Heim, a researcher focused on gender studies in the workplace. She shared that women resonated most with the statement, “Being a good team player means helping all of my colleagues with what they need to get done.” Whereas men identified more with, “Being a good team player is knowing your position and playing it well.” In today’s world of work, you are as strong as your team allows you to be—and the center of that is effective collaboration. Yes, it’s important to understand your role. But you can’t be so stuck on it you forget about the bigger picture and organizational goals as a whole.
NimblyWise Can Help You Bring More Equality to Your Workplace
At the end of the day, we can all learn from each other regardless of our gender. But it’s time to empower your women managers to lead and become their allies. All while showing your team that everyone has room to grow and develop personally and professionally. It all comes down to learning soft skills that allow for greater interpersonal communication and understanding of diverse perspectives. Now is the time to throw out the age-old stereotypes and treat your employees equally, with equal opportunity for development regardless of gender, position, viewpoints—the list goes on.
Our team of professional coaches can help your employees identify where they may be lacking and show them how to take steps towards becoming better leaders as they close those skill gaps and diversify their perspectives.Let’s chat about how!.
