Women are born leaders. However, it takes a lot of courage and self-confidence to step out of the crowd and achieve a leadership position in the male-dominated leadership spaces. As per Forbes, only 26 women are currently in the CEO roles at Fortune 500 companies; which inevitably states that women leaders continue to be underrepresented in the leadership roles.
What Is Stopping the New Age Businesswomen?
via The Empowered Me
The key to enter a male-dominated space is self-confidence. Needless to say, confidence is inextricably connected with leadership qualities. Exceptional communication skills, assertiveness, and flexible nature further enhance the ability to get noticed and be heard.
What Are the Essential Qualities of a Leader?
Ideally, the seven qualities that set the leaders
apart from the crowd are the abilities to:
- Raise an issue
- Nurture relationships and bonds
- Analyze the problems to the core
- Solve problems effectively
- Build collaborations
- Drive changes or results
- Motivate and create opportunities for others
Unfortunately, despite possessing all the leadership qualities, many women leaders face severe backlash, when they try to take up a leadership role. As a result, they become less optimistic about themselves.
SEE ALSO: Six Ways To Your Office More Gender Inclusive
It is vital to remember that leadership is not just
quality but a mindset. It is about overcoming your weaknesses and enduring the
strength within, and it starts with yourself.
Maybe, men are excelling more in the leadership positions, simply because they perceive themselves as leaders!
Do Women Need To Subvert Gender Stereotypes or Transcend Them?
Across the world, all aspiring women leaders face gender discrimination at personal or professional levels. However, ranting over a problem doesn’t solve the issue. We have to go for miles before we can even dream of equality.
As stated earlier, leadership is a state of mind; and a mind needs constant sharpening ‘as a sword needs a whetstone.’ According to Tim Morris, Professor of Management Studies at Oxford, “it is possible for women to overcome these, but only through an enormous amount of ‘self-work,’ starting early in their careers.”
