Here’s a touchy topic, but I’ve been hugely inspired to write this by the women I have worked with and have known closely. And above all by the woman in my life who amazes me to no end – my mother. I personally believe that your gender does not impact your management skills, but interestingly enough there are a few qualities about women that never cease to amaze and inspire me:
Intuition and reflection
It’s been proven by scientific research, women have a coherent understanding of issues which stems from the fact that they have an ability to listen, understand and also intuitively analyse situations at hand before reaching a conclusion. Women year on year have demonstrated a keen sixth sense and better reflection on issues and problems as compared to men. Also most women colleagues consider a job as a part of their overall life, in a more holistic manner; thus viewing their professions more self-reflectively.
Diplomacy
No don’t get me wrong here, I’m talking about the diplomacy that effective female managers exhibit that makes performance happen, that makes each team member to recognise their strengths and weaknesses and make the most of them. Criticism laced with positive constructive feedback is something that has always worked in an organisational set up. This also makes women better negotiators, where mostly both parties tend to leave the negotiation table happy and not with the feeling of have been beaten by another party.
Work–Life balance
The inherent ability of women to separate competition from collaboration, and choose the latter whenever needed is something organisations are recognising increasingly. This collaborative attitude is what makes women manage their work-life balance a bit more emphatically. Be it corporate problem solving, giving an ear to colleague's personal problems or managing their own family issues, they seem to balance it all with enviable ease.
Financial Management
And who could debate with the good old financial management that we have seen women in the family do while we were growing up and even later. Trust mothers and sisters at home to have saved for a rainy day. The same wisdom to a large extent translates into wise management of resources,and the foresight of calculated risk taking. Women mostly would take a risk only after covering all bases and getting a buy in from other stakeholders.
Crisis management
Women tend to be better at multi-tasking and working on simultaneous situations all with the same efficiency. Wearing multiple hats is a regular occurrence in women’s lives; they manage work, home, parents, siblings, friends and a lot more all with equal aplomb. Women thus naturally learn to manage crisis and focus intently on solutions as opposed to stay in the gloom of problems. Apart from these, there are many other qualities that I could keep talking about: emotional intelligence, empathy, pragmatism and resilience that drives women to reach the positions they do. It’s admirable how they defy the odds, come on top and make it all look effortless.