#Shepreneurs: 4 Advantages Women Leaders Have Over Men Women in leadership have multiple advantages over men and if channeled effectively form the foundation of great leadership
By Aastha Singal •
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After years of being taken for granted, women all over the world have established themselves as powerful leaders. They have proved that not the gender but a person's individual strength and personality determine how efficiently one can perform their role.
While the gender gap at the C-suite level still exists, a major shift has been noted in terms of trust in females. Playing their distinctive strengths right and embracing the qualities one need to use as a woman can help the female leaders have a positive impact on their team.
Talking to Entrepreneur India, Devangi Parekh, the Creative Director at Aza Fashions points out 4 advantages women have that when channelled effectively form the foundation of great leadership:
Team Building Skills
Looking at the conservative family structures, women have always played the binding force to keep every member connected. Their influence over people sure plays a great role in keeping the employees united when in power.
"Evolutionarily, women served as the glue that held tribes together. They developed relationships and maintained social ties. Studies show that women tend to display better team building skills which help organizations create a harmonious, collaborative and inclusive culture," Parekh provided.
Empathy
Women are naturally more empathetic and emotionally sensitive. "While prevailing stereotypes note sensitivity as a weakness, empathy actually makes individuals better at listening, understanding and communicating," Parekh expressed, adding being empathetic to employees help in building trust and can be an advantage while securing clients.
In comparison, men are more straightforward and hardly get swayed by emotional outbursts, making them tough leaders to please. "Studies have shown that women demonstrate higher levels of compassion than men and are often more receptive to listening to concerns and offering feedbacks."
Intuition
While most people have a sixth sense, women have a seventh one too. They are better at decoding body language and interpreting non-verbal communication which makes them effective problem solvers. After all, women are not categorized as sharp observers for no reason.
"Women tend to be intuitive and are able to understand a situation by observing various types of information which helps them understand the other side of the position when negotiating deals and also helps them be more persuasive," Parekh stated.
Promote Workforce Inclusion
As a woman, channelling a feminine approach to leadership can be a huge strength, Parekh believes. There are still large gender gaps from entry-level right through to top-executive positions and women leaders, more than not, ensure a certain level of gender parity in the workforce.
"As an employer, it's important to support diversity, encourage people to play to their unique strengths and close the gender gap because it has a positive long-term impact on overall employee's psyche, as well as on the bottom line," she concluded.
