Women Leaders
In addition to her talent, ambition and drive, a strong woman leader has qualities that set her apart: sensitivity to nuanced human interactions, a 360 degree vision that “sees” the whole picture rather than just the linear reality, and the capacity to move forward integratively, taking a whole team with her.
These essential strengths of hers are often “invisible,” lacking corporate recognition, support or coaching. Today’s corporate culture, which likes to see itself as having evolved past gender differences and glass ceilings, was forged within a male world. The definitions of success, and the methods of achieving success are still framed in male language and understanding. Too often, in order to succeed, a woman must abandon her femininity, and be a better “man” than her male colleagues.
Such an ongoing price can leave a woman feeling constantly stressed, and somehow inadequate, despite all evidence of success. Stress management techniques offered to her are incomplete as they rarely integrate new research that strongly suggests that a woman’s stress response is different from a man’s, and requires different strategies.
No woman leader can sustain herself over the long term without actively accessing and growing her creative feminine strength. Strong women leaders need active attention paid to addressing these issues, so that they can learn to leverage their powerful feminine energy into a skill set that demands recognition and catapults them into vibrant, sustainable growth.
If you would like to continue this conversation, I can be contacted at my Wellesley office at 781-237-4343 ext. 3, my Norfolk office at 508-553-9703 ext. 3, or you can email me at .