Feminine Traits Can Strengthen Businesses
By: AMY WINTER
Thursday, December 30, 2010 Career Advice It could be time for workers to bring out their feminine characteristics, whether they are male or female. These traits could help companies thrive as the social media changes the business environment.
"There have been countless studies on gender differences," says Barry Libert, author of "Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees and Grow Your Business." "And no matter how you interpret them, they come to two general conclusions: Males are aggressive; females are nurturing. Men are competitive, combative and individually centered. Women are collaborative, communicative and community centered."
Women leaders usually have more emotional connections with workers. They also tend to display more social and emotional skills, such as sharing and putting others first. Libert recommends that businesses and managers "woman up" as feminine traits become more useful in transforming companies into social enterprises.
"This does not mean that men can't be great leaders in socially driven businesses," says Libert. "Leading socially and designing a business as a social organization are challenging for both genders. But companies that level the playing field for the women under their roofs and men who are willing to espouse the more typically feminine characteristics will be more likely to grow and prosper in today's business world."
Libert gives tips to help bring out your feminine side when leading:
-- Take time to get to know your workers. Understand what motivates them and what encourages them to come to work every day. Be willing to listen.
-- Ask for help. If you aren't sure how to do something, don't be afraid to ask for other opinions. It is OK to collaborate, even when you are the leader.
-- Let others lead sometimes. Pass the power down and allow others to be in charge when needed. Listen to your leadership group.
-- Try to gain better self-awareness. Attempt to understand how your workers view you. Are you intimidating? Are you unapproachable and not willing to help?
-- Be open to a social culture. This type of culture will allow employee talent to develop and grow, leading to a positive impact for the company.
-- Focus on others. It isn't all about you. It is about team building and developing a faithful and positive work force.
Source: Creators.com
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Sunday, January 2nd 2011 at 7:26PM
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