8 Leadership Lessons Men Can Learn From Women in 2021
Lessons and advice from 8 inspiring female leaders leading the charge of society's rebirth
By | Dan Barba | community.thriveglobal.com
“The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.”
These are words spoken by British philosopher, writer, and speaker, Alan Watts. And while the message may be more than five decades old, it has never rung more true to our modern society. As the world undergoes a massive period of transformative growth and change, we’re met with a decision: to fight it, or join the dance.
Throughout the 90s, women had been part of the workplace for some two decades. But despite their inclusion making belated strides towards equality, women have historically been the ones making concessions. Women have long been led into believing that in order to obtain higher positions of authority, they need to adopt the leadership styles of men before them. However, as we step into a brand new age, millions are waking up to an important realization: this is simply not the case. The opposite, in fact, is true.
Since 2015, we’ve witnessed modest, yet promising, improvements made towards female representation and gender equality in the workplace. The number of women in C-suit executive and senior vice president roles have each grown by 5% and 4% respectively according to recent data presented by McKinsey. What this indicates is that while women are slowly breaking through, individuals are still inhibited by regressive thought patterns and gender traditionalism. To accelerate the process, it’s time for men to learn from great female leaders both past and present. Here are 8 leadership lessons worth remembering from women leading the charge.
1. Collaborate, don’t control.
As a leader, collaboration pays off in dividends. Not only is it substantially more valuable than flaunting your authority in the workplace, but it also encourages individual employees to connect and work together out of silos. Nina Jensen is the Community Outreach Manager for 8×8. With extensive experience in community outreach and cultivating new business growth, she shares, “During these uncertain times, it can be easy for your team to lose motivation. If your team members are facing burnout caused by working from home, be understanding! A lot of people are under more stress now than they have been in a very long time, if ever. They are worried about their safety, their family’s safety, and the added challenge of adjusting to working from home.
If you can offer an empathetic ear, hear out your team, understand what they need, and help them out, they are much more likely to stay motivated during this time,” she shares. Jensen believes in the importance of offering compassion rather than chastising employees. She goes on to say, “When people don’t feel heard, they often lose motivation and passion for work. Scheduling one-on-one meetings with your team can get a dialogue going about what needs to be done to reach their performance goals. Being a supportive, collaborative leader will take your team and company further during these uncertain times.”
