It’s sad that we still consider our women second best after men in many aspects of life. This disregard continues even after a woman has worked hard to earn an administrative or leadership role.
But Coronavirus has led to a new revelation regarding women and their ability to lead. For some reason, women have shown more resilience and creativity when it comes to surviving a crisis.
Perhaps it explains the many recent feminine headlines praising the critical role of women political frontrunners from all corners of the globe.
Being a leader or owning a business is not an easy feat if you’re female. With a past and present full of oppression and coercion, females who rise to top positions must show rare qualities not found in every woman.
So which qualities should men leaders borrow from their feminine counterparts?
- The Aptitude to Include everyone in the decision-making process
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is known for her inclusive approach towards leadership.
During this crisis, we’ve seen many governments take to biased methods of decision making. Yet for Ardern, such situations call for critical thinking and collective decision-making—that involves all parties.
Female business heads can try this approach amid corona as it is known to foster innovation and lead to better results.
- The Knack to Make Decisions When it’s time to
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-Wen showed great decisiveness while many male presidents, like in the US and UK, were reluctant to make decisions at the start of the pandemic.
President Tsai Ing-wen made decisions as soon as possible and swung into immediate action in a bid to control the spread of the virus.
Such swift decision-making can help save a business amid Coronavirus when entrepreneurs have to decide on matters that will influence their future.
- The Ability to Communicate Effectively
Angela Merkel is the female German Chancellor who gave a detailed scientific clarification on how Coronavirus transmits and helped citizens respond to the crisis accordingly.
Effective communication is also one of the pillars that supported New Zealand Prime Minister Ardern’s Coronavirus strategy. She addresses her fellow citizens clearly, constantly, and empathetically.
- Thoughtfulness
Two years ago, Mitchell Obama stirred reactions with her speech at the 2018 United State of Women Conference. The former US First Lady voiced concerns over the male dominance in leadership positions even though they continue to “blow it” all the time.
This motion reminded women leaders of the importance of being considerate and deliberate in whatever they do because they only have one shot—and male counterparts watch closely to spot and criticize mistakes.
And it seems like women are working on perfecting the art. Amid Corona, Norway’s Prime Minister Erna Solberg has held a news conferences that focus on helping children learn the truth and deal with the effects of the virus.
In essence, she takes a crucial step when no one else cares about the psychological health of kids during a pandemic. This level of thoughtfulness makes female leaders stand out from their male counterparts.
Parting Shot
Many of these qualities shown by female leaders can prove useful in most business situations. Lastly, it is also important to acknowledge the male leaders who’ve shown commendable qualities amid Coronavirus as well.