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Who is Going to Stop You?

Cara Barrett • Oct 23, 2014

 I just read a very interesting article about how women lead differently. It made me smile, gave me hope and I knew in my gut it was true.


I spend a great deal of my time working with women leaders of all types, whether working to lead their homes, volunteering as leaders or leading companies and nonprofits. One of the main things I have learned is we women lead differently than men. I think we are as a gender just learning how to describe those differences and grow them for both our benefit and all those we lead.


According to Sydney Finkelstein in Why More Women Will Become CEOs, “At the risk of stereotyping 50 percent of the population – and this is backed up by some research – there are some central tendencies in the management styles of women versus men. Women tend to be more collaborative. They tend to work better in teams, and they tend to be better at communication.” As women continue to take on more leadership roles, our culture is bound to become more collaborative. This collaboration will help leaders gain a greater sense of self-awareness as they learn to work within diverse teams.


As you work to develop your leadership skills through your natural collaborative female style, here are a few key points to keep in mind:


  • If you are feeling lonely at the top, you probably are not collaborating at peak performance. Strong collaboration will more often than not find you surrounded by like-minded people who are working towards your similar goals.
  • As you collaborate, expect to make some sacrifices. When it comes to pints of style, be willing to go with the flow. When it comes to character and principles, stand firm.
  • Focus on winning as a collaborative effort, regardless of who gets the credit. When you become respected for collaboration of this style, your name will naturally rise to the top.
  • As you choose whom to collaborate with, remember to go outside of those you naturally attract. Look to bring people to your collaboration that share your same values, but have different skills and styles.
  • As a leader, always look for ways to make a collaborative team win. Celebrate your victories.
  • Use your natural gift of communication to connect with team members at a heart level. Remember, strong leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand. True communication at this level must be intentionally developed. Find ways to study to grow your communication skills.
  • Look for ways not just to bring people to your collaboration, but to join others collaboratively in their work. This will grow your network and influence powerfully.


Start putting some of your natural feminine gifts of collaboration together and you will find yourself unstoppable!



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