The face of leadership is finally changing, and more women are being seen as leaders in their workplaces. A leadership development consultancy called Zenger Folkman found, in a study of 16,000 leaders, that women leaders were rated 3% more effective than men. This data shows that not only can women be as effective at leading as men are, but they are often even better. Although both men and women are capable of being incredible leaders, women generally lead differently than men.
Part of the reason that women can excel as leaders is that most women share a few natural characteristics that lend them toward exceptional leadership. Here are four of the natural characteristics that make women great leaders.
Women are Empathetic
Women are naturally more empathetic, which means that they can see things through others’ perspectives easily. When they make decisions, they don’t think solely of themselves. Instead, they consider how their decisions will affect those around them.
Empathetic leaders develop loyal followers. When people know that their leaders have their best interests at heart, they are willing to work harder. They are also more likely to stay at their jobs longer.
Women are Communicators
Most women are natural communicators. They like to express themselves and are more likely to verbally process problems and ask for help as needed.
Female leaders are also likely to communicate the “why” behind their decisions. They want their teams to understand how they come to conclusions. They also tend to keep lines of communication open indefinitely, accepting feedback when its offered. These communication skills generally make team members feel comfortable around their female leaders.
Many Women are Naturally Organized
Most women are naturally organized. They like to keep things in order to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks. Organization skills help women to be productive workers, meet important deadlines, and keep their stress levels manageable.
Women are Often Emotionally Intelligent
Emotional intelligence has been getting more attention lately and for good reason. Emotional intelligence, defined as the ability to understand and manage emotions, is extremely important in the workplace.
Typically, women aren’t afraid of their emotions. They recognize that their emotions are part of who they are, and they learn to start managing them at an early age. They are also more compassionate toward the emotions of others. They can easily recognize what motivates other people and use that knowledge to their advantage.
While both men and women can develop these characteristics, you’re more likely to come across a woman who naturally possesses all four. For that reason, we will surely see an increasing number of women rising to leadership positions in the future.
This article was originally published on medium.com/@Chris_M_Riordan.