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Women bring something unique to the table. That’s one of the reasons that we take the month of March to celebrate female accomplishments, commemorate past and present challenges, and build an empowered future. Women also lead differently and offer unique management and interpersonal skills. By understanding these skill sets, we can harness female intelligence and create thriving workplaces.
The “soft skills” that women tend to bring to the office, sometimes referred to as transformational leadership, frequently encourage motivation, performance, and communication.
Since women typically excel in emotional intelligence when compared to their male peers, their leadership style can strengthen the employee work ethic, critical thinking skills, and collaboration, as reported in an article exploring the “hidden advantage” of women in leadership in Inc.
In fact, a 2016 55,000-person study conducted by global consulting firm, Korn Ferry, across 90 countries, found that women outperformed men in 11 out of 12 emotional competence skills. Researchers found that when companies integrate these capabilities into the workplace, employees’ needs, experiences, and talents are recognized, increasing workplace satisfaction and company success. Using emotional intelligence, workplaces can also solve problems before they emerge.
Here are four key female soft skills that can enhance a company’s productivity and success:
Communication that flows
Communication is a key workplace skill as it both prevents problems and encourages openness and collaboration. When a manager is verbally communicative and transparent, she encourages her team to follow her example.
Clear communication can also create a safe space that enables members of a team to be honest, sharing difficulties as they come up, and problem-solving together.
Go collaborate!
According to Thrive Global, when a company fosters a culture of collaboration, improvements become visible in areas such as problem-solving, and innovation. Collaboration is so essential for workplace success that according to Salesforce research from 2012, “86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures.”
Empathy shows respect
Millennials seek a workplace that values them, challenges them, and fosters their personal and professional growth. By incorporating empathy into the office, leaders demonstrate that they respect their employees and see them as individuals.
Furthermore, when a leader empathizes, they gain a deeper understanding of their employees’ needs, and can therefore make decisions that empower and encourage them.
Attention to detail AND the big picture
Women tend to exemplify a strong sense of awareness; this allows them to pick up on smaller nuances while learning about and understanding their workers from a wider perspective. This awareness can prevent interpersonal conflicts, as a leader who observes and knows her team can see a problem developing and address it before it flares up.
Furthermore, according to the Science of People, by working one-on-one with employees and investing in personal goal-development, female leaders build more successful and resilient companies.
While these skills are not unique to women, they are more often exemplified by women. When a leader knows her team, facilitates clear and honest communication, and fosters a collaborative culture, workers can problem-solve together and think creatively.
At the end of the day, a company is made up of human beings; leaders who use emotional intelligence and soft skills cater to the dynamic ebb and flow of the human experience, making employees feel invigorated, respected, and adequately challenged.
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