March is women’s history month and we want to take some of our space this month to recognize that. I love working with small business owners so I wanted to share some thoughts on women as business owners. Rooted Planning Group is owned by women so this is certainly special to us.
What are the traits that help women succeed in business? I thought back on some conferences I’ve attended, drew on personal experience, and looked at our team to see how the ways we think or act differently can be beneficial.
Women tend to be more emotionally intelligent, this makes us more attuned to social cues and emotions. This article from Forbes refers to a study listing all the various categories where women outscore men. This can help a woman read a room to pick up on what’s not being said. When working with a client you might better pick up on something that is causing an emotional response. Being able to understand and empathize with employees makes for a better work environment.
As women many of us have had to face hurdles in our careers because of the fact we were women, and to push through that builds determination. Running a business comes with many challenges that are going to be aided because of that. By overcoming the different walls and barriers thrown at us we are cultivating the traits that help to be good leaders- tenacity, resolve, and maybe a little stubbornness.
In the business world women tend to be better collaborators, aka “team players.” We are not afraid to share ideas and work together to build something better. This also tends to mean women are more often open to mentoring opportunities, to pass on their knowledge, and encourage others.
Of course the pendulum swings the other way too and there are some traits we need to be aware of that can impede success.
Women tend to be more nurturing and can have the feeling we need to take care of things. This can lead to burnout. Sometimes I think women can be worse at delegating because we want to just handle everything and make sure it’s taken care of or we don’t want it to look like we’re not doing enough. Self care is a buzzword, but it really is essential. Evaluating where you tend to take on too much or get too involved and focus on ways to manage that is going to be a healthy step for you and your business.
Impostor Syndrome, that feeling that you don’t know enough or aren’t competent. You might doubt yourself and your accomplishments. Both men and women can associate with this, but I hear it more from women. Acknowledging this is important, that way when it's happening you can face it and deal with those feelings. Remind yourself of how far you have come and how much knowledge and experience you have. I once had a very respected person in my industry with lots of letters and designations after their name tell me they sometimes walk into a meeting and still feel like it’s their first day on the job. When I feel this way I like to repeat the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it,” paste on a smile and go in with confidence, because here’s the secret- you’re not really faking it. You ARE the person with the expertise, you just need to remind that little part of your brain of that.
Fun History Fact: In Holland women were treated more equally than in other countries in the 17th century and this carried to New Amsterdam (roughly modern Manhattan). For years women held more rights than in other parts of the country and many owned businesses. They were referred to as she-merchants.*
*Summarized from womenhistoryblog.com