By Diana Clark: There is an evident difference between men and women, especially those who are in powerful positions.
Men are always told to use bold strategy in order to reach their goals so a large number of women are convinced that they should use the same tactic. In fact, we do have a tiny advantage and that is the emotional intelligence.
While women can be assertive, relying on their natural empathy can help them move faster up the ranks. Daniel Goleman suggested that women do have more social skills and that the levels of their emotional intelligence are way higher than in men but there should be more assessments in order to prove that this is completely true. So let’s investigate how we can apply our Emotional Intelligence in order to succeed.
Addressing the issues
The number of social issues women are facing all around the world is staggering. Even if you think that your social circle’s are not discriminated because you live in a western world, think again. A wage gap is not a myth and women do earn less money than men for doing exactly the same job.
Therefore, if you are a woman, you will get 78 cents while a man will earn a dollar. A confident woman should use her emotional intelligence to speak up and raise the awareness, especially if she is in a powerful position.
Becoming a leader
While men might have the highest ranking positions in large companies, the women are also capable of being leaders. Emotional intelligence is one of the key ingredients that can launch anyone to the top. So the majority of leaders know how to empathize, as well as socialize with their employees and future clients.
One study even showed that the companies led by women have a healthier work environment and better work results because of the challenges they had to face in order to get that position. They are capable of leading their businesses to success without being too authoritative which leads to better workplace wellness.
Become an entrepreneur
Emotional intelligence is something you can apply in order to start your own business. Surely, there are many successful women entrepreneurs embracing their soft skills that make them stand out as leaders. As we have mentioned before, those skills do include better time management as well as smarter negotiations. While women might not be as direct at first, they can recognize the mood, tone, and the direction of a conversation and use it to empathize with their colleagues or future clients. As a woman entrepreneur, you might have to work on your conversational skills but the empathy can help you get ahead.
Women are generally better organized and they now how to prioritize certain tasks. This will come in handy if you are starting a small company because you will keep good notes that can aid you when it comes to future strategies, especially if you plan to expand your company in near future.
Stay true to yourself
If you are a woman leader, there is no need to copy men who are in the same position. You need to stay true to yourself and create your own personal brand. Surely, successful men can inspire you as personalities but work on your skills and qualities that set you apart. After all, your work colleagues will respect you more if they see the real you and not a copy of someone who is already a global brand.
“If you want to create a good atmosphere in your office, you need to be approachable and friendly. However, learn when to be tough without losing your empathy”, says Alana Grimes the Founder and CEO of College Paper writing service. This might sound like an impossible task but it is something every woman entrepreneur has to have especially if she is in a powerful position.
Strength in sensitivity
Being both sensitive and strong might sound like two completely different things that cannot merge under any circumstances but women can successfully blend these two traits in order to become a better leader with more understanding. Although being over emotional is definitely not a good thing, especially if you are a head of a large company, informal communication with staff can increase productivity, quality, and general happiness of your employees.
While men generally think that being sensitive is a sign of weakness, women should embrace and accept it. Your empathy tells you how the other person feels and allow you to understand their point of view better. You should excel at this.
Conclusion
Our Empathy is an essential that can help women get ahead and you can use it to be more successful and confident in your line of work.
Studies do show that a region of a brain called Insula is in charge of empathy. It can read the emotions of the other person, identify them, and help you understand what that person is feeling at a given moment. While men tend to shut that part of the brain off once they sense an emotional overload, women can handle this better which make them proficient at emotional intelligence.
It takes a lot of confidence to tune in with your inner self and use your empathy and emotions in order to move up the ranks. Being a women leader takes a lot of courage and you should use the soft skills which are not common in the business environment. You will most certainly attract attention and the success will eventually come.
Diana Clark has gone a long path from being a recruiter to a successful career coach. She loves guiding people through their business practice and helps all confident women to make the transition from full-time employees to successful entrepreneurs.
