What Makes Women Leaders So Successful?
Living in a world where meritocracy is valued as one of the most efficient systems at the workplace, it often seems reasonable to suppress one’s feelings because emotions are considered a weakness in the overload of work and careerist thinking. However, a recently carried out study indicates that the most crucial aspect that women in the job market need for a hustle today may just be empathy, a notion that could be classified as a ‘‘soft power”.
For example, Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code: As the head of a non-profit focused on getting more young women into tech, Reshma Saujani is known for her empathetic leadership style. She makes a point to really listen to the girls in her program, understand their fears and insecurities about entering male-dominated STEM fields, and then tailors her approach accordingly.
This empathy-driven approach has helped Reshma build an incredibly passionate and loyal community of Girls Who Code participants. One student remarked, “Reshma just gets it. She knows what it’s like to feel out of place in tech, and she makes us all feel heard and supported.” This strong rapport has enabled Reshma to rapidly scale Girls Who Code to over 500 clubs nationwide.
Also, with an obvious reference to a kind of intuition, women may be true partners in a team, build a better work climate, and become more successful leaders with empathy as the priority.
Empathetic Leadership
Scholarly research suggests that organizational cultures where empathy is applied are some of the most efficient, notably for women. This is a positive outcome that emanates from the acknowledgment of ideas, emotions, and accounts from subordinates by leaders as this fosters trust, enhances communication, and even incentivizes people to perform beyond the expected.
Jacqueline Baker, Sales Manager at Software Company: When Jacqueline first took over management of the sales team at her software company, morale was low and there was a lot of infighting between reps. Rather than come in with a heavy-handed, results-focused approach, Jacqueline made an effort to really understand her team members’ struggles and concerns.
She began holding regular 1-on-1 meetings to give her reps a safe space to vent and then worked to find solutions that addressed their underlying needs. Whether it was redesigning territories to cut down on travel time or a more flexible commission structure, Jacqueline’s empathetic problem-solving helped her team feel heard and valued.
Empathy also enables women leaders to effectively and quickly change with new needs that arise as they develop a good feel of what their people are going through. Alison, the CEO of an upcoming start-up firm, has expressed her relief, saying that her best attribute is the ability to read between the lines probably of her employees to know what they may be going through. For instance, with tears in her eyes she says, ‘I can feel it when someone is fading even if he or she tries to give a feeling that everything is okay’. “That enables me to be more flexible about managing the team and directing them to the best approach and the right support at the right time.”
Collaborative Teamwork
I would like to note that empathy also has a very positive effect on leadership, as it makes women more constructive teammates. For instance, when people can embrace the views of their fellow workers, they can recommend solutions to commercial hurdles and even share accolades for their efforts.
Networking and appreciation are also a province of empathy that enables women to forge influential professional relationships. The truth is, if you make a sincere effort to ask your peers questions about their day, their jobs, their lives, or their struggles, you will find a way to develop the connections that may lead to future opportunities.
Positive Work Cultures
Finally, empathy doesn’t just benefit individual women – it can also transform entire workplace cultures. Organizations that cultivate empathetic mindsets and behaviors tend to have lower turnover, better morale, and increased innovation.
As Samantha, a VP of HR, has found, “Empathy isn’t just a ‘soft’ skill – it’s essential for creating an environment where people feel heard, valued, and inspired to do their best work.” By modeling empathetic practices and encouraging all employees to embrace them, she’s helped her company become an employer of choice.
In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to connect with and understand others is becoming increasingly vital. For ambitious women looking to maximize their impact and help build a better workplace for all, developing empathy should be a top priority.
-Dr Parul Goyal is an accomplished Professor in Management and an Educationist, dedicated to shaping the future of education by empowering young minds to reach their full potential.
