8 Leadership Skills of Successful Women That Make Them Stand Out

Go-it-alone tough guys are no longer seen as exemplary leaders. The movie 'The Wolf of Wall Street' shows that the tough guys are still around but concepts of leadership are evolving.

Women leaders prefer to lead from the center rather than the top. They have a way of drawing people in around them and creating connections. They would rather go for collaboration and teamwork than pitting people against one another.

It's interesting that a shift to a type of leadership that's less about showing you're in charge and more about guiding others and developing everyone's gifts coincides precisely with the growing influence of women in organizations.

The skills that women utilize so unconsciously in the heart of their families are needed more than ever in business today. Businesses are finding that it makes economic sense to use their abilities.

1. Strategic vision
When it comes to strategic vision, men are often regarded as having more ability to recognize new opportunities and trends and to develop strategic direction. Is a reputation for having strategic vision even what women want from their careers?

It's not that women lack vision at all but they tend to think about it rather different way. They tend to be more collaborative in forming their vision and don't necessarily regard themselves as visionaries.

"Visionary leaders don't just have to answer the question "Where are we going?" but also make sure that everyone around them sees the direction too", says Ingrid Olson, who works in custom essay writings.

When asking those involved in a project how a new strategy came about, they are likely to answer that it was a collaborative effort. Women leaders tend to see their role as being like a catalyst - not necessarily driving change but allowing the potential to emerge.

2. Creativity
A successful woman leader brings creativity to challenges. She builds a team culture that encourages the sharing of different viewpoints and even crazy ideas. When members dare to be creative and innovative, she knows there is a risk of failure because it's part of the creative mindset. There may be situations where custom paper writing service or help in writing creative speeches is required.

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Taking risks at work is necessary for innovation. She trusts her team to pick the best ideas, take initiative and follow through with them without needing to be micro-managed.

3. Effective communication skills
Effective communication isn't only about being able to speak well but includes writing, listening well and even being able to read non-verbal cues. We all like to talk but active listening is just as important. Women have to decipher what their husbands and children are saying or not saying so they are usually pretty good at this.

When it comes to written communication, strong writing skills are essential so that everyone understand what's being communicated. For example, an email that simply informs people there is a meeting at 3pm doesn't help the recipient to prepare for the meeting, find out what it is about and who will be attending. A essay writing help UK may help when preparing certain types of written communications.

4. Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to manage your own emotions and those of the people around you. Its key elements are empathy, social skills, self-awareness and motivation.

Women with emotional intelligence have an inner calm and are able to lead without their egos taking over. They do not allow their emotions to get in the way of making effective decisions and are assertive instead of reactive.
Strong women leaders have empathy for those they lead and are not self-centered and focused only on their own progress. They are adept at ignoring bad advice without offending the advisers.

5. Confidence
Leaders need the confidence to make the decisions they believe are right. They are able to decide, commit and go for it without any second-guessing.

Being a female leader requires confidence to overcome obstacles and setbacks. Instead of falling victim to situations or waiting for someone else to see barriers and remove them, women with confidence take charge themselves and inspire others to do the same.

Confident women leaders are able to take advice from others without feeling that it undermines their position. They won't hesitate to take advice from mentors in the industry who can provide useful insights or a business coach who can help to hone their skills.

6. Ability to empower others
Successful women leaders realize that their success comes not just from personal achievement but through empowering others. A significant amount of their time is focused on team building. They realize that finding and nurturing the right people is critical to success.

Beth Gerstein, Co-CEO of Brilliant Earth, a company that designs and sells jewelry made from ethically sourced diamonds, is committed to providing opportunities for women to advance. She believes it is important to lead by example, saying that you need to be intentional about what you say and do.
Even daily activities, such as addressing customer inquiries with care, showing up to meetings on time, and being responsive to feedback, shows a team that you are invested in your work and encourages them to follow suit.

7. Perseverance
The business world is a stressful and unpredictable environment. Successful female leaders have the perseverance to reach their goals despite any obstacles. They will fight for what they believe in and won't give up.

One woman in business who exemplifies this is Jessica Matthews, CEO of Uncharted Play. She did not give up when she was battling to create energy-capturing products. Persevering and pivoting enabled her to find success and the company now enables energy-capture tech in various products.

Mary Becky, from Custom Essay Writings, says that some of the challenges may be family-oriented as women tend to carry extra responsibilities. This should not justify setting them aside because they are thought to be distracted or delicate. Rather, it demonstrates what weight they can carry and how they are able to act as leaders in all facets of their lives.

8. Adaptability
All leaders must be creative, confident and able to persevere, but adaptability is just as important. In an ever-changing business environment, successful women are those who have the confidence to change course if necessary.

As technology, the workforce and the needs of clients change, they face a unique set of demands. They have to be flexible and able to weather change and wield it to their advantage.

Vice President of Slack, April Underwood, shows adaptability in action. She has helped Slack to maintain its relevance and keeps enhancing her own portfolio too by launching side-products.

A final word
More women are finding their way into top positions in the workplace and using their skills to make a difference. Their confidence, ability to communicate and draw others in as well as their creativity and adaptability, are essential in today's workplace.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.