4 Reasons Why Women Continue To Struggle in Business

Women and business have always been viewed as polar opposites in our society. Women are seen as soft and beautiful, untainted by the brutality found in high levels of the business world. And while there is something to be said about embracing these qualities as homemakers, partners and mothers, women have much more to offer as professionals than commonly meets the eye.

When talking about women’s struggles in business, the common blame seems to always be placed on “the boys club” or simply men in general. I am of the opinion that most high level professionals (men and women alike) are looking for the best person to do the job, not just the best man. Yes, we all know the one or two men who will eternally stand in opposition to my previous statement, but they are quickly becoming more of the exception than the rule.

If we rule out men keeping us down, we must then take a look at ourselves. By nature, most of us women have a natural tendency to kindness, a reasonable level of emotion and can commonly be led by our hearts. In the world of business, these traits are considered soft and undesirable.

What most of our bosses, colleagues and mentors rarely see about women is our other natural tendencies: our aggressive nature, unmatched level of perseverance, supreme loyalty, natural multi-scenario thinking and superior multi-tasking skills. Most high functioning women I know can walk mentally all the way around a problem, have two to three possible solutions and be ready to strategize their implementation all before the men in the room have a solid grasp on the issue at hand. The problem is most have no clue we have these skills.

How can it be that women have so much to offer the business world and no one realizes it? Unfortunately, the answer is less complex than many have made it. We are not self-promoters; we commonly feel bad stepping on anyone’s toes when trying to get a job done; we often allow emotion to intervene where black-and-white decisions should be made; and we very rarely see it as our place to debate the powers that be by offering up our solutions and ideas in contrast to others.

A million studies and programs have now been implemented to ensure women receive fair treatment, and while some are undoubtedly the necessary result of egregious human behavior, no professional woman wants a job or promotion based on her anatomy rather than her merit.

I’ve interviewed many women whom I would have gladly hired based on their resume only to watch them fall apart in person. Most were waiting to find out if I thought they were worthy of the job rather than proclaiming their confidence in their own skills and detailing a plan as to how she and only she could perform the job at hand.

Don’t get me wrong, there is certainly plenty to be said for the power of hard work, and I can assure you it’s an essential ingredient in the sauce of success, but while you’re solely focused on putting in your blood, sweat and tears, waiting for someone to notice your contributions, someone else is stepping up to the plate, making what they uniquely have to offer known, and walking away with your job or promotion.

We all know that the world of business is a different place for women than it is for men and that there is a fine line only truly understood by women between being the boss and ‘being a !*%#@. Both are unlikely to change, so let’s move on. I can assure you, the more we dwell on unfair stereotypes like this, the more we will be seen in the light we hate.

Women don’t need to act like men in business; they need to act like women in business. If we aren’t satisfied with the soft positions we commonly receive, we must be prepared to lean on our more ruthless skills, leave our emotions at the door and be ready to fight for our rightful places. Let’s stop being afraid of our innate greatness and start bringing all of our skills to the table. At the very least, I guarantee you’ll become a more confident person when living your true potential, and that’s a business skill that won’t go unnoticed.

Photos Courtesy Of: www.waterblogged.com, www.inthenewsonline.com & www.fanpop.com