The Unique Role of Influence and Relationships for Women Who Lead Disruption

In the realm of disruption, where norms are constantly challenged, we often spotlight groundbreaking technology and bold innovation. However, behind every seismic shift lies a lesser-discussed yet critical catalyst: the power of influence and relationships—especially how they're navigated by women in the professional world.

In our fast-paced business landscape, the age-old adage "It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know" still holds some truth. But in today's social media-driven world, what's even more crucial for influence is who knows you. However, let's face it, building influence and realizing our definitions of success isn’t just about exchanging business cards at networking events or munching on bland hors d'oeuvres. It’s about cultivating meaningful connections that propel you forward in your career and open doors to new opportunities.

For professional women, navigating the landscape of strategic networking is especially crucial. While skills and personal capital are vital, social capital often holds the key to unlocking advancement opportunities. This was highlighted in a 2022 NIH study, "Female Entrepreneurs’ Gender Roles, Social Capital, and Willingness to Choose External Financing," adding to research on how women's networking patterns differ from those of men, affecting their access to higher-level opportunities within organizations.

But fear not, because there’s a new paradigm—one long understood by women and now catching on in the rest of the world—emphasizing authentic relationships over superficial transactions. Instead of adhering to outdated networking norms, successful women are forging deep connections within tight-knit communities where mutual support and genuine connection flourish.

Connection: The Real Power of Female Relationships in Business

In this era of disruption, success and influence aren't about fitting into predefined molds or climbing predetermined corporate hierarchies. It’s about carving out your own path and surrounding yourself with a network of kindred spirits who can help you navigate the uncharted territories of your career journey.

Take, for example, the empowering groups chronicled in Pamela Ryckman’s “Stiletto Network.” These women don’t just come together to climb the corporate ladder; they rally behind each other’s diverse goals and aspirations. It’s a departure from the conventional networking scene, which often falls short in fostering meaningful connections.

Investment: Cultivation is Key to Powerful Relationships

There's no set-and-forget switch for relationships that continue to grow in power and influence over time. Women invest in building relationships as an ongoing endeavor that demands time and effort. As one astute woman once said, “Networking isn’t magic—it’s hard and boring work. Building authentic relationships is magic - and it’s an enjoyable investment.” But the rewards of cultivating genuine connections and finding your tribe are immeasurable.

So, let’s bid adieu to uninspiring networking events and embrace a new era of connection and collaboration. Together, we can create a network that transcends industry boundaries, gender norms, and cultural divides—a network that empowers us to soar to unprecedented heights of success, hand in hand.

Influence: The Key to Unlocking Doors

Influence is the intangible force that moves ideas forward. For women, wielding influence necessitates demonstrating (sometimes repeatedly) their expertise and credentials on their topics. This experience-based validation is regrettably true only for women. Gaining influence also requires a deep understanding of the delicate dynamics within organizational structures often not designed with women in mind. It's about how you're perceived, how well you can advocate for your ideas, and how you interact with the world around you.

I often hear from incredibly talented, smart, and driven women that they feel overlooked or uncomfortable because they are introverted and do not enjoy the expectation that in order to influence, they need to be the loudest voice in the room. The truth is, you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room. You don’t even have to prove your worth by sharing all of your amazing accomplishments.

Instead, influential women focus on making the most impact. They craft their messages, become leading experts about their audience, and orchestrate timing to their advantage. Women who have climbed the ladders of success credit not their capacity to out-talk their counterparts but out-think and out-strategize them, advocating for disruptive ideas in ways that resonate deeply with stakeholders.

Relationships: The Foundation of Enduring Success

Building relationships is where true artistry comes into play. And that’s a good thing for women because, as relational decision-makers, we are prone to building and cultivating mutually beneficial and enjoyable professional relationships that transcend time. Relationships establish trust, and trust is the cornerstone of lasting change. Sure, for women, the relational landscape can be fraught with challenges, from bridging gender gaps to overcoming inherent biases - and that has never stopped us.

Here's where opportunity lies. Women's unique perspectives and experiences foster a deep understanding of nuance and empathy in relationship-building. By leveraging this, women can create broader networks with more diverse cross-sections of collaborators. These relationships, when harnessed effectively, translate into a collective force capable of pushing through barriers and ushering in innovation. And, because we have a transformational approach to building relationships, versus the transactional approach to networking, women are more prone to introduce people within their network to each other because we trust that each person is good, strong, and can provide mutual value.

The Convergence of Influence and Relationships

Where influence and relationships intersect, we find a potent space for women to cultivate opportunities for disruption. It is not just about having transformative ideas but also about being capable of galvanizing a network to take collective action. Having a seat at the table is essential, but what's more important is creating a table where other potential disruptors—people who may not have had a voice before—can gather, collaborate, and effectuate change.

Disruptive innovators such as Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code, show us that this isn’t theory; it's practice. Through her vision and ability to inspire, she's not only reshaped the landscape for women in tech but also built a community, a movement, that perpetuates this disruption.

Women's Unique Advantage

The art of influence and relationship-building is not new. However, the way women apply these principles to create opportunities for disruption has become an advantage. By tapping into inherently strong relational intuition and strategic influencing, women bring people together, drive consensus, pivot when necessary, and push forward transformative agendas.

Here’s to the women disruptors: may you continue to harness the unique power of influence and relationships, to not only carve out spaces for yourselves but to redesign the room in which the future is plotted. Change is not just about being different—it’s about making a difference. And therein lies the essence of disruption.