What I Learnt Working With Strong Women

Please do not let the title of this article misguide you, all women are strong. While not talking strictly about physical strength, there are several qualities that almost every woman has: multitasking abilities, unbelievable organisation, and attention to detail, are among the features, shared by nearly all the women I have worked with.

They are driven, restless, and passionate in every aspect of their lives. From motherhood and teaching to government and company direction, women have been shaping reality, from the very first moment they claimed their position in the world as equals, world leaders, and game-changers. To properly reinforce these statements, the following paragraphs will be reinforced with several quotes from some great and powerful women who are currently changing the world.

"My philosophy is that not only are you responsible for your life but doing the best at this moment puts you in the best place for the next moment." ― Oprah Winfrey

Before getting into details, the above, are just a few qualities, from a very long list. Anyone who has worked for several years surrounded by, or managed by women, will declare that they are far better than men in a lot of business-related aspects, making them unique and valued professionals in any industry.

They are incredibly emotional people, which makes them vulnerable and essential quality for honesty and transparency. This is a rare feature in a world of fake news and fake people. Strong women are sometimes unable to hide their feelings, forcing them to give coworkers and employees a piece of their minds. Although this might seem a problem, they do it normally in a way that will be empathetically constructive. My experience tells me they also tend to handle stress in a better way and are capable to transform stress into proactivity providing solutions in the worst possible scenarios, including toxic work cultures that are overly prevalent in todays workplaces.

"The most successful entrepreneurs I know are optimistic. It's part of the job description." ― Caterina Fake, Founder of Flickr

Strong female managers use emotions as a path to relate better with others. I learnt that emotions can trigger great movement. Emotions are powerful and will truly shape industries and businesses when properly tamed and interpreted. As all women are able to let emotions come out (unfortunately unlike most men), some of the greatest companies in the world are driven by both emotions, and women. 

"Define success on your own terms, achieve it by your own rules, and build a life you're proud to live." ― Anne Sweeney, former Co-chair of Disney Media.

Another great quality is their ability to survive. Women are true fighters, being able to handle any kind of problem with super human stamina. It seems like crisis management positions were built for them. Being this strong when it comes to dealing with almost impossible situations, helps them rebuild companies from the ashes.

"Humans are allergic to change. They love to say, 'We've always done it this way.' I try to fight that. That's why I have a clock on my wall that runs counter-clockwise." ― Chien-Shiung Wu, Particle Physics Pioneer.

That is the same reason why innovation comes so easy to them. Innovation means change and change often means making critical decisions which may affect hundreds of people. Women can adapt to new challenges at lightning speeds certain business need, which is exactly what some companies need to keep operating. They keep positive energy flowing on every department of a company. Handling difficult times with optimism, facilitates the process and reduces the stress among employees.

"After all, we are all immigrants to the future; none of us is a native in that land...The very underpinnings of our society and institutions―from how we work to how we create value, govern, trade, learn, and innovate―are being profoundly reshaped by amplified individuals. We are indeed all migrating to a new land and should be looking at the new landscape emerging before us like immigrants: ready to learn a new language, a new way of doing things, anticipating new beginnings with a sense of excitement, if also with a bit of understandable trepidation“ said Marina Gorbis, Executive Director at the Institute for the Future.

When it comes to multi-tasking, women are unbeatable. From looking at women doing 5 important things at the same time, with the same attention to detail, anyone from small businesses to multinationals realise, that the more women, the more efficient a company can be. This is especially true when it comes to single mothers or women who are married and have children. Even with children when it’s historically being regarded as normal and expected that children will diminish their working abilities or that they will put less attention to their work, as they know family is their top priority, they still perform. It’s part of their DNA.

Women know that their bosses and associates, expect them to fail at handling a difficult job and running a family. Instead of failing, they manage to basically duplicate themselves and become great mothers, and even greater business managers. They have the ability to do many things at the exact same time, that the quality of their work actually improves, as they know for a fact, that they have to something to prove, that their life-work balance has not changed with maternity. 

In addition to the above mentioned, women express authority in a great manner. They are comprehensive, yet strong leaders. From politics to billion-dollar companies, women have changed the way power is perceived. Their unique set of qualities, and caring for both staff members and revenues, employees feel valued and will, therefore, give 100% as a retribution.

"For CEOs today, it's all about achieving growth and efficiency through innovation. It’s a disruptive business world out there and innovating business models, process,  culture , backed by courageous management is what’s required." ― Felicity Cooper, Chief Internal Auditor, Brisbane City Council

Women are developing a completely different approach to leadership and authority. This new style, embraces employees as they become real assets to the company. Opposed to a 100% profit-oriented approach, women in management positions, believe that human capital is as important as the products and services provided by their businesses. Investing in technology and finding new ways to increase productivity without squeezing the ‘blood’ from employees, the entire company work around these principles. Under the right women’s authority, employees care about the company because the company cares for them.

"I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody's  passionate  and engaged and ambitious and doesn't mind learning. " - Amy Poehler.

This leads to other traits I have found, authenticity and honesty. Although these are also traits men have, building a reputation based on such important values is very hard to find. They are following their own path, creating a personal brand with a disruptive mindset and tremendous enthusiasm. Women achieve incredible things by sticking to their principles as hardworking, honest individuals. There is a reason why more women are growing more and more in power positions such as government, community and business.

"It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." ―  K Rowling , Author of Harry Potter

When it comes to personal branding, women have great understanding when it comes to guiding coworkers and employees. Body language, social skills and personal appearance are just some things that women are great at and yes, should be celebrated. They have all of the above covered. For example, they have adapted the sartorial 2-piece suit to new standards all with a female twist off course. Women express leadership, from their behaviour, the use of personal space, and yes, even their wardrobes.

They are incredible when it comes to first impressions and have an insight to what image to present either to clients or counterparts. They start doing so with their clothing which they understand is part of their visual communication. In Hamlet, one of the many masterpieces written by Shakespeare, Polonius gives Laertes, his son, a speech on how to prepare for his future trip to France. Within the lines of his speech, the quote “the apparel oft proclaims the man” appears. Women have managed to adapt this sentence to their own closets, by making it speak for them. Whether a casual environment or a traditional office, women express themselves and show authority and character on a daily basis. 

In conclusion, there are dozens of different things you can learn from the great women working around you. Take a minute to observe their unbelievable performance and multitasking abilities. Look how careful they plan their wardrobe, weekly schedules and their entire lives. Taking advantage of these qualities in addition to their core values and purpose can do a lot for any company, in terms of productivity, relationship building and performance.

I should know, my wife and life partner is one of these great women.