Leadership Skills : Despite this being the 21st century, the world is still a patriarchal society. That means women have to work twice as much in the professional arena, let alone in leadership.

But time and current trends show that women indeed have the potential to do more than follow. They have natural abilities and qualities that can apply in leadership roles. These are some of the women leadership skills they can use to move up their professional ladder.

Although leadership is not gender-specific, men and women often display different styles. The distinct difference between their core traits makes some skills easier for a specific gender to adopt.

Empathy

The main reason many women are not in leadership positions is that they are too kind. Yet, to lead in the modern-day demands connecting with the employees and not just being an authority figure. Women have the empathy to appreciate and validate co-workers that helps to boost productivity and confidence.

Communication

In workplaces, open communication channels allow for clarity and smooth execution of tasks.

Ranking high on the list of women leadership skills is communication. It is easy for them to excel as communicators because they do it regularly, clearly, and more openly than men. Women leaders provide adequate guidance and seek feedback from the members. The scope here is not speaking only but reading and writing, body language, and active listening. A leader who knows how to communicate will have success in directing the team and achieving goals.

Emotional Intelligence

Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand emotions- an individual’s and others’. In recent years EQ has become one of the top leadership skills because it is not about commanding people to take action but inspiring them. Recognizing people’s emotions enables a leader to identify the best ways to connect with the team. The skill comes more easily to women than men since they are in tune with their emotions.

Collaboration

Women are more predisposed to work in teams. They promote cooperation and collaboration among the members. Being believers in team building, they will work towards ensuring everyone is part of the mission.

Their high capacity to serve and let others means they can make important decisions while relying on the team effort to make it work.

Motivation

Another leadership skill is the ability to help others tap into their potential. Women are nurturers. The natural tendency to care for and help grow can translate seamlessly to helping team members to succeed. Women seek to change the beliefs and attitudes rather than behavior through winning their hearts.

The list of women leadership skills above is not conclusive. However, it sheds light on the capacity for women to make exceptional leaders contrary to popular belief. It reveals that women have a higher success rate in acquiring these vital skills for leading.