The seven most desirable and effective modern leadership traits are those that are traditionally thought of as feminine, according to survey results published in a new piece from Inc.
The breakdown: Patience, vulnerability, empathy, balance, generosity, inclusiveness, and humility were among the leadership traits that were considered to be the most favored by the 64,000 participants in the survey conducted across 13 countries.
It should come as no surprise that women’s leadership traits are in demand, as hard data shows that companies with a market capitalization of more than $10 billion and with women on their board outpace comparable companies with all-male boards by a staggering 26 percent.
Why are these leadership skills so integral to business today? Inc. writer Leigh Buchanan points to the ability of these feminine traits to cultivate engagement, which translates to “employees’ energy, enthusiasm, and commitment to their companies.” More employee engagement, more company success.
So what can those in the C-suite make of this?
First, the bottom line is that contributions from women in leadership positions are key to high performance. This only makes sense, as diversity in all iterations — racial and ethnic diversity, gender diversity, age diversity, religious diversity, educational diversity, cultural diversity, and so forth — make for a more well-rounded company, with a variety of viewpoints, insights, and strengths to draw from.
Next: Those in leadership positions should play to their strengths in leadership traits — whether masculine or feminine — but also be willing to go outside their comfort zone in order to lead as effectively as possible. Those who are short on the “feminine” quality of patience need to consciously improve in this area, for example, while those who lack the “masculine” quality of decisiveness should push themselves to improve here. Growth in leadership positions comes from experience, including those times that leaders force themselves to approach and perceive things from viewpoints that don’t always come naturally to them.
