Do Women Lack The Leadership Skills

Women have made a lot of strides in the workplace, especially during the recession. But while females outnumber men at 55% of the working population, they are still lagging far behind when it comes to compensation and the presence of women in the C-suite and entrepreneurial ranks. It leads to the question of whether the big bosses just don't believe in the LEADERSHIP SKILLS of women.

It's that age old question of who's better - men or women? Regardless of gender, each person has a different set of beliefs, principles and skills that determine what kind of leader they would be. Several Fortune 500 companies now boast of female CEOs, women run and get elected into office, but they haven't managed to crack the glass ceiling.

Nell Merlino, president of Count Me In for Women's Economic Independence, a nonprofit group that supports the growth of female-owned businesses, believes that a reason why females stumble is because others think they are too maternal and essentially not one of the leadership skills people value or like. Merlino said "Men and women manage very differently. Women want to get it right. It's not that men are out there to get it wrong, but you can bet that when Bill Gates makes a decision, he isn't fretting about what people will think of that decision."

A womans's desire in the office is to be liked on top of being respected, adding another roadblock to success in the C-Suite. A vast majority of highly qualified females don't have political allies to propel, inspire and protect them through the perils of dealing with upper management. Most females believe that hard work alone will help them succeed in turning heads, with 77% insisting that putting in long hours, not connections, account for their advancement.

Many executives would say that one of the most important LEADERSHIP SKILLS that a lot of working females lack is not thinking big enough from the beginning. They fail to think on a global scale from the start and narrow themselves to local opportunities. By having a limited vision of themselves and their companies, females tend to shortchange themselves and don't pursue opportunities overseas.

It's not saying that women lack the leadership skills necessary to become successful in the C-Suite, it's all about learning how to cope with what disadvantages they face. In fact, Merlino says "Women make for natural mentors, but they need to be better at also asking themselves how they can key into a company's problem and what they can bring to the table. If the economy has taught us anything, it's that it no longer is just 'business as usual'. If it's not going to be us women in the C-suite, then who else is going to stimulate this economy? I believe that it's high time we develop a level of confidence, stop looking over our shoulders for approval and just go for it."

(c) 2012 Incedo Group, LLC

Labels: become an alpha male  alpha male training  alpha male tattoo  alpha male dating  traits of alpha male  alpha male complex  alpha male body  real alpha male  alpha male diet