Why do women need to have leadership qualities in the workplace? What are specific qualities leaders should embrace?
According to Jemma Roedel, the ability to be a good leader is one of the most important qualities of successful female leadership in the workplace. Good leaders guide and shape the people around them, and they help people in teams work together to reach common goals.
Below, we’ll look at the qualities that make female leaders effective.
Quality #1: Look After Yourself
Roedel argues that to have good female leadership in the workplace, one must remember to look after yourself in addition to taking care of others. If you give everything you have and work yourself too hard at your job, there’s a good chance that you’ll burn out, at which point you’ll be unable to help anyone else. Additionally, it’s important to set a good example for your team by showing them that you can be successful and still have a good work-life balance.
Roedel says that looking after yourself can take many forms. For one, it means remembering that you don’t have to do everything yourself at work. You might delegate certain tasks to employees or ask for help on difficult projects. Self-care also extends beyond work—it means taking care of your physical and mental health by exercising, eating well, and getting enough sleep.
Quality #2: Keep Yourself and Others Motivated
Roedel asserts that understanding how to motivate yourself and others is another important quality of a good leader. If you lack engagement and drive in a leadership role, it can be difficult to come to work and do your best every day. This can negatively impact your team and the quality of their work.
One way to ensure that your sense of motivation endures throughout your time in a job is by assessing your reasons for pursuing the position in the first place, especially when it involves leadership. Make sure you have clear reasons why you want to be in a leadership role before accepting it. For example, you might choose to accept a leadership role because you’re passionate about helping other people achieve their goals. This passion can provide you with continuous motivation as you watch the people on your team grow under your watch.
Roedel says that it’s also your job as a leader to find out what will encourage each member of your team to put their best effort toward your shared goals. Remember that every person is driven by different things. For instance, one person may be motivated by frequent verbal affirmation, while another may get more work done when they have a flexible schedule. Roedel suggests making time for individual meetings with each team member to get better acquainted with them and their motivators.
Quality #3: Show Your Vulnerability
According to Roedel, many leaders avoid showing vulnerability in the workplace because they believe it’ll be perceived as a weakness. However, many benefits come from being honest about your difficulties and uncertainties.
For instance, showing more of your true self to your team and coworkers helps you establish deeper connections with them and creates a foundation for trust. When there’s trust between you and your team, they’re more likely to reveal their concerns and tell you when they’re experiencing challenges. You can then help them navigate the obstacles that prevent them from doing their best work.
For example, if you’re finding it difficult to complete a task, admit you’re struggling instead of pretending you have it figured out. If you can admit when something is challenging, that shows your team members they don’t need to be perfect, and they’ll be more likely to ask for help.
(Shortform note: Along with establishing trust with your team, vulnerability shows your strength of character as a leader. It shows that you’re emotionally intelligent and willing to take accountability. The willingness to make mistakes and learn from them also inspires creativity. Your team will be more confident about sharing out-of-the-box ideas and taking risks because they see you do the same. They’ll have a greater sense of ownership over their work knowing that their input is valued regardless of whether they make a mistake. However, as society often sees vulnerability as a feminine weakness, women may worry that showing vulnerability undermines their authority. Companies should thus encourage everyone to be vulnerable by regularly communicating how they feel.)
Quality #4: Know What Kind of Leader You Are
Finally, Roedel advises figuring out what kind of leader you are and learning to communicate your style when you take over a leadership role. Clear communication about how you lead helps your team adjust during periods of change. Additionally, understanding how your leadership methods interact with the personalities of your team members can help you identify possible issues that may result from personality and communication differences.
(Shortform note: If you don’t know where to begin when figuring out what kind of leader you are, consider taking an online assessment. For example, this quiz sorts you into one of four leadership styles and outlines your style’s strengths and weaknesses. This or a similar tool can give you points to communicate with your team and help you better identify potential pitfalls of your leadership style. Women can also explore leadership styles that play to their strengths, such as “transformational” leadership. This style is more relational and less transactional than traditional command-and-control—it entails engaging with and empowering employees rather than merely issuing orders and expecting subordinates to comply.)
For instance, you might be a leader who encourages your team members to determine their own methods for getting their work done. You’re still there to offer assistance when needed, but you prefer not to interfere too much in day-to-day work. If you’re this type of leader, it’s important to touch base with your team regularly to make sure they’re getting the support they need and be clear about the results you want to achieve with your projects.
(Shortform note: This style is often called laissez-faire or delegative leadership. It encourages quick decision-making since team members don’t have to go through you to get every choice approved. It also gives your members the space to develop their skills and be innovative. To reap these benefits, your team must already be skilled and experienced enough to work independently—because they know what they’re doing, autonomy can motivate them. If your team is full of people who don’t fully understand the expectations of their roles, however, they’ll likely be demotivated by a hands-off leadership style. They’ll be unsure what to do with their time and may feel like you don’t care about what they’re doing.)
