If we take a look at history, women have surely come a long way. Especially in business. They have worked hard, and even harder to make their place known within the corporate arena.  And yet, research shows, in some parts of the globe, they are still not at par with their male counterparts, even today.   This is especially apparent in two key areas:

Managerial & Monetarily.

There are still far more males that occupy leadership roles, especially in developing and growing nations. The so-called “boys club” very much exists, even in the 21st century!

What’s good to know is women in the US however, occupy more than 60% of top-management roles and are considered equal to men when it comes to the hiring process, salary and raises. They are given an equal opportunity to prove their abilities.  In fact, most companies provide facilities catering around them so they can focus on their jobs diligently and contribute without distraction.  Examples include: Allowing women a work at home setup during & post pregnancy,  day care options after delivery, flexi-hours for single and new moms, a gym on premise and much more. This is because women are considered worthy leaders within corporate America.

If only the other parts of the world could take cue from this and demonstrate respect for their female counterparts rather than just say they respect them but do nothing to actually help them excel and succeed.

In fact, data shows us that women are superior leaders, many times even outshining their male counterparts.

Take a look:

1. Women naturally sympathesize and apathesize with colleagues and team members due to their nurturing nature and ability to connect with others, emotionally. This is critical today as we place more and more emphasis on human  behavior, corporate identity & culture as well as relationships as a critical USP with clients and partners.

2. Women leaders are assertive as opposed to aggressive (which tends to be the characteristic of some of their male counterparts.) They lead and communicate with more balance and restraint, knowing how to get their point across without sounding overtly boastful or using an elevated tone of voice.

3. Women are born multi-taskers. Due to their ability to juggle many tasks outside of work such as household chores, raising children, cooking and managing the house, they understand how to create priority around important tasks and accomplish several things in a day.

4. Women are intuitive when it comes to their leadership style. Call it their 6th sense or foresight, women are known to predict things before they occur, often saving them the trouble of making mistakes repeatidly. Intuitive Leadership is also coined as the new-age leadership style. Understanding your work purpose on a deeper level and letting it guide you in instrumental daily decisions within today’s landscape, gives them the ultimate cutting-edge.

5. When it comes to selling an idea, concept or product, women outshine their male counterparts as they are considered to be more trustworthy and understanding of customer needs. It may be that people see their own mothers, sisters and wives in them and this connect gives working women an advantage with sales as there is more of a positive response from customers.

6. Due to their fighting spirit, women are open to taking more risk in business. It may be because of the hard work they have put in to get where they are or simply the outward demonstration of passion towards thier jobs, they tend to be more open to embracing change and staying agile.

So next time you  are in the process of reviewing your hiring or promotion strategy, think carefully about whether you are actually doing what is best for your business and your customers – today and over the long haul. There’s no better time than NOW to tune into the strength that women bring to the table!

And that my friend, is called The Feminine Edge.