Women Leaders

Women have run my professional life for the past thirty years. My current business partners are all women; as are my accountant, assistant, and the leader of our Mexico operation. My life is greatly enhanced by their leadership. Sorry guys, but women are better at running things than we are. They are generally more sensible, exhibit better judgment, and have a greater capacity to think for themselves. They are also more adept at juggling multiple roles and getting things done.

Women try harder and have been quietly investing in themselves and their leadership skills for the past several decades. Women currently comprise 57% of undergraduate enrollment in the US. I have to use affirmative action for men to create a gender-balanced class in the Housley Principled Leadership Program. Ten years ago, when I taught the program on a co-curricular basis, I had 33 women and two men enroll in the class. What does that tell us about our future leaders?

In my consulting work, the majority of my clients have been women. My observation is that women in leadership roles rely on an inner voice to guide decision-making. They combine logic and analysis with an innate sense of what feels right. At the same time, they are less impulsive and react to challenges in an emotionally balanced fashion. When the shit hits the fan, I want a woman in charge. I trust that the response will be well-reasoned, strategic, impactful, and correct.

Smarter people than me can go into much greater detail and perform academic research on the differences in leadership qualities between men and women. I am simply speaking from my experience and informed perspective. At crucial junctures in my professional life, I have hired just the right person to take on a task, and the evidence is overwhelming that women have delivered. You know who you are, and I want to thank you for everything you have contributed to my success. I also want to thank you for your friendship and support. You all wear a lot of hats.

So, if you are deciding on whom to select for a really important job, you might want to consider a woman.