As a woman entrepreneur, you might be delighted at the prospect of working with women rather than men, only to discover that is not all you imagined it was going to be. This is because the kind of energy that drives one person to be a leader and another person to be a colleague working under them tends to be a very masculine, driving sort of energy – one that even women possess.
Male versus Female Energy
Men and women possess both masculine and feminine energy. It changes in terms of balance depending on the situation. For example, in the planning stages of a new project, feminine energy might be at the forefront, as people allow a flow of ideas to go back and forth as to how best to tackle the assignment. However, that flow would be of less value as the deadline approached. Things need to be tightened up, buttoned down, and pushed through in order to meet the deadline.
Some women have more masculine energy, others more feminine. Some women «fake it ‹til they make it», thinking they have to be tougher than any man they work with. This can lead to bullying behavior. Some women are even harder on their female colleagues than the men, for a couple of reasons.
One reason is that they are trying to toughen them up; they didn’t have any breaks to get where they were, so why should any other woman. In other cases, it might be due to them having climbed the ladder and wanting to pull it up after themselves, discouraging any woman they work with from aspiring to become a leader too.
One final point which no one can really help is biology and hormones. Let’s face it. Women change at certain times of the month each month until they reach menopause, and even the most reasonable of bosses can become a nightmare at times. But then, so can we all. It’s important to try not to let personal issues get in the way of professional ones, no matter which side of the desk we are sitting on.
The Pros of Working with Women
The benefits of two women working together is that it tends to be much more team-oriented, with a free flowing of ideas. The best bosses are those who are willing to mentor others. They are happy to pass along their skills and don’t feel competitive if another woman joins the team.
Rather, they are supportive and welcoming. They share a common vision of a better company, a better world. They understand the challenges of being a woman in the business world and don’t try to make it harder for you than things have to be – due to a lack of awareness or unreasonable demands on your time when you are desperate to get home to the kids.
An empowered woman does not take her power by robbing it from others, but rather, by cultivating it in herself – often with the help of strong role models of both genders. And that empowerment can lead to success in any career.