This is a Guest Post by Jemima Lopez

Although the percentage of female higher-ups has slowly grown over time, women in professional positions of power are still hard to come by. Fortunately, many women are choosing to start their own companies or are defying the odds by beating out male candidates for some of the most sought-after positions in business. What these women already know, and what many professionals of all genders will come to learn, is that female higher-ups not only have just as much to offer as their male counterparts, they also have special qualities that set them apart in the workplace.

1. Cooperative Communication

Communication is probably one of the most stereotypically “feminine” skill sets, but we all know that there are plenty of men who are excellent communicators. However, psychologically speaking, women in Western cultures tend to be brought up to cooperate and communicate more than men. The tendency to feel comfortable working in a group and facilitating collaboration is a trait that could possibly come more naturally to a woman than a man, and any great female CEO will more than likely possess this ability, and then some.

2. Intuition

It’s probably safe to say that anyone who has become a successful CEO has excellent intuition. A great CEO must be able to foresee trends in the market, know who to hire and when, and be able to sense the dynamics between employees within the company. So any good CEO will likely have this quality, whether male or female. But, the term “female intuition” doesn’t come from nowhere. Women often function socially by paying subconscious attention to inadvertent cues, and understanding what is going on beneath the surface is most definitely a female trait. As naturally intuitive as any male CEO may be, you could probably make the argument that a female CEO has the potential to be more intuitive.

3. Ability to Spot a Fake

Many women are not only adept at spotting a knock-off handbag from a mile away, they are also great at telling whether someone (especially another woman) is the real deal or a phony. Look at most male-female partnerships, and oftentimes the female is the partner with the final say about who should be trusted within a social circle. And, the ability to tell whether or not a client or business associate is being genuine is one of the most important skills in business. Any CEO will have risen to that position by honing their ability to tell a bad egg from a good one, and no one is better at that than the females.

4. Understanding of a Minority Perspective

Because most cultures around the world are male-dominated, all women have one thing in common: they are the only majority population in the world that is consistently treated as a minority. What men, regardless of race, religion, or geographical location, do not have to do is struggle for equal rights based on their sex. Women, on the other hand, have a built-in understanding of what it is like to fight for dignity and respect, even if the fight is subtle. Having a CEO who knows what it’s like to be a minority will only enhance a company’s ability to navigate more markets and create products and services that are not boxed in by tailoring to a majority population.

By-line:

Jemima Lopez is a freelance blogger and writer who writes for Zen College Life, the directory of higher education, distance learning, and best online schools. She welcomes your comments at her email: lopezjemima562 @ gmail.com.

Image: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=3062

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