Emotional Intelligence - a competitive edge for women in the ‘new normal’
Being emotionally self-aware, as a leadership tool, is being truly understood in the real world and has almost become a pre-requisite of a good leader.
It won’t be wrong to say that today, women are ready to take over the world. They are not just contributing to the economy but are leading workforces. From being entrepreneurs, CEOs, directors on boards, team leaders to being in government services; they are everywhere, leading varied economic scenarios.
Currently, more and more women have emerged as prominent voices impacting a variety of scenarios; something that was not visible just a few decades ago. With women taking over leadership positions, new engaged work dynamics and novel solutions are emerging like never before.
The EI advantage
Women have been associated with emotional intelligence for a long time. Something that was not a power tool in the male world has become significant now. Being emotionally self-aware, as a leadership tool, is being truly understood in the real world and has almost become a pre-requisite of a good leader. We now understand that a good manager is not one, who gives orders but one who is aware of everyone’s potential, and works towards making things better for them.
One such example of a woman’s empathy can be seen through the work of Melinda Gates. The Gates Foundation works towards creating elementary changes to achieve women empowerment. It recognises that providing rural women, something as basic as a clean means of cooking, can go a long way in preserving their health.
We already know that powerful women leaders in business like Indra Nooyi and Sheryl Sandberg have always been game changers as have been powerful entities like Arundhati Bhattacharya, Chetana Gala Sinha and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, to name a few.
All this is possible because of their high EI that helps build and open fresh perspectives and channels of communication. With a smooth flow of information these women leaders can see the practical roadblocks clearly.
Vast talent pool
As women now have more control over the decision-making processes, they can empower not just themselves but many others. These women understand the reasons, for another woman to lag behind in the economic cycle. They also identify how things can be used to an advantage.
They now see that if they welcome women back after sabbaticals, for reasons such as childbirth or other family needs etc, they can rope in a varied talent pool which can help bring in more minds and skills to the table. These women are not just ready to make policies but to make informed policies, which can work for the betterment of everyone like referral programmes, strong rural urban connects and healthier, more informed, families.
Standing strong
According to the UN annual report 2018-19, women entrepreneurs have better access to financial services today. This means more and more women are starting their businesses, thanks to the Internet. Also, there has never been a time when we have had so many women in the world economic scenario itself.
We also recognise the high level of accountability that many women leaders across the globe have already displayed. One such effort of a woman leader is visible in the way New Zealand fought the COVID-19 challenge. It can be seen that the main reason why New Zealand could be so efficient was because Jacinda Ardern, understood the value of adding a personal touch to the whole situation.
Just before the lockdown all the citizens were sent text messages explaining why their adherence to the lockdown was important. Taking a quick action is also something that goes to her credit. We also know that several other countries with women leaders acted comparatively quicker and with compassion.
These women are not just heading ca–mpaigns but have encouraged an open dialogue on issues that matter. The thing about women leadership is that it still has a potential to grow. This growth will be both quantitative and qualitative and the world will be able to witness it soon. We are yet to see it in full glory, but we know it’s going to be amazing!
(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)