Business
women are often misunderstood – mainly due to the unique traits they possess as
women. These qualities that make them successful can be misread or
misinterpreted. Nonetheless, today’s business woman is strong, focused and
determined.
Being
a successful female entrepreneur requires women to, as Ginger Rogers
said, “Do everything a man does only backwards and in heels!” So it is the same
in business. Women often have an uphill climb to be taken seriously. They deal
daily with double standards and contradictions in the business world.
In
the grand scheme of the business world, women are courageously bringing unique
traits and qualities that are often misunderstood excellence.
Here
are 7 false descriptions of female entrepreneurial excellence:
ADD Galore. Women
entrepreneurs have hundreds of ideas making it look like they lack focus.
This is mistaken for ADD or the inability to concentrate. On the contrary,
their flood of ideas is their strength. The more creative she is, the
more productive her business.
Careless With
Details.
The successful female entrepreneur sees and values the big picture, but
that doesn’t mean she dismisses the details. It’s just that the details
bog her down. She is often skilled at details, but her preference or
strength lies in seeing the effects on the big picture. It’s all about
relationships, whether between people, things or situations.
Looking Odd. When the
female entrepreneur is highly engaged, centered and entrenched, people see
her as unusual or strange. This makes them stay away, afraid of
approaching her. She isn’t odd. She’s alone – embedded in thought. This is
contrary to the role society has placed her in, which is to be outgoing
and approachable. High engagement is what it takes to succeed in a greatly
competitive business environment.
Never Finishing. Women
entrepreneurs, because of their free flow of ideas and tangential
thinking, are great at starting things, but that doesn’t mean they don’t
finish them. It simply points to their lack of desire to micromanage what
they create. Managing it all creates stress, distracting them from their
creativity. They recognize it is best to hire someone who can successfully
manage the "big picture."
Always Chaotic. The female
entrepreneur thrives during what may look like chaos to the "average
Jane." Others fear these situations, but the female entrepreneur
understands that chaos can breed solutions, ideas, and opportunities. As a
woman, she is used to large amounts of activity happening all at once.
However, she structures her business so that it can support the chaos.
Continuous
Failure.
This is no different than the kid who has to fall several times while
learning to ride a bike. The female entrepreneur is invested in minimizing
failure, but she’s not afraid of it either. She is a risk-taker, believing in what she can do. She picks herself up when things
are less than she expected. She isn’t accustomed to saying, "I’m
done."
Polly Anna. People often
criticize her optimistic outlook. They see her as exaggerating reality. On
the contrary, exaggeration and thinking big are as important to the female
entrepreneur as believing is to Christians. Her spark is the real source of her
profitability. She is great at delegating, outsourcing, and learning new
skills.
Today’s
female entrepreneur is no longer held hostage to traditional expectations,
distorted role-placement and playing the supporting actor role. Rather, she is
making strides in the business world, using her innate intuition and new-found
sense of empowerment to make a lasting mark.
Being
a successful female entrepreneur requires women to, as Ginger Rogers
said, “Do everything a man does only backwards and in heels!” So it is the same
in business. Women often have an uphill climb to be taken seriously. They deal
daily with double standards and contradictions in the business world.
In
the grand scheme of the business world, women are courageously bringing unique
traits and qualities that are often misunderstood excellence.
Here
are 7 false descriptions of female entrepreneurial excellence:
ADD Galore. Women
entrepreneurs have hundreds of ideas making it look like they lack focus.
This is mistaken for ADD or the inability to concentrate. On the contrary,
their flood of ideas is their strength. The more creative she is, the
more productive her business.
Careless With
Details.
The successful female entrepreneur sees and values the big picture, but
that doesn’t mean she dismisses the details. It’s just that the details
bog her down. She is often skilled at details, but her preference or
strength lies in seeing the effects on the big picture. It’s all about
relationships, whether between people, things or situations.
Looking Odd. When the
female entrepreneur is highly engaged, centered and entrenched, people see
her as unusual or strange. This makes them stay away, afraid of
approaching her. She isn’t odd. She’s alone – embedded in thought. This is
contrary to the role society has placed her in, which is to be outgoing
and approachable. High engagement is what it takes to succeed in a greatly
competitive business environment.
Never Finishing. Women
entrepreneurs, because of their free flow of ideas and tangential
thinking, are great at starting things, but that doesn’t mean they don’t
finish them. It simply points to their lack of desire to micromanage what
they create. Managing it all creates stress, distracting them from their
creativity. They recognize it is best to hire someone who can successfully
manage the "big picture."
Always Chaotic. The female
entrepreneur thrives during what may look like chaos to the "average
Jane." Others fear these situations, but the female entrepreneur
understands that chaos can breed solutions, ideas, and opportunities. As a
woman, she is used to large amounts of activity happening all at once.
However, she structures her business so that it can support the chaos.
Continuous
Failure.
This is no different than the kid who has to fall several times while
learning to ride a bike. The female entrepreneur is invested in minimizing
failure, but she’s not afraid of it either. She is a risk-taker, believing in what she can do. She picks herself up when things
are less than she expected. She isn’t accustomed to saying, "I’m
done."
Polly Anna. People often
criticize her optimistic outlook. They see her as exaggerating reality. On
the contrary, exaggeration and thinking big are as important to the female
entrepreneur as believing is to Christians. Her spark is the real source of her
profitability. She is great at delegating, outsourcing, and learning new
skills.
Today’s
female entrepreneur is no longer held hostage to traditional expectations,
distorted role-placement and playing the supporting actor role. Rather, she is
making strides in the business world, using her innate intuition and new-found
sense of empowerment to make a lasting mark.
Karen Keller, Ph.D. is an expert in women's leadership and
assertiveness training. She specializes in the skills of influence and
persuasion, executive coaching, mentoring, sales techniques, management
development training, personal life coaching, and corporate training. Discover
the Real POWER for Women now!