Women Thrive Magazine
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Why Are Women Leaders the Future of Leadership?
There is a traditional idea of leadership being about power and control, about forcing outcomes and projecting an air of superiority. Women leaders have often tried to fit into this dehumanizing model of leadership, to the detriment of their health, and wholeness.
That is because women are socialized to be highly empathic, yet their empathy is still seen as a weakness in a highly masculine leadership, left-brained paradigm, and hence undervalued and underutilized. While these traits are available to all genders, women certainly have an advantage. How can women turn their empathic superpower into a strength that supports their vitality and excellence as leaders?
The most important step is to recognize women have a choice, we do not need to lead cut off from empathy and care to “win”. Research shows that the current dominant left-brain leadership culture costs companies, and communities staggering amounts in collateral healthcare costs to deal with the burnout and exhaustion that come from a dehumanizing leadership paradigm that is only driven by profit. Not to mention the devastating impact of an extractive mindset on resources, and communities.
Women are the key solution to creating more humanized workplaces where people can work from their gifts, experience psychological safety and belonging, and do amazing work while respecting their work-life balance, and enhancing the lives of their communities. And the best way to achieve this is to live your purpose.
But isn’t that selfish, is a question I often hear women ask. And the answer is absolutely not. It is the highest act of selfless service you can step into. And here are three reasons why.
Your purpose breaks your heart open. When you move through the world with an open heart, you feel the suffering of those around you. You see what others don’t recognize yet, and you can connect with people, motivate them and uplift them in a much better way. When your purpose is activated, the more you heal, you more you become magnetic to allies, and resources, amplifying your impact in ways that may have been unimaginable before you healed.
Your purpose hones your intuition. Contrary to popular belief, intuition is a skill. It can be honed. But learning to understand and balance your intuition with your intellect is not an easy journey. It can take time, tools, and the willingness to grow. The result is that you master decision-making in environments of high ambiguity, and complexity. These are much-needed skills to tackle the world’s most pressing issues. When you can combine your logical mind with your intuitive brain, your decisions become sharper and more attuned to the needs of the communities you serve, and you become unstoppable. This is holistic leadership, that balances people, profit, and the planet. And if you are reading this article, you probably already know this intuitively.
Your purpose not only heals you, but it also transforms the world around you. According to the Science of Purpose, individuals with a connection to their purpose experience 63% higher effectiveness in their leadership, and 64% higher fulfillment.
While you are caught in the grips of releasing trauma and difficult past experiences, it may seem like you’re stuck, being useless to society, unable to contribute. The truth is you are doing the work for the collective. Work that is yet unseen, and unacknowledged, but work that takes more courage than most people can muster. Once you move through the “healing” phase of your purpose, you will step into thriving, and only then will you recognize the deep impact your healing journey had on many people. Because they tell you. And because you can affect change where you felt powerless in the past. And that is the most rewarding part of living and leading with purpose. You heal while healing the world.
Imagine your most painful experiences, your deepest wounds. Now imagine being completely healed and walking through the world with a sense of not only restored dignity but pride and deep fulfillment.
If you are looking for a purpose guide, someone who has walked this journey and can walk you to your most impactful self, I invite you to download your Life Upgrade Wheel here and email me to book a discovery call.
And thank you for the unseen work you have been doing all along.
In service to your most purposeful and impactful life,
“If you don’t get out there and define yourself, you’ll quickly and inaccurately be defined by others.” – MICHELLE OBAMA
About the Author
Name: Kawtar El Alaoui, LL.B, PCC
Title: Founder & CEO, Conscious Togetherness, Inc.
Bio: Kawtar El Alaoui, LL.B, PCC is the #1 best-selling author of Unfolding Peace, 9 Leadership Principles to Create Cultures of Well-being, Belonging, and Peace. Her work supports servant leaders and purpose-driven organizations to become powerful change agents by bridging purpose, whole-brain leadership, and effective strategy in service to a better and more prosperous world. Kawtar is a Trained True Purpose ®Coach, Faculty & Mentor with Leadership That Works India, Facilitator with the Business Plan for Peace in the UK, and Leadership Advisor with She Did It! Elle a osé! in Canada. She is the Founder & CEO of Conscious Togetherness, Inc.
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