How Leadership Training Can Help Women In Management Roles

Women in the workplace, and in particular acceptance of women in leadership roles has come a long way over the years.  But despite the progress in this area, women in the workplace still face unique challenges, especially as they assume management roles.  A good leadership training program can help give women the confidence they may be lacking due to these challenges.

Women Are Not The Same As Men

The gender difference goes beyond just the physical aspects. The talents, attitudes and problem solving skills differ significantly. So does language. Women find their strength in different ways, and good leadership training recognizes and develops this.

For example, women often have greater powers of persuasion than men. Women are great at absorbing information from multiple sources, and they rely heavily on intuition whereas men are more fact-based decision makers. Women are also more in tune with the emotional motives behind people’s actions. This wide perspective and insight into motivation are great assets when it comes to leadership situations requiring persuasion. Focused management training understands how to cultivate these skills.

Understanding Others

Women are empathetic which serves them well in understanding, and overcoming, the prejudices that might present themselves in the workplace. Some men have great difficulty taking orders form women. With the proper management training, women can be equipped with the right skills to handle delicate situations without yielding their authority.

Strong Interpersonal Skills

Women in leadership roles can be trained to take advantage of the natural ability women have at being more flexible, social and empathetic. These are great team building skills that proper training help make even better.

Resistance and Resilience

Men have stronger egos than women in general. This doesn’t mean, however, that women have to transmit an inferior or weak self-image. In areas where women are naturally less skilled than their male counterparts, training pays off big time. Women can adapt to situations faster than men in general. So training them to have a stronger self-image is not only possible, but can bring stellar results to their leadership profile.

Inclusive

This might be a woman’s greatest strength. She is typically more inclusive which leads to strong teams since everyone feels like they are involved. Women are better listeners than men in general, and women like to hear all points of view before making a decision.

Risk Takers

Some might find it surprising, but women are more likely to take risks than men. Men are more structured and cautious. Women on the other hand are often more innovative as they are willing to bend rules and not get caught up in worrying about details. Again, these natural skills might not be fully developed, and that’s where good management training can help.

Specific Objectives Matter

A general understanding of the female management psyche is only useful if we have clear objectives for better management skills. Some objects could be:

• Establish a clear picture of strengths and weaknesses
• Set definite personal and professional priorities
• Learn how to lead by providing and receiving feedback
• Decide where to invest energy based on personal cost and benefit
• Acquire networking strategies
• Understand the reach and limits of authority
• Learn how to ask for and interpret feedback

Conclusion

We have seen how women differ from men, and the special challenges that women face as managers. Specific training can help women no only fully develop their natural strengths, but also overcome developmental needs. All this leads to strong leadership in the workplace.

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About the Author: Mark Arnold has many years of experience as a HR consultant. He enjoys sharing his perspective and experience with the business community.  One of his favorites is focused management training, like that provided by K Alliance. He has worked as a HR manager and consultant for many online and brick and mortal companies. He focus on boosting company’s productivity and culture.