Each and every day, more women are breaking through the proverbial glass ceiling – and breaking new ground. The continued increase of female-led businesses is making a collective positive impact in the ethics space, shaking up the landscape for a dizzying array of applications.
On that note, what are the actual ethics-related benefits of being a female business entrepreneur? Let’s explore the most significant ones that stand out to myself and other women taking the reins.
Gender Diversity Fostering Innovation
With more individuals from varying backgrounds, more ideas are brought to the table, and many women have plenty to contribute in regards to their own unique journeys.
Triumphs, challenges, personal discoveries, and more are all essential contributions – the more we learn about each other and collaborate, the more we can get done as a team.
This aspect of gender diversity, speaking from experience, is what fuels creativity, company growth, and sensible modernization.
Soft Skills (the Foundation of Any Successful Business)
I’m not a fan of the term “soft skills” because it sometimes implies that certain sensibilities and sensitivities aren’t worth the effort. Spoiler alert: they’re more crucial than so-called “hard skills.”
What can be learned should not take priority if soft skills are lacking amongst team members – you can always pick it up later, such as during a team training session or a good book.
Learning to be humble, objective, supportive, and considerate while maintaining a professional demeanor are all more important skills to hold dear. This positive energy is deliciously infectious, gradually spreading from employee to employee.
These can’t really be taught – they’re self-developed skills. It’s similar to how a self-taught painter will produce more compelling work that embraces their unique spirit and personality than a paint-by-numbers alternative.
Women tend to have further refined soft skills like these in addition to empathy, self-awareness, and even kindness. Therefore, soft skills really serve as the quintessential foundation for any forward-thinking business. Having a woman at the helm can mean much smoother sailing that won’t overlook the fact that the crew are human beings.
Insightful Instruction
Female entrepreneurs typically have a more defined history as consumers and/or clients relative to many applications. In fact, they may have been inspired by a product, service, or other female leaders in an industry that interested them, resulting in them starting their own company in the same field.
Their invaluable insights can then be grafted to business strategies, training employees, and helping to keep their operations more than afloat.
Never underestimate what women are capable of – or what they know – regardless of whether they run their own business or not. The cliché term, “knowledge is power” applies here, and female entrepreneurs, therefore, lend a powerful presence indeed.
Drive (and Driving Change)
Women have long fought tooth and nail in recent decades to make a dent in many different male-dominated workforces. There’s still a long way to go, and the battle is far from over, but this only continues to drive us towards greatness, especially with so many prominent female leaders in business across almost every industry.
We’re not alone, we’ve only just begun, and we have a whole lot to contribute. With the movement ever-always picking up steam, give it a few years and we’ll likely see the underrepresentation and gender bias diminish further in many applications once more folks understand what we’re capable of. Consumers and clients are on our side as well, cheering us on as we create and innovate together.
When it comes to the benefits of female entrepreneurs in the ethics space, there’s no shortage of pros to consider. Even with these examples in mind, it’s clear that the collective voice of women is loudening and demonstrating its value. Just take a look at any business and/or industry that appeals to you – I bet that you’ll find at least one or two prominent female figureheads paving the way for change amongst its ranks.
Never be afraid to use your mind and voice – you won’t regret it, your future employees will prosper as a result, and your sensibilities will be reflected in the overall way your team works together.
About the Author
Shannon Walker, founder, and president of Whistleblower Security Inc. (WBS), launched in 2005. Shannon frequently speaks around the world on whistleblowing, ethics, corporate culture, and diversity. Whistleblower Security is Women Business Enterprise Canada certified, making it the only woman-owned and managed certified ethics reporting business in North America. A former elected City Official, Shannon has also sat on a number of non-profit boards and is currently Chair of the Ambleside Dundarave Business Improvement Association. She has a B.A. from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia and an M.A. from Pepperdine University in California.
