WHY WOMEN ARE NATURAL COACHES & LEADERS| TRAITS WORTH NURTURING|

During my coaching certification with ICA and Coacharya, my mentors would often highlight that women have a natural flair for coaching. Initially, I would just discount the statement; however, on an analysis of my women colleagues, acquaintances, and observance of instances I found this to be true. Most often women have a natural ability to view the same situation in various contexts which augment their leadership abilities. A Gallup Survey, with almost 30million employees across the world, revealed that women are better at building strong relationships with their peers and subordinates. More than a supervisor, women leaders are revered as coaches and advisors who encourage work-life balance for better productivity and satisfaction.

Women are endowed with a natural ability to coach and mentor. A subtle stroke while coaching which they do with their wordplay and their natural ability to empathize, is what sets them apart. Women look at coaching and their work more holistically as a larger part of their life rather than a livelihood. Therefore, they’re more likely to approach their careers in a self-reflective way and value factors such as meaning, purpose, connection with clients, co-workers …which eventually yields better outcomes.

3 Traits that every Woman has that makes her a unique coach and an impactful leader are:

1. EMPATHY -Empathy is a powerful emotion, which if used correctly, can inspire people to become one and turn a dream into a reality. Women not only use this trait for effective coaching, they also use this effectively to bring people together to accomplish organizational goals. McKinsey’s research endorses that organizations with more women managers have better financial results.
2. TRANSFORMATIONAL APPROACH -Women also have a natural ability to go beyond the shell of ego-centrism and propel others to achieve their potential. They can nurture the talents of their teams and clients by encouraging them to grow. As opposed to adopting a self-centered approach that only values their opinion over others, inspiring women leaders and coaches encourage everyone, including juniors, to share their ideas freely. Women can transcend judgment and transactional interaction with more transformational & exploratory questions. Rather than focus on individualism, they are interested in forging better ties with their team by inspiring them to believe in themselves.
3. LISTENING -Every coach needs to be a great listener. Till the time I was a trainer -manager -leader my focus was on speaking. I often thought that speaking is more important, till I became a coach!! A coach’s role is defeated if 80% of the air time is not invested in listening. This trait needs to be nurtured to get better at it. The best questions in a coaching process are an outcome of good listening. The ability to listen well is also something that a woman often is naturally endowed with.

What is your experience with these traits? Do you think they can help you coach or lead better? How often have you come across your women colleagues practicing these traits? Do share your experience with us.