Let’s face facts.
Men have been at the helm of both business and politics for eons. Where has it really brought us as a worldwide
society?
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We are facing a global catastrophe
associated with climate change.
Scientists have been telling us for decades that we need to change our
habits. But special interest groups in business and spineless politicians have
done virtually nothing to address the issues.
-
Governments around the world are
increasingly becoming more authoritarian and restrictive of the rights of
others, particularly women and immigrants, as they consolidate power. The attack on democratic institutions such as
the courts and the press is a clear sign of their intentions. Where once we
associated this type of behaviour with dictatorships, we now see it creeping
into democratic environments leading to predictable outcomes.
-
Institutions such as the United Nations
were established 75 years ago to promote and advance the notion of peace around
the world. However the advance of state
sponsored terrorism and radicalization has consistently undermined that dream.
-
Wealth has grown exponentially around
the world. But so too has the
consolidation of that wealth. Estimates
are that in the US the top 1% of income earners own about 43% of the wealth and
that number only widened during the pandemic. Only about 10% of the wealthiest
are women.
There are copious other examples but you get my
point. A society that is led by men has
not brought us to a sustainable position. Rather, men have, by and large, been
the architects of a failing and self-serving community which has, with
premeditation and malice aforethought, brought us to the edge of disaster.
IT’S TIME FOR A CHANGE! And the sooner the better…
Let me offer an example of effective female
leadership, Angela Merkel of Germany.
Raised in Communist controlled East Germany, she first excelled in with
a PHD in quantum chemistry. She entered politics in the 1990’s and rose to
become the Chancellor of Germany in 2005.
Her accomplishments are highlighted by an outstanding economy; a focus
on renewable energy and on the integration of over 1 million refugees. Her
vision was always towards improving both her country and our world. How refreshing is that!
What are the qualities that women bring that make
them so utterly better suited than most men?
Here are just a few.
1. On
balance, the women are more intelligent.
That is not a slight on many very capable men, but the reality is that
for a woman to rise to the highest levels of responsibility – in business or in
politics – they must demonstrate a degree of intellectual superiority that
cannot be denied or ignored. There is no
‘old boys club’ that is greases the skids for less competent individuals.
2. Women
are natural team builders and have much less ‘pride of ownership’. That’s because their egos are more satisfied
by accomplishment than by acknowledgement.
Consequently they make more informed decisions with ultimately better
results.
3. Women
are naturally more empathetic. Part of
their genetic code includes nurturing.
This contributes to their team building success, above.
4. Women
are better negotiators. They have had to
be because of the road blocks that men have traditionally imposed. In this world that is increasingly diverse
and complex, this skill is of critical importance.
Mothers
do not quickly send sons and daughters to war.
They know that negotiation brings better results. But do not make the mistake that women are
soft. You have no doubt heard of the
wrath of a mother bear!
5. Women
have a persistence that few men can match.
One only has to remember that it was just in the 20th century
that some women received the right to vote and hold office. (In many cultures they are still
disenfranchised.) They knocked until the door broke down despite the time it
took to knock sense into the male ego.
Again, this has only scratched the surface of the
qualities and competencies that women bring to leadership. To paraphrase a quote from G. K. Chesterton ‘…it
is not that women in leadership has not been tried and found wanting; rather it
has been found unsettling for men and thus left untried…’
It is well past time for women to assume the roles
for which they are naturally well suited and which a world in distress so
desperately needs. We can only hope and
pray that the changes come before we are beyond the abyss.
