An Insight into Women Business Leaders

Double standards, compensation disparities and discrimination are challenges that women looking to excel in male-dominated corporate America face every day.   As more women trail blaze their way into the senior level positions, aspiring female professionals can look to these contemporary role models for guidance on how to effectively navigate their careers.

Forbes put together a revealing video with some of today’s most influential business women across a variety of industries.  They candidly shared their viewpoints on the differences between men and women – particularly in the areas of management style and risk taking.  Many of the women interviewed embrace a more collaborative work environment, which is gaining momentum.  The move toward collaboration is reshaping internal processes, redefining how work is done and is changing overall design of the workplace.

The Winning Combination

In order to be successful, do women always need to be aggressive and confrontational in the workplace? Not necessarily, says one study. It’s more about striking the right balance.

Michelle DeKinder-Smith, founder of janeoutofthebox.com, interviewed 4000 female entrepreneurs and found that women who can achieve the “best of both world’s” are five times more likely to own businesses with revenues over $1 million.  She defines the “best of both world’s” as achieving balance between financial performance as well as the ability to be sensitive to employees and customers.

This sentiment is echoed by the women in the Forbes clip.  Take a look and let us know your thoughts.