When President Obama first ran for president in 2008 the question on everyone’s lips was “Are WE ready for a Black president?” Now that Hillary Clinton is in the race the question is “Is the United States ready for its first female president?” It’s odd that a country that likes to boast equality for women while pointing the finger of sexism at other countries and cultures has yet to have a woman commander in chief.
The question is really why is this even a question? Why do we look at female leaders as different than men? Why are many men more threatened by a woman in a position of power than a man? Why do men often see women as a threat to their masculinity as is suggested by the findings from three studies outlined in this Huffington Post article entitled Men See Powerful Women As Threats To Their Masculinity.
What are our perceptions of women’s leadership and in fact do women lead differently than men? There are myriad studies and articles out there such as this one from Psychology Today “Do Men and Women Lead Differently? Who’s Better?” that suggest that women MAY in fact lead differently and perhaps better than men. But this post isn’t about establishing superiority of female or male leadership.
I’d like to posit an ideal sketch (not really a model yet) of feminine leadership. Before I share my ideal vision of feminine leadership let me say I do not think that there is any one way women lead and one way men lead. No two people are alike let alone everyone in one gender. I’m exploring my own ideal vision and sharing it with you. This vision is based on my own natural inclinations and desires that have probably been sharpened by the resistance to them that I experienced as a girl. I’m sharing this vision in the hopes that it will provide another model for young women and girls and yes even boys and men. This vision has also made its way into my fiction writing through the character of Princess Isabelle of Xamayca who I have recently introduced in “The Adventures of Isabelle Book I: The Embryo Goddess and the Morpho” Princess Isabelle evinces the characteristics of the Ideal Feminine Leader.
I do not know why our society encourages little boys to be leaders and girls followers but I know that this is NOT a fit for many young women and men. Not all little girls want to be leaders but for those who do we need to offer nurturance and guidance to them. Our narrow gender role expectations have squashed and squandered too much leadership talent found naturally in little girls and women. Maybe my fledgling model can provide a different template that will resonate with some. Without further ado here it goes…
The Ideal Feminine Leader is:
Princess Isabelle of Xamayca
#Compassionate
#Courageous
#Strong
#Nurturing/Supportive
#Loves and Cares for Herself
#Highly Emotionally Intelligent (Knows herself and motivates others to give their very best).
# Power is shared. Collaboration is preferred to competition. Getting things done happens with and through others.
#Focused on her Heroine’s Quest
#Promotes Peace and Healing for people animals and Mother Earth (She will put an end to war).
In nature, with a few biological exceptions to the rule, the feminine and masculine protocols are the keys to life and living. Human beings, although we forget this simple truth from time-to-time, are Nature’s crowning glory. Women and men are not meant to compete, but to bring out the best in one another, and make the world we share a better place, one capable of sustaining life for our children and the greater community of nations. If we want to be the best we can be, that means, sometimes I lead, and sometimes you do. The essential point is that we are living representations of Yin and Yang, and together we produce the energy that drives life into being.
So there it is. What are your thoughts on the idea of Ideal Feminine Leadership? Please leave me a comment.
Much continued success and well being on your quest!
Nicole
