Do you think women need different characteristics or behavior than men to succeed as business owners? As a woman in the business world for 50 years, I still can’t answer this question. I’ve never tried to be different from my male counterparts; I just did what I did and moved forward. But there’s certainly a lot of discussion on social media about this question. Here are some of the answers I found and you can draw your own conclusion.
Lists of qualities for a successful female entrepreneur
Entrepreneur lists 8 qualities to drive success as a female entrepreneur:
- Integrity
- Humility and willingness to learn
- Resilience and persistence
- Intuition
- Adaptability
- Communication skills
- Empathy
- Strong support system
She Owns It lists 15 characteristics of exceptional women entrepreneurs:
- Be authentic
- Positivity
- Ambition + vision
- Know their strengths
- Confidence
- Organization
- Self growth
- Failure is not the end
- Hardworking
- Let it go
- Thankfulness
- Support system
- Not easily provoked
- Belief
- Never surrender
There are numerous other lists you can check out, including ones from:
My list of attributes for developing leadership qualities
In 2019, I posted a monthly blog on leadership qualities that all business owners should have or develop, whether male or female. I think (and you can disagree with me) that the following qualities apply to everyone:
- Optimism
- Taking responsibility
- Patience
- Open mindedness
- Grit
- Empathy
- Creativity and vision
- Decision-making
- Integrity and honesty
- Listening and communicating
- Confidence, courage, and inspiration
- Delegating
Final thought
The one thing that may distinguish exceptional women business owners from their male counterparts is support from other women. Throughout the years, I’ve been a member of various business groups, including chambers of commerce, bar associations, and networking groups. A few have been specifically for women (though men were not barred from membership). I found these women’s groups to be especially supportive of the challenges and rewards I experienced. But that’s just me.
As I said, during this time of Women’s History Month you decide if the qualities and characteristics of successful business owners differ by sex.
