{"id":2312,"date":"2013-06-30T23:45:08","date_gmt":"2013-07-01T06:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/markccrowley.com\/?p=2312"},"modified":"2014-10-03T10:52:04","modified_gmt":"2014-10-03T17:52:04","slug":"a-balance-between-masculine-and-feminine-traits-the-requirements-for-success-as-a-21st-century-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging-wmplo.xyz\/mark-c-divi5\/a-balance-between-masculine-and-feminine-traits-the-requirements-for-success-as-a-21st-century-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"A Balance Between Masculine And Feminine Traits: The Requirements For Success As A 21st Century Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n\"The<\/a>\u201cI think we need the feminine qualities of leadership, which include attention to aesthetics and the environment, nurturing, affection, intuition and the qualities that make people feel safe and cared for.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2013\u00a0<\/i>Deepak Chopra<\/strong><\/p>\n


\n<\/i>Just before my book, Lead From The Heart<\/em>, was published, a public relations executive told me directly: \u201cYour book is terrific, but no one in business is going to take it seriously unless you change the title.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the context of workplace leadership, it\u2019s the word, \u201cheart\u201d that instinctively strikes many people as being soft, sentimental and weak.\u00a0 From my PR friend\u2019s perspective, managing with any degree of care or advocacy simply isn\u2019t regarded as being manly<\/i>.\u00a0 And, since men largely dominate leadership positions, he urged me to rename the book.<\/p>\n

I chose to go forward with the title, of course, full knowing I\u2019d face some initial resistance.\u00a0 And ever since, I\u2019ve made it my intention to find as much compelling evidence as possible to prove the solution to the world\u2019s employee engagement crisis lies in leadership practices that positively affect the hearts in people.\u00a0 This is all I write about.<\/p>\n

So I begin this blog by expressing my profound appreciation to Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, Michael D\u2019Antonio, and his best selling co-author, John Gerzema.\u00a0\u00a0 Their new book, The Athena Doctrine: How Women, And The Men Who Think Like Them, Will Rule The Future,<\/i> offers remarkable insight into what it takes to excel as a leader in the 21st<\/sup> Century.\u00a0 And, just as Deepak Chopra insightfully suggests in his quote above, their conclusion is that effective leadership today requires a greater balance between male and female traits and values \u2013 equilibrium of mind and<\/i> heart.<\/p>\n

Gerzema and D\u2019Antonio initiated a survey of 64,000 people \u2013 all chosen to mirror the populations in 13 countries (e.g. the US, Mexico, South Korea, Germany and the UK) that represent 65% of the world\u2019s domestic product.\u00a0 As experienced researchers, the authors intentionally sought a wide range of cultural, geographical, political, religious and economic diversity.<\/p>\n

To summarize what they discovered: The skills required to thrive in today\u2019s world \u2013 such as honesty, empathy, communication, appreciation and collaboration \u2013 are widely regarded as being on the feminine side of human nature. Consequently, we\u2019ve reached the end of the hyper-masculine era in leadership as these and many other feminine qualities have become more highly valued.<\/i><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a summary of their findings: \u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n