While the title of this article may sound somewhat provocative, its purpose is to talk about the opportunities and developments we, humankind, are missing every day due to our own prejudice about the role of women.
At the same time, it’s a thank you to all open-minded people who treat the work of female entrepreneurs and employees with respect and see value in their contribution.
Let it be a word of support to all remarkable women who succeeded in the tech and Web3 industries despite all the extraordinary challenges and social pressure that we have been facing for centuries.
While most would agree that the effectiveness of managers depends on the individual and the situation, ask yourself — how likely are you to hire a woman for an executive position in your business? Would you invest in a business founded by a female entrepreneur, especially in male-dominated industries such blockchain, crypto, finance or gaming?
My recent survey reveals that both male and female Web3 entrepreneurs tend to hire men for executive roles in their companies.
Let's explore the common challenges women face in business and the benefits of integrating both female and male intellectual resources to drive efficient business growth.
Key challenges faced by women in business
Questioning their intellectuality
This issue is neither vague nor hypothetical; I am sure most female executives have encountered it at some point in their careers. Women in leadership roles must invest significantly more time and effort to earn respect, as their professional expertise and intellectuality are always questioned and underestimated, purely due to gender cliches.
Underestimation of stress resilience
There is a prejudice that women always overreact and can’t keep calm to make the right decisions in stressful situations. In the context of the modern world, this view is overly simplistic and doesn’t take into account individual differences.
I have witnessed how both male and female leaders could effectively resolve complex business challenges and keep delivering even under super strong psychological pressure while many (again, both male and female) resigned from their job positions in the same situations and conditions. From what I’ve experienced in business, stress resilience doesn’t really depend on your gender, it’s rather the personality’s choice and trait of character just like the feeling of responsibility or honesty.
Cliches about the role of women
For centuries, society used to see a woman in the social roles of a mother, daughter, wife, and housekeeper. Anything beyond these social roles - meets social pressure that discourages many women from following their dreams, using their talents for the public good, becoming leaders, entrepreneurs, etc.
History knows multiple examples of women whose remarkable talent, ideas, and dedication have significantly advanced science, technology, and other industries, earning them the additional role of trailblazers. While historical epochs evolve, overcoming social cliches about the role of women remains a challenge even in the 21st century.
Advantages of the women’s way of thinking in business
Multitasking
Men and women often approach the same problem from different angles and using different cognitive styles. While men are great at focusing on and resolving complex, singular tasks, women tend to demonstrate great multitasking skills. Both approaches are equally important and can significantly benefit business operations.
A different perspective on things
As mentioned above, men and women approach things differently, which can contribute to developing a more holistic vision and more comprehensive business strategy. Our psyche and brain work differently: what is obvious to men shouldn’t be necessarily obvious to women. But it also works vice versa: the solution obvious to women shouldn’t be necessarily obvious to men. And we can use this difference for our benefit in business and for public good.
Understanding your target audience is essential for any business. Identifying the specific motivations and needs of your customers is crucial for designing and marketing a product that effectively addresses their pain points. Even if your product is aimed at a male demographic, incorporating a female perspective can still offer valuable insights. Not mentioning that the woman can help understand the female target audience better.
Empathy & flexibility
In people management, female directors often care about the well-being of their employees more. Women usually show higher sensitivity to feeling the emotional atmosphere in the team and even slight changes in its performance, allowing them to address potential problems that may cause delayed deliverables and more serious harm to business.
What Helps Women Succeed in Business
Courage not to let society break you :)
The business world, particularly in blockchain, Web 3.0, and other tech industries, is tough and requires particular courage from women to protect themselves from mistreatment. Not excusing abuse and disrespect may cost women valuable business relationships and big contracts. However, staying true to yourself and protecting your interests and values, will pay you in establishing a strong reputation and business resilience in the long term.
I would like to express my gratitude to all the exceptional people (both men and women) who support female entrepreneurs despite common social prejudices. Although achieving gender inclusion in business may take decades, if not longer, I trust that this message will resonate with those who have the opportunity to drive change in their daily business interactions with employees and partners.