How Women Lead The Way When It Comes To Building Strong Relationships In Business

When you run an SME, much of your success depends on the strength of the relationships you build. After all, a small to medium-sized business is highly personal, and having advanced interpersonal skills can be a distinct advantage.  

Leading the way are our nation’s women. Research consistently shows that women possess qualities that make them exceptional leaders and entrepreneurs. Businesses are increasingly understanding this: according to the Australian Government, one in three small businesses in Australia are now owned or operated by women, with that number is growing at a faster rate than their male counterparts.  

Here’s our top three reasons why women are winning in business relationships! 

We’re just going to put it out there: women can be naturally stronger when it comes to emotional intelligence. For example, women have a heightened ability to be self-aware, manage emotions, display empathy, read social cues and understand emotional situations. They can tap into these skills in the workplace, helping them to navigate complex scenarios, work effectively with colleagues, and manage interpersonal dynamics with customers and stakeholders effectively.  

Women have an innate ability to read body language and nonverbal cues. They have consideration for the people they are interacting with, and they often have advanced listening skills. Whether it’s in the boardroom or the packing room, female managers know how to work with people and get them onside. In addition, women usually value open and honest communication and frequently prefer to work in a collaborative manner.  

Empathy is all about understanding the feelings of others, and leaving people feeling appreciated and cared for. This is a highly valuable trait in business. For example, a female manager might be better at understanding the actual deep-seated needs of an unhappy customer or employee, rather than just looking at the surface issue. Women like to treat people with respect, and their instinctive desire to take care of the people and world around them also has distinct benefits when applied to business.   

Women value relationships. Small to medium-sized businesses are built on relationships. Put the two together and it’s easy to see why SMEs are increasingly investing in women.