Are you a #bosslady in your organization? Do you have women at the top of the organizational chart for your company? Thankfully, this is not as unusual as it was decades ago, when it was practically unheard of for women to be in positions of leadership. According to the Washington Post in 2015, “The number of female CEOs of America’s most influential companies is stuck at 5%, as it was the year before. While women make up 45% of the labor force of the S&P 500, few are climbing to the very top.” [1] So where are the women going? In a recent article by HR Morning, management consultant giant @KornFerry was referenced for a their study showing that women outperform men in 11 out of 12 key competencies for emotional intelligence. What??? That number is absolutely astonishing when you put it next to the measly 5% of women actually in power roles. So what gives?

If women have the key to successful talent management, then what’s the problem? Well, unfortunately, in today’s world women do still have to work harder to get to the top and are sometimes held back by things such as family obligations. But, if you are a company CEO or change maker, then it’s up to you to make a difference in your company for the rest of the women out there working hard to move on up the corporate ladder.

This particular study gives us great insight into how and why these changes can be implemented and what differences are still noted in the gender wars in our workplaces in the U.S. The study examined data from 55,000 professionals across 90 counties and in all levels of management. The data was collected between 2011 and 2015, and utilized The Emotional and Social Competency Inventory (ESCI) and suggests a huge need for women to take on leadership roles and for them to be offered the same opportunity for advancement as men.

Here are a few take-away points!

The greatest difference between men and women can be seen in the area of emotional self-awareness (women are 86% more likely to use this in the workplace).

• Women are 45% more likely than men to use empathy regularly in the workplace.
• The smallest margin of difference between men and women is in the area of positive outlook.
• Women outperform men in coaching, mentoring, positive influence, inspirational leadership, conflict management, organizational awareness, adaptability and teamwork, and in achievement orientation.

 [1] https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/06/04/the-number-of-fortune-500-companies-led-by-women-is-at-an-all-time-high-5-percent/