The Powerhouse Women Who Are Leading the Way

Strong women. For some, the phrase evokes images of domineering wives and mothers, and for others, female action superheroes, but the reality of strong women and their role in society, while sometimes incorporating superhuman effort, is far more robust and vital than any stereotype.

The strength, grit, and emotional sensitivity that strong women possess are make them essential to society. They are the beacons of instigating positive social change.

This begins with the family where a woman’s strength of character, empathetic nature, and perseverance are the structural foundation, ensuring a smooth journey through daily life, guiding the family through unexpected trials and tribulations, raising children to become independent, objective, and kind adults, and pursuing careers that they love.

Children exposed to powerful women come to appreciate and respect a woman’s intelligence, emotional intuitiveness, and abilities. If a strong woman is a parent or someone in a household with families, this strength creates a sense of pride in young people and sets a standard and example for them to follow. This is exciting for future generations, who can model themselves after their trailblazers to create a society where female strength is celebrated and others are looked at through the lens of compassion and kindness.

Throughout history, powerful women have demonstrated courage and perseverance to effect social change that reflects their passions and principles, ultimately benefiting the whole of society.  They show us what having a cause to believe in wholeheartedly looks like and the drive to stay the course.

A brilliant example of this is women’s right to vote, granted with the passing of the 19th amendment in 1920. The women behind the suffragette movement took up a decades-long fight and triumphed despite facing tremendous hardship. The rights we take for granted are a testament to their emotional strength and determination.

And the list of women who have been pioneers in making our society better is vast, including people like Marie Curie, Florence Nightingale, Rosa Parks, and Ada Lovelace. History Extra: https://www.historyextra.com/100-women/100-women-results/

Enter the 21st century, where fearless, strong women are charting the course for future generations, having shown how much they contribute at their jobs at all levels and disciplines. According to one of many Pew Research Center reports investigating what makes a good leader, honesty, intelligence, compassion, and innovation ranked high on the rating scale. When comparing these characteristics between men and women, women scored higher in most of them.

In addition to these findings, many arguments exist for and against the fact that women and men lead differently, indicating that women focus on relationships, managing expectations, and searching for input. In contrast, men concentrate on promoting their abilities and final outcomes.

Whichever side of this argument you’re on, imagine the possibilities of harnessing the attributes of all people, not only in the workplace, but in every aspect of life. 

When it comes down to it, as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Women are like teabags – you don’t know how strong they are until you put them in hot water”.