How Women Leaders Make a Difference

We aren’t saying that women are better leaders than men. Just that women do bring some unique skills to the table which differentiate them from men.

Gender equality is increasing in workplaces. Women are getting their meed in terms of equal pay, respect and power. They are getting higher positions in the hierarchy and been genuinely appreciated for their efforts.

In the luxury industry, having women at top positions becomes somehow even more important. Specially with fashion, accessories and jewelry brands, where women are the primary consumers, having women leaders tends to fare better for the brands.

Speaking to some women bosses in the luxury industry, they did concur that since women have an inherently better artistic eye, they tend to create better products. Take, for example, Silvia Venturini Fendi. She has created some fantastic handbags under her aegis, which proved to be a boon for women across the world. Fendi baguette resolved the need of a bag which could be tucked under your arm, while Fendi Peekaboo gave us multiple and varied pockets in which we could fill all our necessities in an orderly way! The recent surge of interest (and campaigning) in Fendi Baguette shows that some innovative ideas never go out of style. Shaped like the French bread by the same name, Fendi Baguette has been assisting women for more than a decade now!

Most of the times, a woman can understand women better. Apart from their aesthetic senses, women are more cognizant of the feelings of their fellow workers. They can empathise better, hence having a more fruitful relationship with their employees. Usually having families of their own, women leaders understand the importance of and encourage work-life balance. They have a high Emotional Quotient. This is turn earns employee loyalty and gratitude.

Women also are fantastic multitaskers. Already balancing the myriad needs of a family, they know how to complete company goals in time. Women are well-equipped to create methods and systems which enable to achieve tasks in an organized way, while offering perfect quality.

If you need examples, there are many around us. In the fashion world, Diane von Frustenberg, Stella McCartney, Vera Wang, Miuccia Prada, Donatella Versace, Ritu Kumar, Farah Khan Ali – all are spearheading the industry with panache and intellect. Angela Ahrendts, Indra Nooyi, Marissa Mayer, Sheryl Sandberg, Michelle Obama, Hillary Clinton, Martha Stewart – all are changing rules in the technology, business and political worlds.

We women are adaptable, yet firm. Easy-going, yet with a tough attitude. We know when to let go, and when things need to be absolutely perfect. There are more women leaders needed to make workplaces stronger, intelligent and well-balanced.

Soumya Jain is the Chief Editor & CEO of LuxuryFacts.com – the first and only luxury blog and magazine in India. She is also the Co-Editor of ‘The Luxury Market in India: Maharajas to Masses’, published by Palgrave Macmillan and launched in September 2012. The book is a window into the highly complex Indian luxury market. Soumya is also a visiting lecturer for luxury marketing and online journalism at leading educational institutes in India. She has been invited to speak at conferences and address industry colleagues about the Indian luxury market. Recognising her knowledge of the market, she has been quoted by media such as Fast Company, Wall Street Journal & Financial Times among others, while also contributing articles on luxury in various publications.