Why is balancing the masculine and feminine a secret weapon for leaders?

Balance is hard. Nature gives us many great examples, but we’ve decidedly gone against nature.

The corporate world heavily rewards a masculine approach. Deliver results, crush outcomes, beat forecasts, get shit done.

Leadership is different.

Leadership requires a delicate balance between the masculine and feminine.

The heavy hammer vs. the soft hand. One is not inherently better than the other. Sometimes a direct, goal oriented approach will outperform a more collaborative, creative approach. Other times it’s reversed. Each situation, circumstance and environment will require its own balance on the sliding scale between masculine and feminine.

Too much masculine might lead to burn out, churn, and disconnection. Too much feminine might lead to a lack of accountability, missed deadlines and a lack of clarity. A custom approach will outperform a fixed style and mindset every single time.

The best leaders I know navigate this balance naturally. They had to learn from trial and error because it’s rarely being taught. It feels like this is changing and I’m seeing more and more teachings around the importance of balance and harmony. That change can’t come soon enough.