Feminine flare: how female energy can transform the workplace

We’ve seen the effects of man versus nature: resources are exploited and toxic pollution is not a concern for many male-dominated companies. The interesting thing about feminine energy is that it is not a replacement for male domination. Many leaders, both women and men, have stepped up to change the way business operates for the betterment of our world. These efforts are rooted in radical hope, the power of the feminine in business.

Despite the seemingly close connection between the words ‘male’ and ‘female’, the two are not, in fact, etymologically related. In Latin, femina is the word for female, while masculus means male. This distinction in etymology creates space, allowing freedom in our thinking about the two genders, including the blurring of the distinction into more of a continuum, as it is for the younger generations.

The point here is not to assign qualities to the different genders; rather, it is to see the qualities we typically assign as projections of our culture. We say that power is masculine, for example, and nurturing is a feminine quality. Could we imagine a commitment to the fullness of life and then develop the required qualities accordingly? This commitment would require working towards an integrated human being with the intention to affirm life.

Taking an integrated approach

Life-affirming choices lead to profit from surprising places. Take Bumble for example, the dating website that prioritises women making the first contact. If you go to the site, you read, “Here, kindness is sexy, you being you is perfect. And women come first. Always.”  Initially, men would present a profile and women would respond. Feedback suggested that some women preferred not to make the first move, so now it’s possible to set an opening gambit for men to respond first.

Both options are now available, increasing the agency of both men and women. This new possibility points to starting in a fresh place, where the system is not a closed one, allowing for an organic movement within the company, open and responsive to change, which is central for forward motion in a company. All of this becomes possible when we integrate the femina in our awareness.

Life-affirming business practices

My own experience as a CEO comes from working in a local economy for an upscale fast food restaurant chain in the US Pacific Northwest. We wanted to further develop life-affirming practices in our region, integrating the femina, leading to supporting the local economy, helping it to thrive. Not an easy ask when businesses were floundering during the pandemic.

Given our commitment to the local economy, we chose to support our suppliers, modifying the menu to include locally grown organic mint and blueberries, together with beef cultivated according to the principles of regenerative farming. The result was a healthy, locally sourced burger, that lit up the lives of families in our area.  Parents trusted us – even the kids’ meals offered seeds instead of toys. By affirming the life of our community, we were able to offer radical hope during troubled times, keeping businesses going during the pandemic.

To devote ourselves to the fullness of life as leaders in business is not one choice among many. When life and all its richness and prosperity is factored out of the equation, we are left with the stark remnants of a darkening world.  This commitment to creating business as a life-giving force in our world is crucial for leaders, for humans, of any gender.

Even the word ‘human’ could perhaps be better expressed as ‘huperson’, ie an integrated individual. Once we are open to a life-affirming path as the only way forward for business, we become open to a new future, a future that is guiding us to co-create with it.