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For years, you've known intuitively that female leaders drive superior performance. Today, research documents the positive impact organizations with more female leaders have up to 65% higher financial results; the only high predictor of a group's creativity and effectiveness is the number of women in the group; peers, bosses, direct reports, and associates rate executive women up to 10% better as leaders; and companies with women on their boards outperform those without. Here are six characteristics that define the leadership strengths of women: 1. Women are values-based. 2. Women view the world holistically. 3. Women are inclusive and collaborative. 4. Women invest time in consultation. 5. Women create shared vision, values, and goals. 6. Women generate trust.

It's an argument I've heard for years. \"When woman-owned businesses are as large as male-owned businesses, and they move into industries like engineering, construction, and hightech, they will start making decisions in the same way that men do.\" But today, women entrepreneurs do own and run sizeable, high-growth enterprises in all industries, including those that are traditionally male-dominated. However, rather than emulating their male counterparts, women are embracing a decision-making style that is inclusive, consultative, and collaborative. In fact, say women leaders, this very different decision-making style is what is carrying them successfully through the recession. It has become common knowledge that men tend to stress what is known as \"left-brain\" thinking while women prefer \"right-brain\" thinking. Research into male and female entrepreneurs' decision-making styles by the Center for Women's Business Research found that women and men entrepreneurs are similar to the general population in that way. Men entrepreneurs strongly prefer left-brain thinking, characterized by facts, logic, and hierarchy. On the other hand, women are more likely to use right-brain thinking, characterized by relationship building, values, and intuition. The real news in this research is that women are also likely to use both right- and left-brain thinking. While they do indeed focus on relationship building, values, and intuition, they also utilize facts and logic in the decision-making process. \"Clients often want to go for the quick fix, which can be very profitable for me,\" says Alicia Jacobs, founding partner, Aj ament Partners, a consultant to Fortune 100 companies and leading nonprofit organizations. \"But these are short-term gains with no long-term potential. For example, recently a new client offered me a contract to provide consulting services to a single unit. Recognizing that the issues were broader than just the one unit, I decided to gamble on the future,\"Jacobs shares. \"I turned down the contract and gave the client my recommendations for a more comprehensive approach. Some months later, the client came back, and the result was a contract that is much more effective for the client and one that provides substantially more income and visibility for my business.\"

The phenomental growth of women owned businesses has made head-lines for three decades-women con- sistently have been launching new enterprises at twice the rate of men and their growth rates of employment an reve- nue have outpaced the economy.

[...] you have women's own self-limiting views of themselves, their businesses and the opportunities available to them. [...] she either delays growth or, more commonly, lowers her goals.

[...] you have women's own self-limiting views of themselves, their businesses and the opportunities available to them. [...] she either delays growth or, more commonly, lowers her goals. --

Take control of your destiny. Believe in yourself and have the confidence to act based on your vision and capabilities. And get comfortable with being uncomfortable-growth comes from doing things you have never done before. \"I feel really proud of persevering, because some of the things I have donc arc terrifying,\" says Kim Roberts, director of government analysis at Science Applications International Corporation, \"I don't mean in a physical sense; 1 mean having no clue what I was doing. And yet, I was successful.\" \"What financials help you do is focus,\" says Maria Coyne, an executive vicc president at Key-Hank and a member of KeyCorp's Executive Council. \"Having the right metrics and measurements provides a road map to measure progress against your goals, set milestones, and make adjustments along the way. They keep you grounded in what you are trying to accomplish.\" \"Don't underestimate the role that happy accidents play in your personal life or career,\" says Susan Hclstab, executive vice president of marketing for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. \"You can plan a life, but ultimately, it's the things you can't plan that have the biggest influence on your life,\" ?

Women-owned businesses are gaining increasing recognition as a significant force in the U.S economy, and are poised to reach new heights in the 21st Cenlwy. Recent research conducted by the National-Foundation for women Business Owners (NPWBO) highlights recent growth in the economic power women owned firms.

Substantial progress has been made in access to capital for women business owners, according to a new study by the National Foundation for Women Business Owners (NFWBO). Compared to four years ago, women business owners are much more likely to report satisfaction with their banking relationships and much less likely to use credit cards as a source of capital. Despite this progress, women-owned businesses still have lower levels of credit and are less likely to seek financing than male-owned businesses.