Written by: Anisha Patel, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
It’s a man’s world! Or so they say… So how does femininity fit into this masculine world? It's time to acknowledge how so many successful women (and men) are leading the charge, conquering the corporate world, and doing it whilst leaning into their unique intuitive feminine energies, perhaps without even knowing it. By exploring your inner yin and yang energies, unlock your true unwavering leadership to develop a resilient strategy, mindset and workforce.
In today’s world, 2024, you would like to think that there are no societal differences in pay, equality, mentality, accessibility to resources, etc., between women and men, yet here we stand. There is total chaos in the world of equity, and now, as we look to introduce a full spectrum of characteristic differentiators, for example, with gender, we do not have a solid foundation to build from. So many women around the globe continue to fight the good fight and show the world what it is missing by dismissing the characteristic contributions of the feminine divine. So what is Feminine Energy? To answer this question, we first need to understand the inevitable duality of our existence: sun and moon, yin and yang, yes and no, life and death, the list goes on, but the point is that we cannot have one without the other. The light shines only when surrounded by darkness. In a similar vein, feminine energy counters, or rather complements, masculine energy.
What is the difference between feminine and masculine energies?
The difference has nothing to do with gender. As mentioned previously, one cannot exist without the other, and therefore, each one of us has to channel both of these energies in our lives. To avoid any confusion, feminine energy does not only apply to women, it is present in men and all other genders too.
Feminine energy refers to the 'yin' energy, with masculine being 'yang'. Feminine energy refers to our ability to flow. To flow, channel, adapt, be intuitive and nurturing; this typically relates to the maternal elements of a woman. Masculine energy is much louder, faster, forceful, and action-orientated; as is the stereotypical role of a father. Both energies are vibrant and are two sides of the same coin.
The feminine energy profile
From the description, feminine energy can often be mistaken as subservient, lesser, weaker, or incapable – this is simply not true. The feminine energy is powerful, badass and carries your fury. You do not want to mess with this vibe. Feminine energy comes largely through our connection to the Earth. Grounding, meditating, staying present, and being passionate all give us perspective, so we know better than to chase the wrong rabbit hole, and instead, we pause, analyze, think, listen to the signals around us, and then act. In a lot of cases, this energy is ready to listen to people, create a community and make more strategic movements. Relationships, connection and authenticity are traits that we can lean into to bring this energy forward. If these are the pros, the cons would be that leading with feminine energy can sometimes lead to overwhelm, stress and anxiety. You can sometimes feel hidden or are not noticed because you do not always loudly share your raw, impulsive views. There is certainly a time and place for that but more often than not, the feminine is more inclined to take time to evaluate and reflect. So how does feminine energy impact your leadership?
1. Inner wisdom & deduction
Now this may sound very wishy-washy to my fellow corporate colleagues, but I invite you to keep your mind open here for a minute. Inner wisdom, in other words, intuition or a gut feeling, is not always about a magical or supernatural ability. It can also come from developing the skills of observation, connection and deduction. Many life coaches and healers will say we develop patterns throughout our lives which keep us stuck in limiting beliefs or vicious cycles. Whilst I agree that largely this is true, it is also within our ability to recognise these patterns and so break free and transform. The skill of recognition or self-awareness/reflection is where the magic lies. Do you notice your daily habits? The pattern of behaviours your boss displays before an outburst? The way the other parents talk about their children? Whatever the pattern is, if you can recognise it, you can be free of it. A great example of this is demonstrated by actor Robert Downey Jr. in his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock takes in all of the information first, calculates the best outcomes and then acts. Now, of course, this is a film, but the essence of this practice is driven by the deductive mindset of feminine energy. Do not be mistaken, this is not about risk management, it is about reason.
So how do you build up your recognition skills? …easy. Be present. Live in the moment. Take in all the information not just what’s in front of you. Listen to the unspoken messages. If you’re still stuck, try a short meditation. And why is inner wisdom and deduction important in being a visionary leader? Because this is not just about the ‘x’ number of years of experience, this skill is open to all at any stage. Being able to piece together a complex puzzle by taking in the information, noticing the pattern, and then acting. You are less likely to ‘mess up’, you make smarter calls thinking steps ahead because you have listened to your inner wisdom and reason.
2. Physical perceptions of confidence
When we lean into masculine leadership, we often forget to consider the natural beauty, essence and art around us. This principle is typically observed through our physical appearance. Perhaps slightly more rushed or sloppy – not bad, just not cultivated with grace or real thought. When we choose to act with the feminine instinct, we present ourselves in a more put-together manner and when we look good, we feel more confident. This is not to say women know how to dress and men do not, as stated earlier, all genders have both masculine and feminine energies which cannot be denied. This is simply pointing out that when we want to feel better through our appearance, we are leading with that yin pull to the feminine. Appreciating beauty in all forms.
The reason why this is particularly important and makes you a stronger leader is because of the magnetic effect you have when you radiate true inner confidence. When the world around you sees you shining, leading by example, people whether colleagues or clients, will naturally be drawn into this glowing energy encapsulating and following you. If you can draw in the hearts and minds of teams and clients, you will always have a community to lead from. This point may sound irrelevant, but it cannot be denied. When we have an interview or a big life event, we always ensure we look good to feel good. Of course, your inner shine is much deeper but this point relates to how others perceive you and your leadership. If you can create an aura of grace, elegance and a collected mannerism around you, imagine what this same skill could do for your visionary strategy.
3. Strategic vision & creativity
Whilst the yang masculine energy is fast-moving and can be aggressive, forceful or impulsive, the yin feminine is more calculated. Instead of reacting, there is a desire or drive to look at the facts and observe and understand the landscape before taking action. In other words, formulating a strategy. Many people believe feminine energy is about sitting back and seeing how things play out. This is not quite true. The feminine will sit back to ‘strategise’, not be to be passive or in fact lazy waiting for the masculine to drive. There is a difference between letting things happen to you, and learning to adapt to change! As mentioned, the feminine considers the factors and then makes a move. Just as you take pride in how you put yourself together each morning, the feminine energy drives you to weave together a holistic image, strategy or vision. This is a powerful and vital skill for any resilient leader; to be able to shift and manoeuvre through a strategic vision, without doubt, stress or overwhelm and to be able to adapt and rebuild the pathways in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Thank you feminine divine for getting us through life's challenges!
Ultimately, this strategic vision setting comes down to creativity. Being able to create your strategic vision in a masterful, almost artistic, way. Creativity is commonly associated with feminine energy. Typically, we think about creativity in the form of art, music, literature etc. we often forget about creativity in the subtle mannerisms of life. Whether that is in the form of building our daily outfits, in the florals or scents we bring into our homes, or in the visual presentations, slides and strategies we cultivate at work. All creativity is born from this feminine energy. How beautiful.
4. Mindset – The calm, collected visionary
Temperament. The calm, collected, patience of a visionary leader is all accredited to the mindset characteristics of the feminine divine. As previously described, having the ability to slow down and process what’s before you is necessary when cultivating strategy. Most people in the corporate world are under immense pressure to deliver, deliver on cost, on quality and on time, if not cheaper or earlier. The unrealistic expectations of leadership can be crushing and lead to high stress, burn out and frustration. How this visibly manifests is in the form of toxic working environments and cultures i.e. it becomes acceptable to verbally or mentally abuse co-workers when deadlines are approaching and the results have not been achieved. Thus begins the spiralling of the mental strength of you, your team and your business. Now, this is very much the case in many large businesses, with the belittled Human Resources (HR) department tasked with keeping up morale, supporting wellbeing, and showing the culture can change – without sounding too negative, this is an upward battle which, in my experience, has never been won. No, true cultural transformation must begin with the mindset, and that, too, the mindsets of those empowered, leading the business. So the next time you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, check in with yourself, which energy do you choose to bring forward?
It is much easier to say than do, and I, too, fail at this at times, leading to extreme burnout and depression. But, through years of practice and learning, I know I have trained my mind to be aware and conscious in my decision-making and reactions at work. So how can you too develop a stronger, more mindful mindset? Start small, a simple short guided meditation, even just 5 minutes every day for one week. When I first started meditating, my mind would spiral and I could not concentrate on the words spoken. I was internally too busy and stressed to be giving myself to this meditation, so here is the trick – always bring your attention back to your breath. 3, maybe 4, seconds inhaling and the same out. Placing a hand on your stomach or chest, notice the rise and fall. Keep focussing on this natural movement and if a thought decides to distract you, allow it to pass by and continue to notice the natural breathing motion of the body.
Through the practice of meditation, your mind becomes more resilient and you give yourself more space to think strategically if and when a problem arises. This response will unlock far more than you can imagine, not only in your work life but also in your personal life. Step into your unwavering leadership.
5. Community & connection
The fifth point, often ranked lowest in priority but can be the most powerful, is the ability of a leader to bring together and develop a true and united community or workforce. Again, I know what you may be thinking here: that nurturing a community is not the main job of a leader, but note, if you have no followers or no agreeable followers, who are you leading? Dragging your teams kicking and screaming into your vision is going to develop even more resentment towards leadership and you will no doubt be met with resistance at all levels, either manifesting as slow or uninterested participation.
Through developing and empowering the feminine energy within, you can learn about the pains of your people and unlock the truth behind poor retention, poor performance, poor growth, etc. So how do you do this? The hardest part for a leader will no doubt be making time for it. Make time and prioritise a small portion of the weekly calendar to understand the views, feedback, wash ups of your teams. Where is the error occurring? In my experience, a large percentage of colleagues have felt that they were not brought into the larger vision of the business and so feel undervalued. Companies love creating one-liners for the mission, vision and values of the business, but are you actually bringing the team along with you? Explaining their purpose? Taking them on the journey? …I leave this to you to think about.
The feminine energy is very invested in relationships. I am in no way saying you should know every single person in the business and their personal lives… no. This is about making relationships with the immediate teams you work with or influence and guide. Do not command – this can kill morale. Take them on the journey from where you are now, to what you envision for the future. How can they get there too? What is their role? Are there aspects that you have overlooked? The most effective way I have found to strategise is through workshops. Again, not a workshop for the entire business but for those who are going to be most impacted by this line of decisions. If your business is very large, start with a survey and explain that survey results will be considered in this leadership workshop, etc. Make everyone feel accountable for the future of the business. Wrap your arms around them – metaphorically of course. By doing this, you create an empowered workforce who are excited and involved, and care! Why do you want this? ..Results. People will work for what they believe in.
There you have it, five fundamental ways in which your feminine, yin energy is making you a more powerful, resilient and visionary leader. Through the power of observation, artistic or creative perspective, adaptability, and a composed and invested mentality, you can unlock profound growth and performance in yourself, your team and your business. The question remains, is that who you want or are ready to become? I look forward to seeing how you change the world.
Anisha Patel, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Anisha Patel is the driving force behind true equitable female empowerment in the workplace. As a young engineering professional, Anisha faced her fair share of challenges. Witnessing and experiencing injustice, inequality, ignorance and imposter syndrome. She has since transformed her life by helping others to recognise and overcome adversity in order to step into their true inner power and self confidence. Her mission is to build a community for powerful diverse individuals to conquer the world’s challenges.
