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I spent most of March traveling the country doing one of my favorite things – spending time with franchise professionals. Any opportunity to dig into the details with franchise owners is encouraging. One lesson I can not stop pondering about is the incredible power that women can bring to leadership positions. There is a long history of women in the franchise. In fact, the modern franchise model was created by a woman – Martha Matilda Harper – in 1891. Currently, women constitute approx. thirty% franchise owners.
It was an honor to spend Women’s History Month connecting one-on-one with so many impressive women – and now I would like to assist connect all of them. I returned from my trip and launched an effort to create a recent network inside Authority Brands to attach and empower women working in the franchising industry through peer learning and community building.
The women leaders I have the privilege of working with consistently display the following key characteristics:
1. Immunity
Resilience is the buzzword of our times and one of the most significant traits I see in women shaping the franchise. AND SAS 2023 survey shows that 97% of managers consider resilience is necessary for their company, but lower than half (47%) consider their organization is resilient. Women are uniquely qualified to fill this resilience gap – they have likely needed to be resilience experts to attain leadership roles.
According to Pew Research Center, most American women agree that women have to do more to prove themselves. Harvard Business Review found that “no age is right to be a woman leader. There has always been an age-related excuse for not taking women seriously, disregarding their opinions, or not hiring or promoting them.”
Women leaders may face many challenges, but the resilience we learn along the way is our superpower.
2. Authenticity
All the women leaders who encourage me have a very strong sense of self. They know who they are, what they consider in, what they are great at and what they should work on. And they’ll inform you without hesitation.
Women who understand personality, values and vision have the opportunity to steer by example as authentic leaders. There is something necessary relation between authentic leadership and worker performance in the workplace. We are all human, and leading with this understanding produces amazing results.
Authenticity can sometimes be uncomfortable. I attempt to encourage my team to ask for help every day. Our willingness to support each other, give and receive support, and share victories is what makes us great.
3. Positive communicators
AND recent research of S&P Global found that women leaders consistently communicate more positively than their male counterparts. Women were more more likely to use words related to empathy, diversity and adaptability, while men were more more likely to use language associated with transactions, growth and performance. A positive attitude and an emphasis on empathy, diversity and adaptability impact every element of the team and can assist attract and retain top talent.
To be our greatest, we must draw from the full spectrum of communication styles.
4. Empathy
Every time I refer to one of our franchise owners, I see how their empathy helps them empower their employees and understand their customers.
Franchising has never been just about business – it is also about people. And people remember the way you make them feel even greater than they remember the words you say. Whatever you call it empathy, emotional intelligence or something else, great women leaders at all times have it. This power is not about being nice, but about truly understanding the people you interact with and using that to seek out the best way forward.
The more leaders show empathy and genuinely strive to know employees’ wants and needs, the happier their teams will likely be.
5. Cooperation
At our last Authority Brands board meeting, I took a photo of all the women sitting at the table together. Having enough women leaders to fill the table is still rare, but we are changing that.
Assembling a group of women leaders is a science of collaboration. They understand the power of relationships at all levels. Building strong relationships is especially effective in a franchise setting because our system is so large and there is so much to learn from other business owners.
The impressive women leaders I meet are as interested in learning from and empowering others as they are in growing in their very own leadership journey. I think Martha Matilda Harper can be proud.
6. Action-oriented
An ideal vision is only value so much. The leaders around me understand this perfectly. They are determined because they know there is no time to waste. It took them a lot of time and exertions to get where they are, so they do not hesitate to take the needed steps to achieve the next level.
All of the strengths I have outlined are present in the decision-making technique of women leaders. Their focus on positive collaboration and empathetic understanding results in decisions their team trusts. Their resilience serves as an example in times of uncertainty and struggle.
The path to women’s leadership looks a bit different. Time and understanding change this, but for now, the challenges we face can assist shape us into leaders with whom the women of the future will likely be proud to share their legacy.