What Makes a Great Woman EntrepreneurDo you think women need different characteristics or behavior than men to succeed as business owners? As a woman in the business world for 50 years, I still can’t answer this question. I’ve never tried to be different from my male counterparts; I just did what I did and moved forward. But there’s certainly a lot of discussion on social media about this question. Here are some of the answers I found and you can draw your own conclusion.

Lists of qualities for a successful female entrepreneur

Entrepreneur lists 8 qualities to drive success as a female entrepreneur:

  1. Integrity
  2. Humility and willingness to learn
  3. Resilience and persistence
  4. Intuition
  5. Adaptability
  6. Communication skills
  7. Empathy
  8. Strong support system

She Owns It lists 15 characteristics of exceptional women entrepreneurs:

  1. Be authentic
  2. Positivity
  3. Ambition + vision
  4. Know their strengths
  5. Confidence
  6. Organization
  7. Self growth
  8. Failure is not the end
  9. Hardworking
  10. Let it go
  11. Thankfulness
  12. Support system
  13. Not easily provoked
  14. Belief
  15. Never surrender

There are numerous other lists you can check out, including ones from:

My list of attributes for developing leadership qualities

In 2019, I posted a monthly blog on leadership qualities that all business owners should have or develop, whether male or female. I think (and you can disagree with me) that the following qualities apply to everyone:

  1. Optimism
  2. Taking responsibility
  3. Patience
  4. Open mindedness
  5. Grit
  6. Empathy
  7. Creativity and vision
  8. Decision-making
  9. Integrity and honesty
  10. Listening and communicating
  11. Confidence, courage, and inspiration
  12. Delegating

Final thought

The one thing that may distinguish exceptional women business owners from their male counterparts is support from other women. Throughout the years, I’ve been a member of various business groups, including chambers of commerce, bar associations, and networking groups. A few have been specifically for women (though men were not barred from membership). I found these women’s groups to be especially supportive of the challenges and rewards I experienced. But that’s just me.

As I said, during this time of Women’s History Month you decide if the qualities and characteristics of successful business owners differ by sex.

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