The Power of (Women’s) Web Thinking
by Guest Blogger, Lena West, Chief of Social Media Strategy at xynoMedia
I couldn’t resist sharing a portion of an article titled, “31 Ways of Looking at Power”, in the September 2009, issue of O Magazine. As the Founder of a company that provides social media strategy for dynamic women CEO’s (and the companies they lead), I could not think of a better way to use the space in my blog post this week than to share with you #18, as written and shared by Biological Anthropologist, Helen Fisher, from that list. As my friend, Donna, would say: please read it once for content and then a second time for clarity. It’s THAT deep. Enjoy.
“#18 – The Power of Web Thinking
Men and women are like two feet; they can help each other get ahead. And, in part, this is because they have different ways of thinking. Women, on average, collect more bits of data, assemble that data into more complex patterns, and weigh more options as they make decisions. Women tend to see the big picture; they generalize and synthesize as they consider webs of factors—what I call “web thinking.” Men, on the other hand, get to the point. Typically, they are more likely to focus on what they consider relevant, then ponder in a more linear progression: “step thinking.” Both approaches have merit. Each has been traced, respectively, to the hormones estrogen and testosterone. And each evolved millions of years ago as women did more multitasking to rear the young, while men spent more time zeroing in on one thing at a time—often hunting game.
Web thinking has its payoffs—among them women’s intuition, imagination, and natural aptitude for long-term planning and networking. No wonder we’re headed for a powerful role in the world.
Why? Because the world is coming around to our way of thinking. Communication itself has taken a weblike turn as social networking and collaborative enterprises like Wikipedia become part of our daily lives. Business has also begun to favor women’s strong suits. Globalization requires taking a broad contextual and long-term view. And with our growing concern over healthcare, poverty, and the state of the planet, creative thinking is currently in high demand.
Women, it turns out, are built to lead—particularly in the modern world.”
P.S. A friendly reminder that I could be presenting with Baat Enosh from @NCWIT at #SXSW next year! But, only if you vote for my panel here. (Hint: Just click the “thumbs up” button at the top. A 15-second registration is required before you vote!)
Related posts: