For far too long, it’s been a societal norm that men are in charge. Men were expected to “bring home the bacon” while women were to take care of the children on home front. The times, they are a changin’, and even former President Obama and comedian Stephen Colbert have vocalized their opinions as to why more women should be in charge in the corporate world.

Things are changing slowly as women take more and more opportunities to prove what they are capable of. For example, the recent Women’s Marches, organized around the world, were massive, national events orchestrated and spearheaded by women. Unfortunately, there are stigmas attached to strong women in managerial positions, but it’s something that several women are learning to use to their advantage.

Women have worked hard to get where they are today, including Jenna Oltersdorf, CEO of Snackbox PR. As a woman who worked for several male CEOs in her lifetime, she took notes on how things could improve with a woman in charge. She decided she wanted to be a part of the change in the industry rather than watching from the sidelines.

1

Women have a thorough thought process

Contrary to popular belief, women are not always irrational. When dealing with big decisions, women take their time and contemplate several different scenarios.

Often times, they’ll create a pros and cons list to look at what direction would be best in the grand scheme of things. They also tend to seek out advice from trusted officials and consider other points of view on certain situations.

2

Women have a diverse way of thinking

Women don’t usually see things as a contest. They think less about the end goal and more about the process of getting there. That means they are less focused on what their neighbor or competitor is doing, and more focused on their own work and how to improve it.

3

Women are usually more practical

The most important attribute of women may be that they are practical, not theoretical. They want to know how this new product or idea will help them. They also tend to put up with less crap in the work place. “Women tend to have little tolerance for corporate shenanigans and ethical gray areas,” Patricia Sellers, co-founder of SellersEaston Media, said in a 2014 “Fortune” magazine article.

4

Women work harder than men

While I’m sure this stings the ego of some readers, it’s the truth. Women work harder than men because we have to. There is still a wage gap that women in America are fighting against and now, more than ever, it’s important for females to show companies and leaders why they deserve equal pay. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women outnumber men in general. Women make up 47 percent of the workforce, but “women still lag in leadership positions, holding only five percent of top corporate positions and a minority of positions in elected legislatures,” CNN says.

Due to the stigma that surrounds women, and women in charge, females in the workplace must work harder to prove they are worthy of the same respect as their male counterparts. Not to mention the fact that a woman’s work is never truly over. According to Pew Research Center, women still carry the brunt of responsibility in their home life as well. So basically, women are constantly working two jobs.

5

Women are better at multitasking

A BCM Psychology study found that while both women and men slow down when given more than one task, the women in the study outperformed the men in the multi-tasking paradigms. Considering the aforementioned Pew Research study, women are constantly multitasking between working and being in charge at home, so it only makes sense that they would perform better than men in this aspect. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, women are more likely than men to earn a bachelor’s degree by age 29. This is usually done while working one or two jobs at the same time as taking classes.

“Americans tend to describe leadership with tough male stereotypes, but recent leadership studies show increased success for what was once considered a ‘feminine style,’” wrote Joseph Nye, of CNN.

A new CNN/ORC poll found that eight in 10 Americans say the country is ready for its first female president. A shift is on the horizon and as a female CEO, Jenna is honored to be a part of it.