Leadership and the Female Brain

Yesterday I talked about the male brain under stress and the need to stimulate the brain to stay present by the click, tap, drum, or hum methods in meetings. I guess the click top pen was designed just for men to be able to handle the anxiety of difficult meetings.

Now what about the women?

It seems they have a different approach to stress and anxiety. Women’s brains are hard wired to connect the dots, to see how one thing is connected to another. This has to do with the fact that females have ten times more white matter in their brains. This white matter goes across both sides of the brain and everything has something to do with everything else.

So, when women get anxious in a meeting?

TOO MUCH INFORMATION! Yup, there is a tendency to talk about ALL the details in a project. Some women have mastered this addictive desire to tell it all while others are like that Chatty Cathy doll of yore and keep going until the battery starts to wear down.

Here is a rule of thumb when you are doing the talking: the more anxious, the more details. What you can do is tame the stress by some deep breathing, taking a bio break (what I like to call “liquid leveling”), even just deciding to stand up if you are sitting or sit down if you are standing. Anything to change your physical state even for a moment will help.

Details are good. Connecting the dots of how aspects of a situation fit together are important. However, too much of anything becomes toxic. So, ladies watch out for too many details.

How we relate in the workplace is one of the major aspects of our GUTSY WOMEN WEEKEND. Join us! The next one is scheduled on Friday evening November 11 through Sunday morning November 13 at The Country Place Retreat and Conference Center in White Haven Pa. Email maryjane@ceoptions.com or call 570 636 3858 for more details.

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