My friend Kathy LeMay sent me this piece, “Can Feminine Leadership Mend the Financial Crisis in Iceland?” written by her friend Masum Mamay. It is a must read on this topic and her conclusions are very consistent with those in our paper “Women in Fund Management: A Roadmap to Critical Mass and Why it Matters.” She says “the climate was ripe for and open to what has been called a ‘feminine’ way of leading characterized by balance, transparency, fairness, social responsibility, accountability and sustainability.”
She features a woman wealth manager who bases her business on these principles: “We have five core feminine values. First, risk awareness: we will not invest in things we don’t understand. Second, profit with principles: we like a wider definition so it is not just economic profit, but a positive social and environmental impact. Third, emotional capital: when we invest, we do an emotional due diligence – or check on the company – we look at the people, at whether the corporate culture is an asset or a liability. Fourth, straight talking: we believe the language of finance should be accessible, and not part of the alienating nature of banking culture. Fifth, independence: we would like to see women increasingly financially independent, because with that comes the greatest freedom to be who you want to be, but also unbiased advice.”
I like it………..