The Rise Of The Feminine

International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate the empowerment, the rise and the success of women around the world. Written by Michelle Lowe, founder of Redshell Consulting

The rise and the success of women is not new. Millions of amazing women have achieved amazing feats for centuries, but it is also true that the fight for equal rights has indeed played out in shockingly recent times in terms of history. Recent enough, perhaps, for a national celebratory day.

So, when asked to write to celebrate this very event, a huge wave of impostor syndrome washed over me. Over the last year I have not, not in the normal sense, achieved very much. Nothing to shout from the rooftops, no deals done, no goals smashed, no Redshell developments brought to life and no profit to calculate. In my quiet moments I have felt as far away from success, from embodying any traits of an international woman or quite frankly, as little of any value as could be. Why are you asking me? I haven’t achieved anything of note. Feelings of inadequacy and distinct underqualification bubbled to the surface.

What I have achieved over these very tumultuous twelve months or so is simply to hold steady, just hold steady. Embodying as much grace as I could muster whilst the inner and outer world fluctuated wildly. A huge change for me in terms of stance and attitude as I surrendered. Take your hands off the wheel and let it spin. Breathe.

There isn’t one person in the world that hasn’t felt anxious or fearful and hasn’t lost their footing at some point over the last year, male or female. And it has brought with it an enormous far-reaching sense of compassion for everyone and everything. The profits and successes of previous years seem insignificant now in the new world, and what matters most is people pulling together for the greater good to make this little spin on earth an easier ride for everyone, where we can. These more humanitarian traits are here to stay, I am sure, and are now becoming the traits to be respected. The traits required to lead.

Holding steady perhaps still counts as a success. Holding steady can be a strength. It’s a move away from ego and into our selves. It’s a letting go of expectation of self and expectations of others. A relinquish of the drive for tangible achievements and a return to centre. New age speak? Well, maybe. But this is also the language of the modern woman.

Historically, for women to be successful in any business or academic sense, it has taken absolute balls of steel. Imagine the epitome of an 80s power suit and smart mouth, to out masculine any masculine that crosses your path. Fired up by bravery, determination and more probably, inherent anger. Pure aggression dressed up in a pencil skirt.

Rosa Parks, a finger up at the masses.

Emmeline Pankhurst, a bloody self-sacrifice.

Elizabeth I, the ginger was strong in this one!

The rebel, the mouthy, the quite righteously pissed off women that had been oppressed, silenced, controlled, bullied and abused and that absolutely had had enough. This was the gateway to equality, undoubtedly. Women had to be brash, hard and aggressive to break through. And, let’s be honest, many of us that have played in the business arena over the last twenty or so years and certainly within the construction industry have and sometimes still embody some of these more bolshy characteristics.

But now, as women, we are evolving. The attitude, style and skills of a successful woman is evolving. What is means to be successful is evolving.

It’s no longer the rise of the woman; it has become the rise of the feminine.

The last year has stripped bare many people and many things. The spotlight on success, and what it inherently means to be successful, is changing.

The number of women in positions of power has been dramatically rising in recent times. Currently, women serve as heads of state or heads of government in some 21 countries. Twenty-one countries out of one hundred and forty of course is not yet equal, but it’s becoming a sizable portion. Statistics show that it was just four countries in the year 2000.

It’s not just the rise of women to these positions of power that is to be celebrated, positions which can affect change and growth and make considerable difference to the lives of the people that they represent. But we should be celebrating the type of woman that is now succeeding. The character, the attitude, the very nature of the person. The inherent traits that are a precursor of power are now evolving.

The equality game is evolving.

Our current international woman of incredible power must be Jacinda Ardern. The New Zealand Prime Minister. This one shoots straight from the heart. Jacinda is genuine, empathetic, graceful and kind. And yet a powerful and most effective leader. Harnessing respect effortlessly – with great respect comes great compliance.

Compliance for the greater good, of course, there is no question here. At the tender age of just 40 and with a young child, Jacinda has successfully led New Zealand through crisis after crisis without wavering. There has been no confusion, no uprising, no calls of no confidence. No bumbling here!

Jacinda delivers with such grace and compassion. We no longer need to be told what to do, threatened, coerced or controlled into compliance. These masculine type traits are dying out with the toxic masculine themselves.

We’ve all mocked at the Trump circus in recent times; well, we’ve been mocking Trump the entire time, actually. The epitome of the toxic masculine right here. Big boy tantrums as a result of a fragile, dying ego.  

These behaviour and character traits aren’t solely of the male gender, of course. But they are of the masculine energy. Women can behave in these manners sometimes too. Priti Patel has current accusations of bullying swiftly being swept under the carpet. Shouting and swearing at civil servants, having been reminded on how to speak to staff. Reminded? How does one even forget how to interact with other humans? She certainly hasn’t appeared as a kind or considerate secretary of state during our own home crisis and, as a result, ultimately lacks our trust and respect. She has a tough job, of course she has. But does she have the leadership skills and embody the qualities we now align with? That’s a hell no.

With a sigh of relief, America now does have a more hopeful and indeed feminine future. Michelle Obama paved the way. Michelle delivered both brains and balls with a stylish grace and dignity. The recently elected Vice President Kamala Harris is the lady to watch, not just for gender equality but for equality in all of its guises. True feminine energy does not section nor discriminate. True feminine energy is for the good of all, for ultimate fairness and balance. For the greater good.

Kamala’s career thus far has seen her advocate healthcare reform, supporting federal de-scheduling of cannabis and a ban on assault weapons. Kamala took a clear stand against Trump and his administration during the frequent hearings as a result of their unbelievable behaviours. An administration that displayed with pure arrogance such toxic traits, behaviours and personalities that we couldn’t quite believe our eyes and ears. Surely the twisted depth of the toxic masculine couldn’t actually be real. The quiet but steadfast feminine voice of reason is now starting to take hold and by god are we relieved.

We’ve all had and have seen quite enough of the hard-line leaders, thank you. In both politics and businesses alike. Of both male and female. No more control via aggression or manipulation, no more profit over people, politics and power over equality. The bullish and the bullies can bog off. No more ‘who shouts the loudest’. Instead, it’s the rise of the wise. The mature and the grounded. The death of the ego and the rise of the feminine.

So perhaps, sometimes, holding steady is a symptom of the feminine energy. No pushing and shoving, no fighting against. The timely and pure allowance of the ebb and flow of life and of business, the acceptance of the rise and fall. Water carves through rock, after all.

This international women’s day we do not celebrate women doing man things. We do not highlight, with surprise, that women are intellectual. That they can rise to the top of their field and lead. That they can be engineers, mathematicians, political leaders and astronauts. That they can succeed in an office of men in suits. This is not new news. This is not a triumph or a feat that now requires a round of applause. This is the norm, and we should play the acceptance card now.

This international women’s day, we will celebrate the shift. A great shift. A shift towards the feminine energy embodied by the now great female leaders. The feminine energy that empowers and facilitates great change. Feminine energy embodies justice. It carries with it balance and equality for all. A move to instil an overall sense of fairness. A more powerful lead when it’s led by the heart rather than the mind.  

All hail the rise of the feminine.