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By: Zoe Lalji
As women, we have always been told to keep our emotions at bay. We have been told that in order to fit in a world of men, we have to stop letting our emotions take the wheel; employ more logical decision making. We have been told and made to feel that having emotions is a weakness. However, I have found through my experience in my startup that my ability to employ my emotions in my decision making has been the most influential in furthering my startup success. It is a man’s world, but that doesn’t mean we have to change ourselves to fit their way of thinking. In fact, it means just the opposite. It means our unique way of thinking is needed even more in this world. The stigma surrounding women being emotional having bad reputations needs to be abolished because I have seen firsthand the benefit of being able to access emotions in decision making.
Vulnerability is scary. With it comes shame and judgement and a whole host of complicated sensations that are not easy to feel. It breaks down the boundaries and standard practices that have given order and structure to many organizations. People are afraid of losing this order because when leaders and CEOs show that they are “imperfect” and “human” they are no longer on a pedestal and they fear that they will no longer demand the same respect. The reality is, however, that this practice of vulnerability within organizations allows for more creative thinking and innovation. It builds an ecosystem of trust and accountability that cannot be achieved otherwise.
Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, we are all very emotional beings. Much of the human experience involves emotion. This is the reality of the world we live in and pretending that it doesn’t exist is being blind to how they factor into the decisions we make. The best way to make fully informed decisions is taking emotions into account without letting them take over completely. This balance is difficult to achieve and different types of decisions require varying levels of emotional consideration, but ignoring it altogether only results in less informed decision making.
This is especially true when working within a business. Any business requires consumers for it to survive. Consumers are all human beings with human emotions and being able to take those emotions into consideration greatly improves a company’s understanding of their market and improves product market fit. Many companies rely solely on numbers and logic to dictate their decision making, which can work decently well, but this also limits the company’s potential. True innovation happens when you look past the numbers to understand the human beings behind the numbers.
Vulnerability also improves team dynamics within an organization. A team that can acknowledge and empathize with the humanity in each individual is a team of mutual respect, acceptance and accountability. When organizations are not afraid of the emotions of their team, they can reach maximum productivity and efficiency, because they are not avoiding factors that are very real in the decisions they are making. There is a balance and there should be boundaries but avoiding emotion altogether is no way to conduct relationships, even work relationships.
Ultimately, we should not listen to the rhetoric that women’s enhanced ability to be vulnerable is a weakness. It is a strength and its benefits can be seen in many different situations. This is a rhetoric of fear and shame and we should not claim it. By being able to empathize with people around us and understand the emotional factors of decision making, we provide a more holistic point of view and can offer new perspectives. Realizing this has allowed me to stop suppressing my empathy and instead let it spearhead much of my decision making and as a result, I have been able to make more informed decisions.
About The Author:
Zoe Lalji '24
Neuroscience
Entrepreneurial LeadHERship Fall 2023 Student
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