​FEMININE CAPITAL

Summary of Learning Aid

 

Throughout the book, we describe the ‘feminine’ within venture creation and the impacts of feminine capital on enterprise performance. We do so by positioning gender on a continuum of masculine and feminine attributes and behaviours. Feminine capital refers to a unique set of assets – skills, experience, values and personal characteristics – that you can mobilize through venture creation.

 

Feminine capital has social and economic value as it helps entrepreneurs to recognize market opportunities, generate ideas, build brands, and drive profits. Feminine Capital is actioned through the venture creation process: it can be observed through enterprise structures, governance models and leadership styles.

 

While many feminine capital assets may be learned – competencies such as financial management, customer relationship building, and sales – there are other feminine assets which are relatively stable, and which are linked to identity, one’s perception of self.

 

To learn more about this aspect of feminine capital, we asked women entrepreneurs to describe themselves – as entrepreneurs and leaders. A number of characteristics or leadership “dimensions” emerged. Collectively, these represent a feminine style of entrepreneurial leadership.

 

Typically, masculine attributes are used to describe entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial leadership. Too often ‘being female’ and ‘feminine’ are deemed to be entrepreneurial handicaps.

 

It is time to recognize feminine capital as an asset.

 

This learning aid will help you to discover your “inner entrepreneur,” your leadership style compared to other entrepreneurial women.

 

Use these insights to discover your “dominant” entrepreneurial leadership style, to discuss your self-assessment with others, and to reflect on how you might leverage your entrepreneurial talent to capitalize upon your strengthsdiverse ways ased outcomes.