Climbing the ladder as a woman with children isn’t easy, especially when we want to be present as our children grow up. How can women advance in their careers and become leaders without sacrificing their family life? What are the unique skills that women can bring to the table? Are women in charge supposed to be less “feminine?” In this episode, Linda Smith, a speaker, and senior litigation partner shares 3 ways she used her feminine power to succeed in a man’s world and how she got her trademarked name of The Meanest Woman Alive. As a woman, you can use your unique feminine advantages to lead. -Linda Smith   3 Things We Learned From This Episode Women have higher emotional IQ (03:15-07:00) As long as a woman goes by a man’s playbook, she is going to lose. However, women have their own unique set of soft and hard skills that can make them even stronger leaders without losing their femininity. A higher emotional IQ in women helps them identify the personality type of their peers and adjust themselves to communicate in a way their peers can relate to.   We play better with others (07:17-07:40) The alpha males in leading positions often lead the team in a military-style manner, which involves intimidation and puts a lot of pressure on the workers. Women are better at encouraging others to work cooperatively, which lowers the stress levels in the office and brings the best out of a team.   Emotions influence decisions (07:40-08-58) Males like to think they make decisions exclusively based on logic, free of emotion. However, we all make decisions influenced by emotions and impulses. Women are better at understanding the fact that emotions play a big role in the decision-making process, and they take advantage of it.   Guest Bio Linda Smith is an author, speaker and a powerhouse litigator. She represented Fortune 500 companies while raising her children and trying to keep her work-family life balanced. Now she encourages women around the world through her books, podcast, and speaking events to discover their inner strength and use their unique feminine qualities to succeed. Linda's new book Smashing Glass and Kicking Ass: Lessons from The Meanest Woman Alive™ just came out. Go grab the kindle version today.