The term alpha women has been tagged to a woman who has embraced her leadership ambitions. She is talented, highly motivated, and self-confident.
That kind character has been tagged to Anne Mumbi Waiguru. This character has been known to intimidate men hence marring late or ending up divorced. However the our kenyan alpha queen Anne Waiguru has found love.
This is a story of hope for the rest of the Alpha women in Kenya. Finally! One of Kenya’s first female governors has been swept off her feet by city lawyer Mr Kamotho Waiganjo.
In an intimate ceremony attended by only friends and close family the two lovebirds Waiguru and Kamotho declared their love for each other. In my mind, I imagined, a terribly shy and incredibly beautiful Waiguru standing next to Kamotho — obviously avoiding eye contact, because she would turn pink with all the blushing— as the elders declared them man and wife in accordance to the Kirinyaga community traditions.
So what are the characteristics of an alpha woman:
1: Fearless Leadership
Alpha females embrace their leadership role and tendencies. No reluctant leaders here! Why does reluctance matter? A woman can be in a leadership role and not embrace it. This doesn’t make her any more or less of a leader, but it does mark her as a non-alpha female. Look at the differences in these self-identifying statements.
Many of the alpha females in the study described a level of comfort and relative advantage in the role of Alpha Female. In other words, they believe their alpha-ness works for them — and they make it so.
2: High Emotional Intelligence
The researchers also found that alpha females have extremely high emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence (aka EQ or EI) is our ability to:
- Recognize, understand and manage our own emotions
- Recognize, understand and influence the emotions of others
- Be aware that emotions can drive our behavior and impact people (positively and negatively)
3: Obsessive Learners
One-hundred percent of the female leaders involved in the study expressed appreciation for their ability to learn to face challenges, learn from experience, or learn from others. 100%! Alpha females prioritize their learning. They:
- Read constantly — books about what they do AND books in subjects completely new to them.
- Dive deep into their expertise. They like to be experts.
- Learn about new fields, research and topics.
- Take professional development courses to further their development.
- Ask questions.
- Learn from their experiences.
4: Strong
Mental strength is related to physical strength. This could be a side-door into more alpha-ness. Want to feel more mentally tough? Maybe it’s time to join a bootcamp. Wish you had a thicker skin? Go lift some weights!
5: Are Sought Out
Alpha females are often put in a position of mentorship, whether they like it or not. People seek their guidance. People ask them for advice. People put them in leadership position
The research also found that the majority of the female leaders reported feeling an internal satisfaction in being able to give back to others.