DATE: 18 NOVEMBER 2021 AUTHOR: MICHAEL BOEVINK, HEAD OF SALES – SCALE UP PROGRAMME, FINTECH CIRCLE The new wave in Fintech is #ResponsibleFintech. And in this bold new ERA it’s actually Women Leaders and those with vital “soft” skills that will have a distinct advantage over Men. Below, Michael Boevink of the Fintech Circle Scale up program, explains why it Women will be the next successful wave of Fintech leaders… Pssst.  Can a share a secret? I currently have 2 Women as my official BOSS’ES…. and I couldn’t feel happier about it! Let’s start with the basics:    I AM FULLY BIASED I was born (male) I have one older sister – I am the middle one – and one younger sister. I have had several female bosses over the years, lots of female clients, female colleagues… and I am lucky enough to already work with my older sister Nathalie for well over 20 years.

Hey Sister!

It’s amazing to work with your sister. We literally know each other inside out. We’ve been through thick and thin, through the good and bad times as people …and as Entrepreneurs. The main reason it’s amazing to work together, is not only because she is my best friend (…awww)  but more importantly business wise, we actually “compliment” each other in what we do.  The interesting thing is that in all my years of Business experience, YES sometimes it is great to be a MAN. eg:   Try drinking yet an another shot of “Vodka” in Russia or more “Rice wine” in China to bond with a tipsy male client…. AND unfortunately there are still silly, old fashioned cultures, where women really need to adapt and tiptoe. Sad but culturally true.

BUT the business world is evolving finally  …Hoorah! Now we see a “NEW Generation of Men and Women” who do not differentiate between the sexes anymore AND who simply take you as you are. People who  just look at your positive qualities, whoever you are. And it is here where Women have the advantage over us mere MEN ….and why they are the new True leaders of the future. Disagree?

Let me give you a few examples:

 

1. Kindness – women have a better touch towards being attentive
2. Organization – women always are usually better prepared than men (think that LARGE HANDBAG:-) it’s packed for every emergency)
3. Empathy – Women often have a good “feel” about the emotion behind a person, like if all is going well privately. better yet, When they ask how are you? …They actually mean it.
4. Sensitivity – Ability to manage and see emotions
5. 6th sense – Men hunt more whatever it takes, women feel that this deal or person is not quite right/sincere. They “feel” it instinctively
6. Control – They know when to let us MEN go… as well as when to reel them in:-)

In this NEW Generation of “Authentic” Leadership, all the above skills are critical to Success. It is these so called “soft skills” that will shape the world of the future. Technology and Automation solutions such as AI takes are huge Growth areas seeing massive investment and these type of “soft skills” are a key ingredient to success and it’s is these skills… that women are 100% better at. Not convinced? Want even more proof? Lets look at endurance.  It will not take that long anymore that women are going to be faster at the marathon than men. I hear you “gasp” tsk, tsking away …saying “I don’t believe it” but A new study that tracked ultramarathon running times worldwide over two decades found that Women tend to outrun men, after 195 miles.  As a side note: I AM NEVER GOING TO TRY 195 miles   LOL… but I am always up for coffee and for discussing Scaling up & creating long term Business Relationships!  Shameless plug.     Finally,  back to the real facts in life: These are my real  2 BOSSES Susanne Chishti and Nathalie Boevink. Because they run the show, these incredible Female leaders are both judges in several accelerator programs, investors, company board advisors,  members of TOP women entrepreneurs… and have a stellar track record of success. I know they don’t like to be called BOSS, but hey, a bit of fun for me as well with these  #FEMTECH Power ladies.

What is important for me, as a MAN, what should be important in working together always is …FUN, PASSION, JOY.  To have a purpose and to be really good in what you do. Susanne and Nathalie are really good at what they do, which basically means my life is made much easier. It saves me so much time, reduces the hard work and increases our efficiency as a Team.  Under their Female Leadership, I feel I can conquer the world. How do they do that so well?  …You’ll have to ask them yourself Finally, working with #Femtech leaders also creates a more supportive environment for women too. It is really nice to see more and more women in #FINTECH who are playing a vital role in in our industry and I can recommend a lot of them. Women who are real “Scale up stars”. Women who have the knowledge, drive and that #FEMTECH touch to lead companies into the Future, to Scaleup and guarantee Success. I am thinking of women like  these Power Ladies… Carol Hagh    Sarah Woodland  Terri Smith    Joanne Dewar   Michelle McGuire  Andrea Dunlop  Amabel Polglase   Melissa Beckett Helen Mitchell  Marion King

Finally… If there are still women who feel there is a “glass ceiling in banking” then now is the right time to leave the banking industry… and start your own FinTech company.  As an entrepreneur you can achieve your dreams. It’s now about innovation and collaboration, about breaking down barriers, and about “Questioning the status quo”. The way things have been done doesn’t have to be the way we do things going forward. And just for all MEN out there: Get used to it! Michael Boevink is the Head of Sales of FINTECH Circle Scaleup Programme, helping fintech startups grow internationally. He’s also a fintech expert, consultant and the Co-Author of The PAYTECH Book, published by Wiley. Connect with Michael on LinkedIn and Twitter!    

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