HORMONES AND PROFITS:

I was fascinated to attend a forum this morning called: HORMONES AND PROFITS: IS GENDER BALANCE BETTER FOR BUSINESS?

Never in our wildest dreams did we imagine that the economy would collapse the way it has.  Is this latest economic crisis a male issue? Afterall, it is the underlying values behind human behavior that drove us to this crisis. Who would lend money to people who couldn’t afford it? Are these excessive masculine values associated with high levels of testosterone and risk taking behavior? Although, there are many other factors that lead to decision-making since anything we do is a multiplying determining equation, but that is a whole other topic.

Can the hormonal difference in the biology of males and females correlate with investment risk taking? These gender differences have a great effect on business decision-making and affect the work environment. We are different in brain structure, and we are different in hormones. How we do things differentiates us.

Sustainable companies need female input and feminine values in the workplace. It is important to be yourself to be the most effective. This also applies to your personal life. It is important in professional life and in all aspects of your life to be ethical and brave enough to express an honest opinion even if it is contrary to the group consensus. The brave thing is to resist the herd instinct as we have witnessed in this latest financial debacle.