Running and growing a sustainable business as a conscious entrepreneur can be hard and overwhelming at times. And if I am to judge by the large number of FB ads I see, boasting about “how to become a successful 6-figure entrepreneur”, I know I’m not alone in feeling this way.
Most of us don’t have MBAs, we are simply desiring to give our innate gifts and being an entrepreneur is what we need to do to achieve that. We are exploring what it takes to have a thriving business in a way feels good and authentic–while learning to do so by a business world traditionally dominated by the masculine.
I’ve now spent the better part of five years in and around conscious businesses and the women running them and for the longest time I had this nagging sensation that something wasn’t quite right, something felt “off.”
But it is wasn’t until recently that I could really put my finger on it.
Here’s my observation
Some of my clients who are embracing their Divinely Feminine qualities of collaboration, intuition, receptivity and trust are continuing to allow themselves to simultaneously be influenced internally by the distorted masculine while running their businesses.
Let me explain. Businesses have traditionally been run by having a single-minded focus, growing by competition, encouraging people to push themselves to and beyond their limits, utilizing a domineering style of leadership and minimizing emotional qualities, among other things.
A big mistake we make
Since, in my opinion, true business success requires a balance of both feminine and masculine characteristics we find ourselves in a pickle. Conscious entrepreneurs who are trying to change this old paradigm and who have embraced the elevated feminine, often fail to recognize that they are still perpetuating old masculine ways of doing business.
This pattern is most evident during stressful times in a business. When things are going well women gather and envision, talking about trust and surrender over tea or wine and feeling really sure about this new way of doing business in the feminine…
Enter a stressful situation: money is tight, time is running out, mistakes are made. Suddenly, the part of us that’s been conditioned by the good ol’ “push, force, do more” kind of business mentality shows up and starts running the show.
This, my friends, is an important problem that’s flying under the radar which we need to acknowledge, own and deal with NOW. We need to take a good look at our own conditioning and act to make the necessary changes.
How?
The first step is for us to look at: do I resonate with this? Do I make this mistake myself? Awareness is the first step to healing or changing any pattern.
What to do next?
Acknowledge that in order to do great business, we need to apply both masculine and feminine strategies and attitudes to make it work. I call this form and flow. Know when and where in your business you need form: structure, strategy and focus. And where you need flow: intuition, care, love, attention to big picture and details, trust or collaboration. Understanding where to apply what is crucial to true success that operates from a “everybody wins” perspective—what I would call a truly integrated Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine way of doing business.
With an awareness and understanding that both the Divine Feminine and the Divine Masculine are needed, let’s look at what the empowered masculine looks like:
Through us the Divine Masculine:
- Does not: abuse power.
- Does: use power to create positive change.
- Does not: act dismissively or callously to those who have helped them get where they are.
- Does: acts grateful and appreciative of her/himself, team and their contributions.
- Does not: micromanage or act controlling.
- Does: trust partners, clients and team members and openly communicates needs, wants and issues and is receptive to others.
- Does not: freak out and order her/himself or people to do more and work harder when things seemly aren’t going well.
- Does: When things are getting crazy, decides to slow down, take a step back, breathe, asks for help, prioritize tasks and trust that everything is OK.
Incorporating these important keys, we can begin to transform a business into a balanced Divine Masculine/Feminine operation and a truly conscious entrepreneur.
What is your experience with this topic, does it resonate or inspire you to ask questions?
Helpful suggestions:
If you read this and realize that you do this to yourself:
It’s OK, honey. You were trained to operate like this and have adopted an unhealthy way of being for reasons outside your control. Be gentle with yourself and start taking small steps to a more positive way of running your business today.
If you read this and realize that you do this to others:
It’s OK, honey. You were trained to operate like this and have adopted an unhealthy way of being for reasons outside your control. Be gentle with yourself and start taking small steps to a more positive way of running your business today. Be sure to acknowledge anyone who’s been affected by your behavior and make amends.
If you read this and realize that someone is doing this to you:
I’m sorry to hear that, I know it’s hard. This is your opportunity to step up as a leader and use your supportive network to come up with creative ways to make changes. Go slow and be gentle, realizing that it might take a little time and effort to get where you want to be. If your ideas are unwelcome, perhaps consider if this is the work environment you’d like to be part of and make adjustments accordingly.
It is my hope that this article will inspire all readers, regardless of gender, to look at how they can incorporate these ideas into their ways of doing business. I’m convinced that true, sustainable success will only come when all businesses are run with a healthy balance of the masculine and feminine.
If you have any questions or thoughts, I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at karna@karnalivnau.com or leave a comment below.
Also remember to share with your fellow entrepreneurs who might benefit from this post.
With form and flow,
