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Girls should know that there is nothing wrong in being ambitious, in having a game plan, and aiming at the top in whatever discipline or area of interest

Whether women would want to call it “dirty scheming, plotting, or other demeaning names, what is undoubtedly clear is that men will not blink twice, when executing their game plan because they were taught to compete and win. “When you want to succeed as much as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.”

The above quote, from Eric Thomas, a former American professional footballer and now author, sums up the determination, dexterity and ingenuity men display when they want to achieve something regardless of the challenges ahead.

It becomes a matter of survival to fulfil a dream, to climb to the next level or better still to get that job that everyone has been talking about that seems to be high above every else.

The quote speaks to the level of determination and perseverance that men exhibit when they aim for the top and to stay there.

While women may want to dismiss men’s leadership skills, arguing they have nothing to do with capabilities but are merely socially ordained traits because of their biological make-up which gives them a competitive edge over other species, the truth is men strategise when building their profiles and strive to maintain them.

With the warrior mindset at play, men get into power with a well-orchestrated strategy and constantly manage the game plan so that they remain in power. The game plan need not always be a clean one, and sometimes involves elbowing out competitors, but they will still do it because they tend to focus more on the result than the consequences.

It is probably not something that men were born with, but was largely influenced by the environment and to some extent their socialisation which actually plays a major role.

Since time immemorial men have been known, classified and regarded as hunters, who often pursue their prey with tact, and sometimes with unquestionable aggression when the situation demands it.

Whether it is about testosterone levels, or physical strength that puts men high on the pedestal of power ahead of women, one thing that is undeniable is that men have a hereditary inclination of wanting to get into power and remain there.

They will fight to get into power at the tiniest opportunity implying a lack of management skills, whether it is at the village meeting, school caucus, funeral or a neighbourhood committee, while women trail behind, even though they might actually have better ideas than those being proffered by the next gentleman.

And naturally while women would shy away from what they are capable of doing, men do not waste any opportunity to put their thoughts in the public domain and action on the idea, if need be. Women with the same pedigree may actually lag behind or eventually fall off from the race, not because they are not capable but they actually want to make a fine art out of a situation that demands one to be blunt and straightforward.

We have in our midst intelligent women who are strategically positioned for upward mobility within their organisations, but their biggest tragedy is that they often dissociate themselves from the masculine traits, such as aggression, tact and in some instances, scheming, yet these are the very skills that have kept men on the top.

Whether women would want to call it “dirty scheming, plotting, or other demeaning names, what is undoubtedly clear is that men will not blink twice, when executing their game plan because they were taught to compete and win. They were never told not to be emotional and be bogged down with feelings, because they know being emotive is a weakness.

They were taught these seemingly very dangerous traits by the very same women in our midst, who claim that possessing such qualities is unhealthy, treacherous and unwomanly.

Rather than cry foul over the current leadership mismatch currently hogging Zimbabwe and the region, women would need to inculcate some of the leadership skills to the girl child the same way they have been doing it with boys.

Girls should know that there is nothing wrong in being ambitious, in having a game plan, and aiming at the top in whatever discipline or area of interest.

A leadership scholar, Bernard Bass, recently predicted that by the year 2034 the majority of high-level leaders will be women, based on their more transformational qualities.

In making his assessment, he said women possess natural leadership skills and they are masters of opportunity management, because of their ability to keep everyone in check while running the family household and at the same time supporting the family businesses.

Bass said women are capable of managing crisis and change and are turnaround experts – sensing and neutralising any signs of danger well before it invades their path. It then boggles the mind, why they are content to be led, when they should be in the forefront, based on their God-given leadership skills ingrained in them.

As one of my women mentors once told me: “Without enough of the right resources around me, I will not risk the outcome. I know the resources I need to get the job done right. I’d rather be patient than foolish.”

Probably that degree of “foolishness” that men sometime display as they strategise on how to tackle their opponent is what gives them a competitive edge whilst women look for the most opportune to strike and manoeuvre, when the dust has settled – and when all the opportunities are long gone.

As women continue with their upward trajectory towards seeking equal and meaningful opportunities across all sectors, they will need to fish in the same pond with men, by looking at the traits that have kept the men above the bar.

Men are strong-willed, purpose driven, pacesetters, schemers, planners, goal-oriented and want results – at all costs – no matter what the circumstances and the hurdles on the way to achieving their goal may  be.