Fostering Collaboration and Empathy between Men and Women in Business with Stacy Kehren Idema

Stacy Kehren Idema is an entrepreneur, business advisor, mentor, and the founder of The Global Collective – an initiative that strives to harmonize the individual strengths of masculine and feminine business leaders in an effort to harvest the greatest potential success for companies and individuals.

In her appearance on the podcast, Stacy discusses the challenges that women face in the corporate world – namely, the prevalent perception that women are vying for a controlled and limited share of success. She advocates for leading women to support each other in order to open up more opportunities for success and sheds light on the core of The Global Collective. She also reflects on her own journey, from breaking free of corporate constraints to embracing entrepreneurship. She shares valuable insights on self-love, overcoming societal expectations, and finding fulfillment in a purpose-driven life.

This conversation between Stacy and Christina serves as a beacon for women navigating their paths, encouraging them to break free from limiting beliefs and cultivate a sense of empowerment.

A Corporate Detour

Despite growing up with entrepreneur parents, Stacy Karen Idema initially took the corporate path. After 26 years and four layoffs, she made the bold decision to flee the corporate world and pursue what she truly loves.

Stacy encountered challenges as she transitioned from an entrepreneurial family to a corporate setting. She reflects on how the rigidity of corporate life clashed with her upbringing, where business was always personal. Stacy reflected on the constant pressure to meet others’ needs, and this initially poised her to see corporate life as an escape from the intertwined nature of business and personal life.

Space for All

After 26 years in the corporate world and facing the fourth layoff, Stacy shifted her focus to coaching. Her corporate experience involved leading global programs in healthcare, collaborating with medical professionals, and driving innovation. The emphasis was on navigating emotional and ambiguous environments, making substantial investments, and swiftly bringing advancements to market for the betterment of patients and communities.

Stacy shares her transition into coaching, particularly focusing on working with women executives. Despite most of her career being under male leadership, Stacy felt a strong connection to working with both genders. A pivotal journey led her to the UK after a divorce, where she explored diverse opportunities in London. Today, she is dedicated to helping women scale from one to 50 million—but she also strategically involves men in this journey. Stacy strives to create a space that fosters understanding between genders. Irrespective of gender, the strengths of the feminine can benefit everyone.

Holistic Approach to Success

As women climb the corporate ladder, they face many challenges. Christina and Stacy touch upon the common perception that women often feel the need to adopt a more masculine approach to succeed—be tough and driven. Christina shares an insight from Simon Sinek, who believes that companies should be led by women because of their empathy and killer drive.

Stacy compares the structured and regimented practice sessions in sports—representing masculine traits—to the flow state during a game, which embodies feminine traits. She emphasizes the importance of balancing both masculine and feminine traits for success in business. The structured, linear approach is necessary for preparation, but the flow state, where intuition and instincts play a role, is crucial for peak performance.

The basketball analogy beautifully illustrates the harmony needed between structure and creativity in both sports and business. There are potential pitfalls of solely focusing on one approach, whether it’s the rigid, masculine routine leading to burnout or an overly creative, feminine approach lacking the structure to achieve goals. Stacy offers a compelling exploration of the synergy between masculine and feminine traits in the professional realm, and she encourages a more holistic approach to success.

Four-Step Cycle of Productivity

For businesses to effectively merge structure and flow, Stacy suggests that short cycles work best. She outlines a four-step cycle of productivity, akin to how development and design work are often approached. The cycle involves planning, taking action, completing tasks, and reflecting, which is a key creative and innovative phase.

Stacy emphasizes the importance of the reflection step, where you learn from both successes and failures. This reflective process allows for continuous improvement, enabling businesses to build on what works well and address areas that need enhancement. She beautifully describes it as laying one brick at a time, suggesting that success is a gradual and iterative process. It’s a practical and actionable approach to achieving a balance between structure and creativity in business.

Feminine Power

The societal pressure for women to adopt a more aggressive, masculine approach when striving for success in the workplace is significant. Stacy points out the internalized patriarchy that influences perceptions and contributes to negative labeling. This is why her work is so important—there is a great need to help both men and women understand their strengths and how they can show up differently.

Women don’t need to be confrontational to be heard. Stacy delves into the concept of feminine-like power, emphasizing the importance of empathy and encouraging a shift towards compassion—not just for women but also for men. She shares practical advice on how to navigate triggering situations: take a step back, and listen actively. Listening actively is an important skill, and part of that includes being able to understand the unspoken. This reinforces the idea that effective communication involves both talking and listening.

Stacy’s work shines a light on the societal pressures and internalized patriarchy influencing women’s approaches in the workplace. Her emphasis on feminine-like power, empathy, and active listening brings forth an important perspective, underlining the significance of understanding the unspoken for fostering positive relationships and effective communication.

A Shift in Perspective

Christina wonders if male CEOs over-50 can adapt to the over-50 female counterparts. Stacy believes that change is possible for those willing to understand and embrace it. She notes a shift in perspective among older males, often triggered by personal connections with daughters, spouses, sisters, or friends who have gone through experiences that prompt a change in mindset.

The framework in traditional corporate environments often encourages competition among women. Stacy suggests that women sometimes believe they only get one slice of the pie and end up fighting for it. However, the reality is that women have access to the entire pie, and the only limitations are the ones they impose on themselves. She emphasizes the importance of women recognizing and owning their power, taking responsibility for their actions, and supporting each other to create a more empowering workplace culture. It’s a call to action for both men and women to contribute to positive change in the corporate landscape.

Living Ageless and Bold

The landscape is evolving for women, especially those in their 50s. Reflecting on changes, Christina wonders if fear and the need for acceptance hindered women who are currently older than 50 from fully expressing themselves in the corporate world.

Stacy shares that she has reached the point in her journey of simply not caring about societal expectations anymore. She embraces her authenticity and acknowledges the discomfort that comes with shedding societal expectations. Stacy says that there is a fire within her—the satisfaction of pursuing her true path continues to keep her open to embracing new possibilities.

Driven by a desire for purpose and self-discovery, there is a growing trend of women in their 50s choosing entrepreneurship. On their journey, there is value in learning from obstacles, boldly facing the unknown, and embracing the idea that one’s greatest fear can also be their greatest desire.

The perspective is shifting for women—there is an overall tone of empowerment, embracing change, and finding satisfaction in authenticity. Watch these women break free from traditional expectations and forge their own paths with resilience and courage.

Spreading the Message

As the episode comes to a close, Christina asks Stacy about her greatest accomplishment since turning 50. Stacy reveals that it’s the ability to openly express how much she loves herself—a powerful and transformative step.

In 10 years, Stacy envisions working from a sunnier location for most of the year and continuing her current impactful work. Whether it’s writing a book, hosting a podcast, or speaking around the world, Stacy is committed to expanding and spreading the message of empowerment and self-love.

Watch her full episode here: