I am not sure, but the “good ol’ boy network” in business may be officially on the way out. As we round out the end of 2013 and look to a new year, more and more business leaders are recognizing the value of having women in positions of power.

Nicholas Kristof, a writer for the New York Times, recently wrote an article entitled Twitter, Women and Power. In the article he talked about the business value of having more women in positions of leadership:

In business, there’s abundant evidence that inclusion of women in senior positions is linked to better results. Catalyst, a research organization, found that the companies with the most women board directors earned a 26 percent higher return on invested capital than the companies with the least women.

Earlier this year, Forbes published an article entitled The Results are In: Women Are Better Leaders. That is a general sweeping statement and I am not sure the word is BETTER so much as DIFFERENT. And there are benefits to having a mixed bag of talent, experience, and perspective leading the helm of a company.

The author of the article, Erika Andersen had this to say:

Women are among the most talented and respected leaders in the organizations with which we work; I often find that the women at the 2nd or 3rd level from the top in an organization, especially, are more impressive than their male peers. They build better teams; they’re more liked and respected as managers; they tend to be able to combine intuitive and logical thinking more seamlessly; they’re more aware of the implications of the their own and others’ actions; and they think more accurately about the resources needed to accomplish a given outcome.

So why should businesses put women in positions of power:

The leadership traits women exhibit are different than traditional leadership roles of the past and it may be just the difference that is needed in this changing world; a world where the Internet is fostering global relationships, teamwork and inclusion.

In an article written by Ekaterina Walter entitled 7 Shared Traits that Unite Women in Power, the first word that pops out is the word UNITE. We are a collaborative gender.

Ekaterina identifies the following as traits of women leaders:

1. Effective role models
2. Hard working
3. Confident
4. Supportive
5. Knowledgeable
6. Visibility
7. Mentoring on all levels

As a business leader, hopefully, you see the value in a diverse board of directors and look to ensure you have placed women in positions of power within your organization; from the top to mid and front-line managers. Women leaders bring a different perspective to growth, success, and leadership.