There is no doubt that masculinity is generally considered to be associated with strength and toughness, but that is not what masculinity is about. Fire energy is actually a more feminine quality.

I am not talking about men vs. women here, rather I am referring to the attributes that both men and women can embody as fully integrated human beings.

Most modern women do a better job to integrate both masculine and feminine energy in order to accomplish various tasks, goals and objectives.

A lot of men who have been raised to believe that they should not be in touch with their feminine energies, like creativity, love, and even intuition have more difficulty leading balanced lives.

We mostly associate masculinity as toxic arrogance, manipulation, war thirst, and domination. History has proven these traits to be mostly true in the form of wars, terrorism, cults, rape and murder.

However, when a man is integrated, he has the incredible ability to create space for others to feel safe to be themselves. A mature masculine expresses compassion, empathy and deep feelings of love and care with ease.

Conditioning and modeling can rob society from such an incredible gift, let alone create internal conflict in a man that surfaces as violence and anger. This causes men to focus more on factors like wealth, conquests, material goods, status, and prestige.

Yet, when a man integrates fully his feminine energy, he can create a heart space to both express unconditional love and receive it.

“The nature of an integrated man with both masculine and feminine energies, isn’t a force of competition, it is a force of creative intelligence.”

Feminine energy is about growth and life. Mother nature represents the force that gives us vegetation, and all we need to live and thrive. It is also an unstoppable force, as we experience in storms. When a hurricane comes, nothing can stop it.

The same way you can feel mother nature in the stillness of a lake, and during a hurricane, feminine energy gives us the ability to have feelings, and intuition along with wisdom.

The thinking that men are masculine, and women are feminine is not only wrong, it’s limiting us as a society. Having feminine energy as a man or masculine energy as woman doesn’t’ make a man weak, or a woman a bitch.

Finding Balance

Integrated women and men make great parents, CEOs, mentors, and teachers. They know how to balance relationships and work life. It is possible to have a thriving love life and a successful work life.

Here are some tips on how to achieve a well-balanced life:

1. Set Specific Goals and Specific Time to Achieve Them

You have to set your priorities right. For instance, you can decide it’s work first and later in the day its personal/family time or vice-versa. Personal time includes spending time with family, visiting a doctor to take care of your health, going on road trip with loved ones, etc. Create time for anything that is a priority in your life because. Personal relationships play a huge role in our overall quality of life and happiness. They deserve attention.

2. Establish Boundaries

Set reasonable limits on what you will and will not do both at work and at home. Clearly communicate them to your coworkers, partner and family. For example, you may decide to work during the day without interruptions from family members, but not work at all at night unless it’s an emergency.

3. Balance Sacrifices

If one or both partners want to pursue a high-profile career, it is almost a guarantee that sacrifices will have to be made. Accept and acknowledge the importance of your partner’s sacrifice to further your career and be willing to do the same for their dreams now or in the future.

4. Work Smarter

Adopting the right combination or time-management practices can cut out stress and save you up to an hour a day. This can include avoiding procrastination and learning to say “no”.

Work-life balance is important for better relationships between employers and employees. When employees feel a greater sense of control and ownership over their own lives, they are able to set clear demarcations between their life at work and home.

Balanced Leadership

Both masculine and feminine energies have uniquely powerful strengths. It’s up to us to learn and expand these attributes in ourselves and respect them in others.

All of us have both of these energies.

To live a happy and balanced life, we must bring both of these energies into balance, and master when to use them accordingly.

In a leadership capacity, creating an environment where people can be transparent and support each other, is rooted in masculine energy.

On the other hand, if you want to increase sales, gain new markets, you’ll need the quality of feminine energy working for you.

Feminine energy is about nurturing relationships, being vulnerable and open, having vision, and having the courage to take on new challenges. Feminine energy is about the power of manifestation.

Most people think that to go after new markets you have to think like a hunter, and that a hunter is masculine — that could not be further from the truth.

Conversely, if you want to create a more compassionate organization that practices more empathy, you’ll have to lead with more masculine energy.

We have to stop talking about men vs. women, in terms of leadership qualities, and start focusing on masculine vs. feminine energies that both men and women need to harness, in order to become fully integrated human beings.

The mindset to go and hire more women to balance a predominantly male board of directors, is important, yet limiting to achieving true leadership balance.

“To achieve leadership balance it is important to learn how to harness both masculine and feminine energies so that each person can be a fully integrated human being.”

In my recent Rant & Grow podcast, I spend 30 minutes with Jamie Greene, a renowned relationship expert, about the topic of becoming an integrated man and woman.

Listen in as we talk about ways to balance both energies in order to lead an elevated and extraordinary life, with a special focus on how to manifest successful relationships.

Just click on the play button to listen to the podcast right here.