It seems that sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. The Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/12/women-act-like-men-masculine-job-study_n_5671415.html) recently reported on a laboratory study showing that women who exhibit so-called “masculine” traits (assertiveness, independence and achievement orientation) are more likely to be seen as “fit” for jobs in male-dominated fields. (All quotes are mine) Call me naive but what about competence, confidence and some right-brained thinking (a la Daniel Pink in A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future)? As women become more of a presence in the technical and professional workforce (they now represent over 50%), there’s hope that the hiring world will catch up.

Given the state of the world, where people kill each other in the so-called name of God, children go to bed hungry or without a safe home, borders have to be closed to prevent the spread of the now incurable Ebola virus, petty battles for power derail the efficient and just operation of our government and beloved people like Robin Williams are so depressed that death seems like the only option, it is time to add some of the so-called right-brained, “female” traits to the hiring equation—empathy, creativity and intuition. The competency calculus of both the workforce and our political leadership must change.

Sometimes it takes evolution, not revolution to change the world. Kudos to those who mentor the leaders of our future (male and female) to have courage, vision, flexibility and the skill to withstand the poison of mean-spiritedness, intolerance and closed minds.  What we are doing now is not working. It’s time for things to change and not to stay the same.