In the 1955 book Gift from the Sea, Anne Morrow Lindbergh analyzed the current plight of the modern woman. She discussed our new freedom to work outside the home but also mused that because of this, the work/life balance began to sit atop a frail precipice. These musings seem to have foreshadowed our present world. For some women, the work/life balance is so skewed that work has become their very identity.

I recall the days before returning to school when I worked in corporate America. We corporate women would march in our perfectly tailored suits that were created to look like men’s suits. We would speak in low tones that attempt to mimic those of our male counterparts. We were encouraged to show no emotion at work and to compartmentalize our work and home life. In effect, today’s ideal working woman exudes an uncanny resemblance to…a man.

Just in the past ten years I have seen slogans like “Girls can do anything!” turn into mantras like “there is no real difference between men and women.” Because of my search for and study of truth, I know better. I know that gender is part of who we are, that “Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.”

Men and women are different and we should be celebrating these differences instead of shying away from them, even in the workplace. We women should be encouraged to play to our strengths. By nature we are emotional, feelings-driven communicators who excel at nurturing and providing compassionate assistance. These strengths should be admired and sought after in the business world. For example, if each Fortune 500 company valued a “Business Ethics and Altruism” team with an officer that ranked as high as the CFO, the need for legislation in America that fosters honesty and transparency like Sarbanes-Oxley would decrease and the rampant, greed-driven society that we now live in would begin an about face.

Girls should not be brought up to be men, but to be women first. I believe that woman’s first calling is in the home, but she can be a valuable asset to the business world. Women should be the ones who are guiding tomorrow’s companies toward a more benevolent and charitable future.

While there are fundamental differences between the strengths of men and women, we are still equal partners in families, businesses, and society.

This is something I consider while I contemplate my career path. By starting my own organization or by teaching business principles to the rising generation, I can capitalize on my feminine qualities of compassion and tenacity and allow others to know through my example that it is not only acceptable, but it is important for society to embrace the differences between our genders. At the same time I can proclaim the truth that men and women are equal and need to be treated with mutual respect. With so much of the world becoming more and more confused about gender issues, I can stand for truth by using my feminine gifts and talents to add value to future businesses and society as a whole.