As women have fought to be part of a man's world over the past few decades, they have often been required to suppress their feminine nature to make room for masculine traits.

Common wisdom holds that any good leader must be a visionary: without vision, a company won't know where it is going or how to get there.

The essence of a modern leader is inherently feminine; a more expressive type of leader who shares their feelings and emotions more openly and honestly. This is in direct contrast to what we find in traditional power systems today.

Athena's broad range of qualities and skills are a symbol and namesake for best-selling author John Gerzema and Michael D'Antonio's new book, The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and the men who think like them) Will Rule The Future. A more apt title would be hard to find.

My collaborator and co-author Michael D'Antonio and I travelled the world and conducted personal interviews with global political and business leaders as well as NGOs and start-ups to find out how these traits can be applied in real world situations.