The Surprising Character Trait Every Business Woman Should Have, According To Jaime King

There are a plethora of traits that make for an impactful and solid business woman, and everyone has their own opinions of what they are (typically from first-hand experience). With more than 20 years of experience as an actor, model, and entrepreneur, Jaime King has seen and experienced enough to develop her own opinions on the topic. And when asked about the most important career trait that she would like to be remembered for and that she values as a business woman (and overall human being), her answer was quite surprising in that it had nothing really to do with skill set or efficiency.

Yes, according to the actor, compassion is king (pun intended). “I’d like to be known for being compassionate and forward-thinking,” says King in an interview with The Zoe Report. “It’s basic principles to me that seem so extraordinary like kindness, compassion, understanding, willingness to participate, and to venture into areas that people haven’t gone before.”

Indeed this topic of diverse qualities and personality traits is particularly near and dear to the actor’s heart these days. King is the face of Hanky Panky’s new “Hanky Panky Can Be” campaign, which focuses on the various double meanings one can have in business or in life. “Human beings can be incredibly multifaceted and I think it’s important to embrace that you can be delicate and strong,” she says. “You can be vulnerable yet assertive and use your voice. We’re multi-layered so we can have not just double but multiple meanings that define us as individuals.”

And while this may seem like a basic concept or principle, you'd be surprised how revolutionary it actually is, especially for women. King explains that for decades women in positions of power were urged to strip themselves of what it innately meant to be a woman. These days, it seems more and more individuals are learning to embrace every side of themselves: masculine and feminine, softer and stronger, emotional and logical. “I think it’s an important discussion to have — not only in leadership but as consumers — that all of our different qualities make up who we are,” she says.

And while King has certainly learned some valuable lessons in leadership and business, she explains there’s one area she’d like to grow in and it involves multi-tasking … with boundaries. “Though I like to do many things, I’m very laser-focused when I am working. And we’re in this new age where everyone wants everything done at once. The idea of a 24/7 availability schedule and being on all the time is something I’m trying to navigate right now so that I can take care of myself in a creative way, take care of my family, and take care of my career in a world that feels like it’s all-consuming very difficult in which to complete things.”

In the meantime, King is taking things with stride and is careful to give herself grace as she seeks to find said "balance" — whatever that might be in a given moment. "There are times where I can be very good at finding a way to keep things 'balanced,'" says King. "But what is 'balance'? It changes for us consistently, right? Sometimes balance means our self-care is in primary focus. Sometimes it's whatever we're working on. It shifts and it changes and that's why we all struggle with it. The greater answer to it maybe is that that's OK."