Almost a decade ago, I started building my knowledge about leadership development in a global context. My first experience was working as a leadership consultant in an engineering consulting firm mainly dominated by white, middle-aged males. There were many women in the management positions but, the environment was male-dominated, and the most common leadership style was command-and-control.
I moved continents and worked and lived in several countries, and my job revolved around male leaders, women leaders, organizational culture, and its environment. I have led cohorts of male and female leaders through leadership development programs.
I firmly believe that large organizations and work cultures are built around males and their needs, and that’s the backdrop of Women Leadership Development in which female leadership ship grows. Several studies conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership tell us about the gender-based inequality in the organization, which provides the context in which female leadership development occurs.
Women in several countries make up almost half of the population but are underrepresented in leadership positions, and I see this as a universal issue.
Let’s First Talk About How Women Are Naturally Gifted
- Females, on average, have a larger limbic system than a man. The limbic system regulates our emotions, and due to their larger limbic system, women are more attuned to their and others’ feelings. They have an increased ability to bond and be connected, and they are generally better able to express their emotions and feelings.
- Women like to be authentic, which means they are true to their values, express their emotions and adhere to their priorities. Naturally, they are collaborative, nurturing, and collegial. In contrast, the traditional leadership style focuses on individual achievements rather than collaboration. Women whose leadership style is relational find it hard to keep their authenticity and succeed.
- Women have the great gift of empathy, which allows them to be caring, relational and connected. The need to connect and relate contrasts with a male-dominated individualistic leadership style prevalent in large corporations. Successful leadership style thrives at the expense of relationships.
Perception Of High-Achieving Women
Assertive and results-focused, women get labelled as ‘bossy,’ self-promoting,’ and difficult to work with.’ In contrast, a male leader is accepted and expected to exhibit these behaviours and is generally considered as a role model.
Women Play Several Roles
They are naturally the primary caretakers and care providers of children, families, elders, and broader communities. They can not compromise on playing this full role alongside their work. They constantly seek balance. The traditional corporate culture is built around work as a priority, whereas females revolve around several other priorities. A woman must go above and beyond to play all her roles. I did, and it was very hard. It is still hard!
Women also need to know how they are being perceived. They also want to grow. They take feedback seriously, but in a hostile environment built around males’ needs, they are not sure of trusting relationships that can provide honest feedback.
The Restructure Of Leadership Development Programs For Women’s Access
Above mentioned factors are internal which influence women leaders. Many external barriers and biases impact the backdrop, and despite increased awareness, women still face ‘glass ceilings. There is a commitment to hiring gender equality in some organizations, and the hiring numbers are growing. Still, no one is tracking the challenges women face after being in the workforce. The environment is still not very encouraging for women’s leadership development. Hence, more and more women quit. There is a rise in women entrepreneurs and women-led start-ups.
Organizations Can Restructure Some Of The Practices.
- Making Selection Criteria Accessible: Some leadership development programs have strict criteria and ask for specific experiences which only white males possess. Women, specifically black and ethnic women, don’t meet the general criteria. We need to have an equal % of women in a given leadership cohort.
- Women Affinity Groups: These serve as a great way to network, connect, grow and mutually share and learn.
- Experiential Development for Women: Opportunities to learn through experience, job shadows, stretch assignments etc.
- Coach and Train Managers and Leaders: Coaching leaders to have meaningful conversations with women and ethnic groups. For some, it is not easy to have conversations with diverse groups. They need tools, strategies and coaching on how to do it.
- Human Resources and other reward and Recognition processes: Organizations can encourage women by rewarding and promoting
- Formal Assessment Tools and Development opportunities: providing women with an assessment like 360 feedback, psychometric evaluations and debriefs. Training debriefers for diversity and equality.
Women leadership development doesn’t occur in isolation, and internal factors and external forces determine the outcome. Traditional corporations must restructure their systems, processes, and symbols to create an environment where women leaders nurture and grow. The barriers, biases and glass ceilings are not just the barriers for going up, but all-around women and, like gravity, pull them down. Although there have been bigger discussions about gender equality in the last few years, the backdrop for women’s leadership development is still the same.
