The Business of Placing Women in Leadership
Despite years of progress, women remain disproportionately underrepresented in leadership. That is a crisis for corporate America. Among the reasons why this is so is because men are typically thought of as leaders. This can lead to gender discrimination in recruitment and promotion.
Leadership is “organizing a group to achieve a common goal.” It’s about setting a good example and inspiring others to follow. These are essential steps to help companies retain their most valuable allies in the workplace. They can also catalyze a new workplace culture of flexibility, care, and connection.
Women leaders demonstrate that they lead by example. They’re committing more time to their teams than men in similar positions and doing a more incredible amount of DEI work that falls outside their formal job responsibilities, such as supporting employee resource groups and recruiting from underrepresented groups.
Gender diversity in leadership teams is critical to optimizing the team’s innovative potential. When women are present in the majority of the c-suite, they create a more diverse and inclusive environment, which encourages new ideas and solutions.
While many companies have made strides to hire and promote more women into executive roles, there is still a long way to go. Even so, some research shows that companies with more women in leadership may be more innovative than those without.
Specifically, women tend to use what Helen Fisher, an anthropologist at Rutgers University, calls a type of ‘web thinking’ — more holistic and contextually focused. This mental flexibility, she says, makes women better able to connect the details of an idea and see more possibilities.
When it comes to leadership, collaboration is an essential ingredient. It helps to break down gender barriers, fosters communication and creates a positive atmosphere where team members feel safe. Women are more collaborative than men in some ways. They are more likely to see teamwork as a natural part of their role rather than as something they must learn how to do.
Whether it’s a project they’re working on or a relationship they’re cultivating, women are more likely to put others above themselves and be a leader by example. They can communicate clearly and effectively, an essential trait for successful collaborations.
They also want senior leaders who support their flexibility needs and can articulate how it benefits the business. When they feel that senior leaders are willing to buck tradition in the workplace, women are likelier to stick around longer and report that their job satisfaction is much higher.
Flexibility can have many benefits, including improved posture, enhanced range of motion and circulation. It can also make everyday activities such as reaching, bending and exercising easier. In addition, it can help reduce stress and improve overall health.
There’s a long history of social conditioning that equated strength with aggression, empathy, and compassion as weakness. Nonetheless, a growing body of research suggests that women are better at putting themselves in others’ shoes than men.
This is because empathetic people can recognize their own emotions and other people’s emotions, and then they can react accordingly. This is a necessary trait in leadership, as it allows leaders to understand their team’s needs and build trust.
