Female Leadership at Executive Level

MYTHS AND TRUTHS

Is there really a Glass Ceiling?

• The “glass ceiling” or the idea that women successfully climb the corporate ladder until they are blocked is widely accepted.
• The “ceiling” has been shattered in some cases but instances of women in powerful roles are still rare.
• Barriers include:
• Prejudice
• Resistance to women’s leadership
• Leadership style issues
• Family demands

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Myth #1

• Women don’t want to become managers
• Yes, they do, but they’re not ‘allowed’ to.
• Male over-representation among executives is due to the cultural barriers holding women back
• Women are excluded from the informal networks of (male) power and lack role models higher up
• Women tend to underrate their own competence, while men often exaggerate theirs.

Myth #2

• Good leaders, regardless of gender, will lead in a particular way.
• Men and women are different and that’s just reality!
• Men and women are socialized differently.
• Makes sense that they lead differently

Myth #3

• Women lack the focus needed to be a good leader
• Women tend to be excellent multi-taskers
• Women understand how to delegate and this makes them excellent leaders

Myth #4

• Today, there’s nothing holding women back from becoming the leaders they want to be.
• Not true.
• Women still earn 73 cents to every dollar men make.
• Senior leadership roles are dominated by men who tend to chose male successors
• Societal norms still require the woman to be the main care giver and women are still socialized to care for everyone else.

Myth #5

• Top jobs and parenthood are irreconcilable – for women
• No, they’re not – if responsibility is properly shared
• Cultural barriers prevent equality in family work life balance

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Myth #6

• It’s just a matter of time before we have a gender balance at the top
• No, unfortunately there is still quite a way to go
• Reality is that women and men do not enjoy the same opportunities and conditions in working life
• Women still shoulder most of responsibility for home and family.

Truths #1

• Women leaders are more persuasive than their male counterparts
• Willingness to sell their visions
• Determination to turn challenges into opportunities
• Willingness to listen and strong need to get things done

Truth #2

• Women leaders demonstrate an inclusive, team building leadership style of problem solving and decision making.
• Domination as a leadership style is becoming less and less popular.
• Growing appreciation of traits traditionally associated with women; shared leadership, nurturance, empathy

Discussion Point #1

• Women in Leadership Roles elicit different responses than do men.
• Power operates as a social structure
• Responses to women and men are conditioned by a social structure traditionally dominated by men
• Woman Leader stimulates a different reaction because of learned expectations, shaped and supported by societal norms

Discussion Point #2

• Women are expected to combine leadership with compassion
• People think “male” when they think “leader”
• Incompatibility between requirements of femininity and those of leadership – women are often required to “soften” their leadership style to gain approval.
• Women who lead with an autocratic style are the targets of more disapproval than those who enact a more democratic style.

Discussion Point #3

• People do not listen to or take direction from women as comfortable as from men
• There is a stereotype that women are more talkative and tend to get “tuned out”
• Women leaders are targets of more displays of negative emotion than male leaders – even when both are viewed as equally competent.

My Personal Views on Leadership

• Never compromise your personal integrity
• Be willing to take calculated risks
• Build a strong team around you with strengths that help your weaknesses
• Never be afraid to hire people smarter that yourself – they will make you and the firm look good
• Listen to other point of views but at the end stand up for what you believe in
• Don’t be afraid to show passion for what you do
• Never forget where you came from and help others along the way

Conclusions

• Today’s Matrix type organizational structures will require leaders that can:
• Influence
• Collaborate
• Gain trust of others

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• These are skills women may inherently be better at than men

Conclusions

• Organizations need to provide opportunities for women to develop and practice their unique skills
• Best companies in the future will be those that truly embrace diversity by hiring, developing and promoting women to key leadership roles.