Sector News

Why women leaders are so often hidden in plain sight

September 17, 2018
Diversity & Inclusion

In most organizations, what’s considered normal behavior for those with traits such as ambition and confidence reinforces male-oriented stereotypes. Using those metrics, even female leaders who stack up well against the CEO benchmark often show somewhat lower levels of confidence, while displaying higher levels of humility than their male peers.

As someone who has helped place qualified candidates into the highest levels of leadership in organizations, I can attest that having confidence isn’t a problem for these women. The issue is how confidence is typically measured by organizations. Changing the lens suddenly brings a different kind of confidence into focus.

Women leaders tend to be collaborative and value relationships. They give credit to the people around them, rather than displaying the more prototypical male confidence of “I can do it all myself.” By acknowledging the importance of the team and the contribution of others, women leaders don’t measure well in confidence as it’s traditionally defined. The answer isn’t to make women leaders think and act in more stereotypically male ways to project confidence and show ambition. Rather, organizations need to look at individuals holistically: at their goals, sense of purpose, capabilities, and core accomplishments.

To compete in today’s complex and fast-changing environment, companies need leaders who bring out the best in others. That’s precisely the kind of confidence that will be needed in the future, and high-potential women are often naturals at this. Plus, female leaders tend to be strong in areas such as persistence, need for achievement, curiosity, focus, assertiveness, risk-taking, and empathy—all of which also support leadership.

Much has been made of the need for women to advocate for themselves, “leaning in” to show their readiness for advancement. Indeed, part of achieving success is recognizing one’s potential and conveying it in a way that others see it, too.

But it’s also critical that organizations do more. Given that research has shown a correlation between women in corporate leadership positions and improvements in firm performance, organizations stand to gain by doing more than just talking about gender parity in leadership. They must do more to identify, develop, and promote the high-potential women already in their ranks.

Given the long road to the C-suite, a journey that typically takes 15 years, women who today are lower in the ranks need to be given better tools, coaching, and development that’s specifically tailored to them. At the same time, by changing their lens to see what leadership potential looks like, organizations will find women who are just as capable as their male counterparts but may exhibit ambition differently.

By Jane Stevenson

Source: Quartz

comments closed

Related News

March 24, 2024

Majority of US workers say they lack awareness of workplace neurodiversity

Diversity & Inclusion

About 68% of U.S. employees say they’re unfamiliar with the term “neurodiversity,” and only 22% are aware of working with a neurodivergent colleague, according to a March 18 report from Eagle Hill Consulting. Although 72% said they would hire a neurodivergent employee, few receive formal training on working with or managing neurodivergent workers.

March 17, 2024

Beyond Flowers and Platitudes: Reclaiming the Essence of International Women’s Day

Diversity & Inclusion

Every year on March 8th, social media blossoms with celebratory messages for International Women’s Day (IWD). Amidst a sea of congratulations, one might pause to reflect: What exactly are we being congratulated for? Being women? Our gender identity isn’t a matter of achievement or choice—it’s a facet of our being.

March 15, 2024

It’s time to highlight the business opportunity of DEI initiatives

Diversity & Inclusion

Right now, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are under growing scrutiny. Some companies are pulling back from DEI initiatives amid nervousness around shareholder activism and possible investor or customer pushback. Highlighting the benefits of DEI to an organization’s performance and the wellbeing of employees is the best way to address this negativity.

How can we help you?

We're easy to reach