Great leaders come in many forms. Male or female, one can agree that organisation,honesty and decisiveness are but a few of the key elements of a good leader. But the question is, does gender play a role in good leadership?
There is an undeniable fact that women with high potential advance slower than their male peers. Despite similar efforts she puts in building her career, a woman’s chance at leadership is often limited. Fact is, many organisations overlook this critical issue of talent management and risk losing to their competitors when it comes to attracting, grooming and retaining the best female talents.
The Beautiful Lead of a Woman
A woman’s leadership style is beautiful and powerful. She is able to use her femininity to her advantage in her graceful and admirable authority. Her strength even in times of adversity is a tool for success.
Women leaders develop a “crocodile skin” that is impenetrable but are able to effectively balance between wearing the tough skin and being compassionate. With their dual sides of power and sweetness they are able move a force to reach its success destination. Women leaders are successful at transferring their creativity, energy and innovation to achieving results at the office.
Employers who believe in the power of a woman’s lead have seen its unforgettable impact on their organisations. A well balanced representation of women leaders in many organisations has a positive impact, ranging from maintaining order, teamwork, harmony, achieving results and exceeding expectations. On the other hand, some have made the dreadful mistake of failing to recognise this exhilarating force of women. What accounts for this is the stereotype that women are better “followers that leaders”.
Cancerous Stereotypes of Women Leaders
For so long, women have suffered the brutality of inequality when it comes to leadership roles.There is a lack of collective understanding on the importance of maximizing the potential of female leaders.
Thereby leaving female qualified talents feeling unhappy, disgruntled and stagnated. You might have heard or thought of a few. Most powerful women we know today have been devalued as mere tokens and occupy very few leadership roles.
To some, female leaders are prone to emotional outbursts and are seen as too weak to handle the pressures of work. The top idea that has brewed over the years is that a woman can only be successful because she somehow connived or engineered her rise.The issue is not that all women qualify for leadership positions but that of the stereotypes that cripple them. What then happens to the women who are deserving of these roles?
Bridging the Gap
To empower women, you must give them power. For a female leader in particular, there’s an even deeper layer of skill required to guide a workforce especially in this age where many women aren’t giving the opportunity to do so. By embracing a woman’s unique leadership potential, she will blaze a path to the top of the corporate ladder. Those who have already made it have demonstrated how important female leadership is to an organization.
It is only fair that the women who truly deserve these positions are given a legitimate chance. It is never too late to change the status quo. Here are some tips that can guide the process;
Stay Away from Hiring Prejudices and How they Occur
You may unknowingly be in support of the prejudice that “women are incapable” of getting the job done especially in the field of engineering and science. This can happen unconsciously. But you can make a difference by resisting this bias thought and give women a chance at leadership based on their true capabilities.
Educate and Train Managers on Unconscious Biases
One key remedy to this problem is knowledge that the situation is harmful. Not everyone may know their actions are detrimental to others. Words and body language can lower the self esteem of highly potential women in pursuing leadership roles.
In your organization, develop a culture that empowers women and puts them at the forefront. You can also organize periodic training for your hiring managers or include the topic in your office general meetings. Do this and see your company grow into a fair and all-inclusive environment.
Simplify and Standardize Your Hiring Process
You can do this by providing unbiased work samples to evaluate the performance of all candidates. To create a balance, use standard questions in your interviews. A good trick to getting the right people for your job is doing blind interviews. Not knowing the identity of the person you are about to interview can keep you away from preconceived judgments on race, gender or any other bias you may have.
In conclusion, it is now time to take action. It is one thing to follow the movement of women empowerment and another to implement it at your workplace. In your everyday life, always remember to stay conscious in the fight for women empowerment. Indeed, women are capable of doing what men can.
Are you considering all qualified candidates regardless of gender for the positions that need filling? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below
