| Leadership and Gender Issues: Progress or Déjà Vu? |
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By Susan Battley Our global marketplace places a premium on alliances, relationship management, and worker empowerment. This trend has been called the "feminization" of management. But have these changes in behavior and values at the top translated into greater access and opportunity for women? How can women acquire a greater number of elite leadership positions in business and politics? According to the U.S. Labor Department, 45% of managers in American companies are female. Yet the number of Fortune 500 companies led by women is less than a dozen. Women have not made much progress in achieving prize top slots, and this can no longer be attributed to a pipeline or candidate shortage. With respect to Fortune 500 board directorships, a 2005 report by Catalyst, a not-for-profit women's advancement organization, found that women held 14.7 percent of all board seats, up from 13.6 percent in 2003. At the current growth rate, the report noted, parity between men and women on corporate boards might not be reached for seven decades. Furthermore, studies continue to indicate that at the highest levels, bosses still evaluate candidates in stereotypical ways, as in the case of rating assertiveness as a desirable trait in men, but an undesirable trait in women. How can women acquire a greater number of elite leadership positions in business and the nonprofit and public sectors? Many of today's women leaders achieved success by building a reputation and influence base over time inside a single company. They focused on activities and processes valued by male decision makers. In other words, they not only demonstrated outstanding competence, but they did so in high-visibility line management positions. But globalization, industry consolidation, and rolling corporate restructuring have effectively eliminated the "one career-one employer" option. Women need to possess the following qualities: * Results orientation * Prudent risk taking attitude * Appropriate ambition and assertiveness * Tenacity and optimism * Interpersonal style that is comfortable for men * Proven track record of leading men They also need mentors and influential sponsors throughout their careers, and especially as they get closer to top positions. Social networking is also important to cementing key business relationships. In general, professional women need to leverage these informal channels as skillfully as their male counterparts. Finally, women need to achieve greater visibility in the media as experts and thought leaders, as this confers third-party legitimacy and credibility. Copyright © Susan Battley, PsyD, PhD. All rights reserved. |
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"I am very grateful for the advice and support I got from Susan Battley at a difficult point in my career. Susan helped me to identify my weak points so that I could address them to improve my performance, as well as my quality of life. I am glad to have had the opportunity to collaborate with her.” - A. J. Padilla, Director General, NERA Economic Consulting, Madrid (A Marsh & McLennan Company) |
