WOMEN ARE BORN LEADERS: SO WHY AREN’T THERE MORE OF US LEADING
Speech by Mrs. Cynthia Turner, Founder of Seraphim Global
INTRODUCTION
Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this most important conference. It is a privilege to be in the company of so many talented women – and all of whom are here because they know that women are valuable in leadership roles and necessary for the success of any family, business, or community.
Women are key in creating a sustainable future – and sustainable development can only be achieved through shared values and extending the opportunity to all to satisfy their aspirations for a better life.
The focus of my presentation is not about whether women are better leaders than men because the reality is: the two genders need one another – at home, in business, and to keep this great world on even keel. It is about – you being the one to lead others through the paradigm shift necessary for human development.
There have been hundreds of studies conducted by the most prestigious universities and think tanks to determine if one gender is more effective in leadership roles. The reality is – no one can say for certain – that one gender is a better leader. But what has been concluded is this: there are still more men than women in leadership positions and the 1950 stereotypes about women in the workforce and men having that all-important support system at home still exist. Even with the legal emphasis on gender equity and diversity in the workforce – and improved educational opportunities – women seem stalled. One foot is on the gas moving forward while the other is on the brake holding us back. While women have made significant progress in achieving top leadership positions, we are not moving up with real speed. If you review any sector, starting with Fortune 500 companies, the number of women leaders top out at 16%.
Yet women are natural born leaders – so – why are women so woefully underrepresented in senior positions – why aren't there more of us leading? The simple answer is that because of historical precedence, the continued challenge of the glass ceiling, and the conditioning that occurs through our upbringing that we, as women:
have been programmed to believe that if we cannot get what we want – we can be as happy doing something else –
have been programmed to believe that men deserve and are better qualified for the top positions
believe our primary role is a supporting one: to marry, create a home – support our husbands, children and male bosses
If we put ourselves first – we are selfish
Women do not self-promote. We are inclined to believe that if we simply work hard and turn in good results – we will get noticed and promoted.
invest too much time in situations and relationships that are limiting and unlikely to provide us with the opportunities and satisfaction we deserve
do not support other women: we are competition averse
tend to lack decisiveness: we second guess ourselves in making decisions – we place too much importance on having consensus for the decisions we make
THE GLASS CEILING:
Both career tracks that I have pursued -- broadcasting and international development – are male dominated. Because of the emphasis and acceptance that gender diversity is a good thing, progress has been made. But I have found that the women who live in less developed countries are still struggling to move past 1950s/1960s business norms. There are of course a few exceptions, such as Colonel Jamilla Bayaaz (50 years old), the first female Police Chief in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Starting in radio at age 17, I was the only female personality at the station and – albeit I had a limited role – mobile broadcasts, commercials, interviews – In 1971, in Washington DC at a major television station, there were only two women on air --
International development is also male dominated. In 1979, when I joined the MSCI team, I was one of seven women in a workforce of more than 50. Three women, a Ph.D nurse and statistician and nurse midwife, worked in health projects, in Liberia and Swaziland and Syria. I was the youngest woman in the headquarters office – and eventually – the youngest, as well as the only, woman on the executive team and finally now as an officer.
So the glass ceiling existed then – as it does now – not just within certain sectors but because of gender. Rather than waging a protest – we have the ability to work within the system and to be agents of change. Women can be empowered – as the natural leaders they are, by using simple training techniques, tools, inspiration and education to move forward and there are a lot of studies that confirm that:
Women own 40% of the private businesses in the U.S. (2012 Dow Jones)
Percentage of business growth is higher for female entrepreneurs than male (2005 Report on Women and Entrepreneurship)
75% of respondents to a survey conducted by Pew Center Global Attitudes Project in the U.S. and 80% in Canada believe that women make equally good political leaders --- and the number was even higher in Europe and Asia.
For the most part, women (more than men) bring to leadership a more complete range of the qualities modern leaders need, including self-awareness, emotional maturity and genuineness. While men overvalue their strengths – women tend to undervalue theirs.
WHY WOMEN MAKE GOOD LEADERS.
Communication is key to effective leadership. Great leaders "spend the bulk of their time communicating and traditionally women are thought to be better than men when it comes to verbalizing what they think. (Harvard Business School, Professor Nitin Nohria, 2004)
Empathy Women tend to have the ability to understand what others are feeling — to detect if they are overworked or struggling which is a skill that "clearly contributes to effective leadership".
Perspective Women look at problems differently. They make up half of the population. They reflect the interests, dreams and desires of that population.
Maturity The ability to think long-term seems to be a specifically feminine trait.
Women leaders are more persuasive, assertive and willing to take more risks than male leaders.
Women have a stronger need to get things done and are more willing to take risks than males in similar positions.
Women leaders are found to be more flexible, as well as stronger in interpersonal skills than their male counterparts.
Let's break down this statement by characteristics:
Finding 1: Women leaders are more persuasive than their male counterparts.
Women leaders score significantly higher than male leaders in persuasiveness, motivation, assertiveness, willingness to risk, empathy, urgency, flexibility and sociability.
The strong people skills possessed by women leaders enable them to read situations accurately and take in information from all sides. This willingness to see all sides of a situation enhances their persuasive ability.
Women can "zero in" on someone's objections or concerns, weigh them appropriately, address them effectively and incorporate them into the grander scheme of things. Women leaders are able to bring others around to their point of view or alter their own point of view—depending upon the circumstances or the discovery of information. They can do this because they genuinely understand and care about where others are coming from. This allows them to have their audience's perspective, so that the people they are leading feel more understood, supported and valued.
Male leaders have a tendency to start from their own point of view and are not as flexible or willing to interact with others and feel the need "to win". Male leaders may tend to force their perspective and convince them to agree through the strength of their position.
Finding 2: Women leaders learn from adversity and call upon their resilience and determination in dealing with disappointment or situations that don't work.
Women feel the sting of being set back. We may even dwell on it, and tend to be a little self-critical. But then we rally and shake off negative feelings and listen to the voice in the back of our heads which often says, "I'll show you."
When a woman knows that she has the talent and the ambition to move ahead, yet she receives signals—subtle or overt—that others think she will not make the grade, this can often fuel her ambition further.
Finding 3: Women leaders have an inclusive, team-building leadership style of problem solving and decision making.
As we have mentioned, women have high levels of empathy, flexibility, sociability, and urgency (a need to get things done immediately).
Women leaders tend to be more interested in hearing all points of view. They then make the best possible decision and the final decision does not necessarily have to be their initial point of view.
Women listen. Not just listening to form an answer, but really listening to reflect and then implement a plan that incorporates the best of everyone's ideas.
Women leaders have an inclusive style of leadership. They will talk decisions through with many more people than their male counterparts.
Finding 4: Women leaders are more likely to ignore rules and take risks.
Women leaders do not always follow to established procedures. They question whether the procedure fits the situation.
Women leaders are more likely to push back when they feel too restricted by regulations and rules. They take risks for the purpose of creating innovative and impactful solutions.
Women are big picture takers rather than focusing on the small details.
Women leaders are more interested in what can be – rather than on what has been. They will run the risk of occasionally being wrong in order to get things done. And with their abstract reasoning skills, they learn from mistakes and move on.
So now – one of the important questions – how do we become the leaders that the world needs us to be – to make the paradigm shift – the fundamental change from business as usual to building a world of security for all people.
As I focus on security and development in the humanitarian assistance programs being implemented to support refugees, I am called upon to push the boundaries of my mind. I am challenged as a woman in a leadership position to:
Build bridges of trust between the vulnerable and those in power
Be a role model
Lead with kindness
Be reliable
To bring the discussion back to women leaders – there are a number of essential characteristics that women need to apply in their own world:
Balance and understand your own needs – understand the value of self-care – it is like breathing and is vital to your survival
Have a nurturing spirit – in every environment – home, school, church, business
Use your intuition – a woman's intuition is one of her strongest traits
Be persevering – when challenges occur and sometimes situations don't go according to plan – it's how you meet those challenges and push ahead that makes you a good leader
Inspire others – by always working hard, being persistent, by developing the ability to say – no – fairly and objectively – you inspire others and in turn you will earn respect as a leader
Confidence – develop an unconditional belief in your ability – appreciate your own worth -- create a culture that values your input
Give Back – be trusting and trustworthy/be generous – look for ways to support people/not work against them
Have a vision – believe all things are possible – that change is worthwhile – help others see their role in the wider world
Be the one to lead others through change through the purity of mission, wisdom, respect for all and faith.
It is never too late to become not what – but who – you want to be – to become that beacon that will push the paradigm of peace and human development forward. The need for women leaders has always been important, but it has not been any more urgent than it is today!
