Women Leaders: Influencing the Future

Recently, I took a quantum leap and did something I had not done before.  I asked my 95 contacts on LinkedIn to “Recommend Me” as a leader in the staffing/recruiting industry.  Many of the comments came from people I had worked with more than 10 years ago, and to say the least, I was awed and humbled by their comments. The most interesting comments, though, were submitted by the people who have worked for me.

I was interested to find out how others viewed me as a leader. Their comments compelled me to stop and think about the very nature of leadership and the role of women as leaders.  How do we lead? Do we lead differently than our male counterparts? What are the most desirable traits in leaders, and how do women manifest these traits?

Continuing on LinkedIn, I took a few minutes to view the recommendations of women leaders that I admire. As I read the recommendations for these female leaders, I began to notice commonalities. There were a few characteristics used to describe these women that came up over and over again.  They were:

Professional
Creative/Solutions-Oriented
Mentor/Trainer
Inspiring
Caring

To see traditionally masculine qualities like “professional” and “solutions-oriented” listed next to conventionally feminine qualities like “mentor” and “caring” was extremely satisfying. It made me think that we are beginning to view some feminine qualities as leadership qualities.

Male and Female Leadership:  Is there really a difference?

I asked some colleagues of mine that are currently working for women about their experiences with women in leadership. I wanted to see what they would say. Here is what they said:

“One of the female leaders that I admire partners her intelligence and heart in making recommendations and decisions.”

“…the ability to delegate is important. There are times when women are more focused on doing than delegation. Often times [women leaders] get a reputation for being tough…but actually if they are comfortable in their role, they make excellent leaders.”

“When I have worked for a woman, I find that they are more interested in what is best for me, whether that be about work/life balance issues or even opening the doors for promotional opportunities.”

“The kind of leader I like is one that gives clear direction, has vision, guidance, mentor/coach, confidence in the team to deliver and doesn’t micro-manage. What I have found is that women are more motivating and a guiding influence. Men as leaders are more political in their decision-making and often leave you to figure it out on your own.”

The women leaders whom I have known have had three distinct qualities: dedication, passion and compassion – not necessarily in that order. They have cared about the people on their teams, and are always eager and ready to assist those people in achieving their success.”

These are varied opinions, to be sure, but everyone I spoke with thought that women have, in general, learned to utilize their unique characteristics in order to lead. Today, women are using the very qualities that were previously considered strictly feminine to influence personal performance in their teams.

The Challenge

The challenge of incorporating women into leadership comes from our collective corporate past. Corporate America has been built and led with the perception that soft (feminine) skills are less effective. In her book, Disappearing Acts: Gender, Power, and Relational Practice at Work, author Joyce Fletcher asserts that soft skills and business skills are inextricable. It makes sense.  In my experience, employees who feel respected and cared about are more productive. They’re happier.

Have you ever seen the happy cow commercials? The cows in these commercials are happy, and RealCaliforniaMilk.com is asserting that happy cows make a better product. Women are skilled at relational management. They let their employees know when they are doing a good job, and create company cultures that are productive. I have seen it happen. When employees feel significant, they have a tendency to catch the company vision and produce higher-quality work. Women are also skillful when conflict arises. Emotional intelligence is a benefit to subordinates, superiors and production.

What the Experts are Saying

The Harvard Business Review published an article called “Women and the Labyrinth of Leadership” by Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli. They assert that “Women occupy 40% of all managerial positions n the United States.  But only 6% of the Fortune 500’s top executives are female.  And just 2% of those firms have women CEO’s…Women’s leadership style – characterized by innovating, building trust and empowering followers – is ideally suited to today’s business challenges.” They note, “Leadership style issues:  Many female leaders struggle to reconcile qualities people prefer in women (compassion for others) with qualities people think leaders need to succeed (assertion and control).”

Obviously, we still have ground to cover in the percentage of leadership positions women hold. Joyce Fletcher in Disappearing Acts asserts that women are being overlooked for leadership roles because of the types of skills they utilize in order to achieve success. It is not that those skills are any less effective than the masculine traits their counterparts are utilizing to produce performance. Our present corporate culture has put limits on how female leadership is perceived and how far women advance.

Where Are We Now?

There is hope, though. It looks as if the new economy is having an effect on corporate structure.  We could soon have less “tiered” structure models and more team-based structures. Just the place for women to thrive in the future!  We are all becoming more and more interconnected, more collaborative, and the ability to communicate is paramount. In this new economy, women who are able to utilize their emotional intelligence, communication skills, and ability to mentor…just might lead the way!