The choice to and how individuals take up leadership roles is fundamentally a question of identity. When a women leader internalises a leadership identity, she is likely to demonstrate behaviors that assert leadership. An example would be her willingness to go in for challenging assignments, seek growth opportunities, and take risks. Such behaviors will, in turn, be affirmed by the people around her, who regard her as a leader and reinforce her leadership identity.
However, many women find it difficult to internalise such leadership identity. This is because in most cultures, leadership is associated with masculinity while women are expected to be soft-spoken, caring and friendly. The mismatch between traits attributed to women and that of leaders is the essential reason of the struggle that potential women leaders face.
Hence, the goal of individual development is to help women talent overcome the “second-generation gender bias” and discover their true identity so that they feel empowered to be both women
and leaders. It is especially important to help women discover their purpose and passion in life, as a sense of higher purpose motivates leaders to overcome fear, move out of the comfort zone, and think of
what is possible.
Developing women leaders in an all-women setting
With the aim of developing individuals, a women-only leadership program provides participants with a novel context that contrasts the more familiar, male-dominated work environment. Such context allows the shared experience of gender to inform the content and support the conversation, thus fostering learning and provoking insight. Among fellow women leaders, participants feel more comfortable to discuss issues that are pertinent to them, without worrying about judgment.
It is worth pointing out that, leadership development should occur in a variety of venues, with different designs to serve different purposes. Over the course of their careers, women talents can, and should attend both women-only and mixed-sex programs to achieve different objectives.
Systemic shift
A deep understanding of the unconscious bias that affects women in organisations is essential to promote more women leaders. With senior leaders’ support, HR leaders can look for ways that unconscious bias in the organisation affects opportunities and motivation for women, rethink the talent management process and identify potential areas for improvement. Some practices that may help women talent include:
- Flexible working conditions
- Support for work and family life balance
- Gender-specific hiring
- Networking opportunities for women
- Coaching, mentoring and sponsorship for potential women talent
Women can also spearhead their own development by playing active roles in the process. For example, by getting involved in discussing gender biases, women are likely to realise how they have sometimes participated in reinforcing these biases in society. They may also arrive at possible factors that prevent women from advancing into senior leadership positions within their organisations. A deep appreciation for gender biases engenders a commitment to being a change agent in the workplace and community. Individual development programs also enable actions, like mentoring others and being a positive role model, to make significant impact on the lives they touch, and ultimately, reinforcing a positive cycle.
[iv] Devillard, S., Sancier, S., Werner, C., Maller, I., & Kossoff, C. (2013). Gender diversity in top management: moving corporate culture, moving boundaries.
Women Matter 2013. McKinsey & Company. Retrieved from:
http://www.mckinsey.com/Features/Women_Matter
