Going beyond metrics when providing women with leadership opportunities

In providing women with more leadership opportunities, employers are urged to foster a thriving environment that goes beyond just metrics.

Karlie Cremin, managing director of Dynamic Leadership Programs Australia (DLPA), warned of unintended consequences when the provision of leadership opportunities is watered down to purely hitting targets.

"There is a mandatory KPI in Victoria around getting women into the workforce, and that can lead to women getting put into roles without the organisation looking at their culture and why women weren't in those roles in the first place," Cremin said.

This also applies for some government policies that might have been helpful in providing more leadership opportunities for women.

According to Cremin, the goal should be creating an environment "where women can thrive, and that's not just about meeting KPIs and getting the metrics up."

This means organisations should look at their internal culture and provide structured support to women climbing the corporate ladder, she says.

DLPA offers a 12-month Women in Leadership Programme, which seeks to equip women with the skills, acumen, and resilience they need to thrive.

"We're no longer talking about how you can make a woman negotiate like a man. It's about how we can all have a richer experience by having competent women leaning into exactly who they are," says Cremin.

Read more about DLPA's 12-month Women in Leadership Programme in this exclusive HRD feature.