Why Having Female Leaders Matters
If you don’t have female leaders then you are missing out on an entire set of skills, experiences and perspectives. That could cost you financially and in terms of progress. This blog post will explore why having female leaders matters and why diversity, equity and inclusion is important.
Cranfield University School of Management recently produced a report by Ernst & Young entitled ‘Women on Boards 2022’
The report showed that only 9% of FTSE 100 companies have female CEOs.
There is a lot of discussion these days about the importance of having female leaders in all aspects of society. And it’s not just about tokenism or political correctness; there is a real case to be made for the benefits of having more women in positions of power.
For one thing, women tend to be more collaborative and consensus-oriented than men, which can lead to more effective decision-making. They are also more likely to be empathetic and to take into account the needs of others, which can create a more humane and compassionate society.
In addition, female leaders can be role models for other women, inspire them to aim high and achieve their potential. And having more women in leadership positions can help to shift society’s overall attitude towards women and gender equality.
So, there are many good reasons to promote female leaders. It’s not just about fairness or equality; it’s about making our world a better place for everyone.
8 Ways to Promote Women into Leadership Roles
1. Interview Them
This might seem like a simple answer, but really there’s more to it. Interview EVERY woman who qualifies. Whilst you might look for some specific criteria for the position, keep an open mind and speak to every female who applies and meets the minimum qualification. Even if they are not right for this role, you might just find that they fit into another, or you can even advise them on the skills they need to improve on for the future.
2. Offer Training and Development Plans to Improve their Skills
Research shows that women tend to underestimate and undervalue their skills. By offering, and putting them through more training, these will soon be diminished and both you, and they, will be confident that their skills are a perfect match for Leadership. Train and develop them in the same way you would any man you were considering for a future. If they don’t have the same skills to start with, then bring them up to speed.
3. Educate Yourself (or those in charge of hiring)
No-one in a hiring position should be holding onto limiting beliefs, but often it is the case, and they aren’t even aware of it. There are plenty books, podcasts, articles and courses out there and if your company is lacking female leaders, and you don’t know why then it’s time to look into this as it could be holding your organisation back.
4. Set Measurable Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Goals
Having a goal in place will help you achieve the correct balance. It is not there to choose a woman over a man, if the man is the best person for the job. They are there to make sure that you look at all the female applicants and possibilities. Interview them and decide if they have the right skills.
5. Explain the Benefits of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Whilst we’re focused on female leaders in this article, DE&I actually covers a lot more. Having an understanding of it, from the top down, and especially with anyone responsible for hiring, means that not only will you be able to reach your goals, you will always be taking on the right person for the job. Not someone just because they are X,Y or Z.
6. Hold Training Sessions
Bring in experts and ensure all of your staff understand why this is so important. The reality is, women have different obstacles to overcome and if they are understood, then promoting female leaders isn’t such a challenge.
7. Understand that Women Have Different Skill-Set…
…And how you can use them! We’ve talked about it in the article already, but there are skills that women come with, mostly because we are still so far off from true ‘Gender Equality’, that what they have can be very useful at the top. A completely different perspective that could take your company in a new direction.
8. Create an Inclusive Environment
Look around and at your company. Is the environment typically suited to men? There’s no judgement here, it might just be from history. You can do a lot to make the environment more welcoming to women – both from a physical appearance to processes and policies.
However…, we are not trying to oust our male counterparts though, far from it, male and female leaders bring different strengths and skills to the table, which helps drive innovation, creativity, and progress. More importantly, having a mix of male and female leaders helps enhance a company’s ability to find solutions that better serve their customers.
When we talk about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we do mean for all so let’s all work together, promote our fabulous female leaders into positions of power to run alongside the many great male leaders out there and see what a perfect gender balance really does look like!
Join Netwomen™️ today! We help individuals and companies in order to reach the goal of a 50/50 gender split at the top. No matter what level you are at, there is always another challenge to conquer or a goal to reach. To raise the bar, you need to stay laser-focused on your objectives. Netwomen™️ events offer a space to share these goals. It doesn’t matter if they are career, business or personal, there is always something more to learn.