Well we all know that the people at the top of most organisations are men – we don’t need the stats to show you that.
One of the most popular slogans used by feminist leaders is “the future is female”. While this phrase originated in New York in the 70s, it has since been revived by activists, influencers, and political leaders alike, with Hillary Clinton famously declaring that “the future is female” in her 2017 Makers Conference. To reflect this, studies show that it is women who are better leaders, with over 64% of people
preferring a female leader to a male. However, the opportunities are never there, as according to a recent McKinsey report, professional women, especially of colour, make up only a small fraction of senior leadership in organizations across the country. 8.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs are female to be precise.
It is well known that men dominate these industries, but with stats like these there is evidence to show that women are the most favored in the workplace.
So why do we advise female executives to act more like men to get ahead? Society would be better served by more male leaders trying to emulate women by the stats above. And there are major lessons they can learn from the opposite sex, like not leaning in without the power to back up the motives.
Women bring diverse experiences and perspectives to contribute importantly to bringing innovation, as different perspectives lead to better decision making.
Therefore organisations with higher levels of diversity usually tend to outperform those with fewer diversity percentages.
When women become leaders, they bring skills, different perspectives, and structural and cultural differences which ultimately drive effective solutions to the companies occupied by men. With different perspectives and a sense of awareness, women can investigate finer details to see what is really going on underneath – which we don’t need to tell you how that could benefit the world as a collective. Women leaders are a solid need of the 21st century. For women to be more productive and reveal their underlying potential, it is important for organisations to empower them with leadership roles, thus encouraging workplace diversity. Since it is a difficult task, it requires support and cooperation from every person in the organization.
Which is where help and voices are needed to amplify this. Yes, we can champion women’s leadership, but we need the roles for them to attain in order to value the statistics.
The time is now to disassemble the male, pale and stale. Look at where it has got us today.
By Mollie Houston blogger