Developing Women
Leaders
A couple of months ago, I attended a webinar sponsored by
Management Research Group (MRG) (http://www.mrg.com/)
titled the Transformational Power of
Women Leaders. MRG studied 2584 North American Executives (an equal number
of men and women) between 2001 and 2011. Using the study researchers measured others’
(bosses, peers, and direct reports) perceptions of the executives’ leadership behaviors
using MRG’s Leadership Effectiveness Analysis (LEA).
MRG reported a few interesting findings. First, they found
that while women do in fact lead differently than men, the differences were at
most moderate, but not significantly large. Second, the bigger and more
significant difference between men and women leaders was not the variance in
leadership styles or abilities but how others perceived one’s leadership competencies. And these discrepancies in
perceptions might, in fact, be one of the barriers that limits more women from
attaining senior leadership roles.
While MRG reports that the most effective leadership
behaviors, for men or women, are elements such as thinking and acting strategically, effectively communicating, and successfully
using persuasion, for women to
overcome the barrier of perception, they need to focus their development not
only on being strategic and persuasive, but also on maintaining a low key
demeanor (restraint), soliciting others’
skills and empowering them to make decisions (delegating) and being agile in rapidly-changing environments,
willing to take risks and chart new territories (innovative).
Not only will developing these behaviors help, to some
degree, alter others’ perceptions of female leaders, but employing these
behaviors will also impact one’s business knowledge and skill as well as one’s credibility
and confidence with others.
What the above study highlights, from my perspective as an
executive coach and organizational development practitioner is that there is an
opportunity for individual leaders and organizations alike to identify
occasions to develop these capabilities in their female workforce as well as be
aware of prevailing perceptions that might prevent women from advancing to more
senior levels.
Source: Management Resource Group. (PowerPoint Presentation).
(2012). Transformational Power of Women
Leaders. Live webinar.
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