Leadership is not a role to be taken lightly. A leader is the anchor of the team. It is through the right leadership that a team can thrive, collectively and individually. Traditionally, masculinity was considered as a crucial player in leadership- but the case seems otherwise.
Recent research found that women score higher on many leadership competencies as compared to men. Overall, if not more, women are found to be as effective as men in various leadership roles. Team members pointed that female leaders are more resilient, likely to initiate projects, and encourage self-development. Male leaders dominated in only two major competencies – technical knowledge and strategic perspective.
The plight of the situation is that only a handful of Fortune 500 CEOs are women. The percentage of women leadership in the S&P 500 has not seen any progressive turn for the last decade. There are multiple factors behind this situation – cultural biases, stereotyping, gender issues, and more. The research notes that these have undermined the confidence of women. Men have rated their female leaders as more competent, whereas women reported under-confidence in themselves.
There are many biases at play at the cost of the welfare of the organization. With such tremendous abilities, there should be the promotion of women to senior leadership levels. This change is crucial for the growth of the organization and its employees. It is time to break out of the traditional bubbles and welcome innovation and development.
