Breakthrough Leadership for Women

In ancient times, womanhood was considered as a fulcrum of power and strength. Our scriptures suggest that the primordial energy or life force behind the whole creation is feminine, also called ‘Shakti’. It is interesting to ponder that all the significant aspects of life, be it knowledge (education), wealth (finance), and security (defence) were represented by ‘Devis’, viz., ‘Saraswati’, ‘Lakshmi’, and ‘Durga’ respectively. From ancient era to modern age, the world has witnessed varied shifts in the role of women in society. 21st century marked the beginning of an era where women emerged out of the sheath of patriarchy and shouldered the responsibility to carve their way for assuring a level playing field with their men counterparts in every role.

The need for more female leaders has never been more critical, and there is a never-ending catalogue of data to support this claim:

●????S&P Global Market Intelligence Quantamental Research Report 2019 suggest that companies led by female CEOs had a 20% higher stock price on average, additionally companies led by female CFOs?had 6% increase in profitability and 8% larger stock returns;

●????As per a 2020 report by McKinsey, companies with more than 30% women executives were more likely to outperform companies where this percentage ranged from 10% to 30%, and in turn these companies were more likely to outperform those with even fewer women executives, or none at all.

●????A research by Boston Consulting Group states that startups founded or cofounded by women garner less in investments but generate more revenue.

●????According to an analysis of 360-degree reviews published in Harvard Business Review women were rated as more effective leaders before and during the pandemic crisis on 13 out of 19 leadership competencies used in the assessment.

We live in a world where the connotation of a successful woman is often represented by her wearing a business suit rather than a saree. The harangues on women empowerment could not counter the objections raised on Yahoo's Marissa Mayer who asked for a Work from Home facility seven years ago. A Pan-IIM survey Report 2021 states that women students and the alumni of 20 Indian Institute of Management face dearth of equal opportunities and level playing field at workplace. Research from a Catalyst survey that appeared in the Harvard Business Review showed that men are less likely to recommend women to various board positions simply because those women don’t have enough female connections.

Let’s look at some of the statistics of women representation at leadership roles in various sectors across the globe. In 2021, there is mere 8% women representation at the Chief Executive Officer position at the Fortune 500 Companies. Grant Thornton Women in Business Report 2021 suggests that the proportion of women in senior management roles globally has reached 31% which includes 26% of women representation in the position of CEOs followed by 36% CFOs, and 22% COOs. Research data suggest that, out of 193 countries, only 22 have a female head of State or Government.

Juxtaposing the global statistics with Indian scenario sheds light on the stark reality of the position of women leadership in India. While 10% of the CEOs of Fortune 50 companies in the United States are women, only one Indian company (HDFC Life Insurance) amongst the Nifty50 companies has a female CEO. In the Fortune India 50 rankings as well, only one organization (SAIL) has a female leader, as of 2020. Also, the average percentage of women representation in Indian Parliament stands at mere 11.2% as against 25.5% of the global average.

Women Leadership in Academia

The women workforce in the Indian educational system constitutes more than 30% of the total teacher population, but only a few women have access to higher educational administrative positions and the remaining vast majority are engaged in school teaching. Even if they have succeeded in achieving positions in higher educational levels they are under-represented at the senior management positions (Mahapatra & Gupta, 2000). In fact, the majority of Indian Universities have yet to appoint a female Vice-Chancellor & President. All India Survey of Higher Education (AISHE) Report 2019-20 confirms the lack of women leadership in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) depicting that only 38.6% leadership roles are occupied by women across the country. Also, there is a declining trend of women representation in successive teaching roles: the number of females per 100 males are 75, 59, and 38 for the post of Assistant Professors, Reader & Associate Professors, and Professors respectively.

As Higher education system is changing rapidly with the advent of the much awaited National Education Policy 2020 which promises to change the landscape of the education sector in India, there is a pressing need of shift in values from a hierarchical autocratic management style to a more inclusive and empathetic style of Management which resonates well with women leaders. World has witnessed that many women have made path-breaking contributions in diverse fields and emerged effective leaders. The ability to bring people together, encourage dialogue, build consensus and most importantly, to understand the social and emotional needs of others – all these qualities which are implied to female prerogative be can bring about a significant change in higher education management.

Develop Skills to Ignite Impact

The existence of the age-old theory of women surrendering to the perception of the patriarchs of the society while their dreams get a silent burial compels the Gen Z women to stop buying into the myth that women aren’t ready for top positions in organizations. Women often need to prove themselves more than their male counterparts and work harder to gain the respect of their peers. It necessitates them to learn the skills to transform these challenges into opportunities and take their leadership to the next level.

Leadership skills are not in any way proportional to gender. Essentially, the growth trajectory of women as Leaders is characterised by unique threats and barriers. Extant literature and research studies have recognised various external factors which disallow the women to achieve their full potential. Role stereotypes, prejudice, biases, unequal pay, lack of faith, unfavourable policies, etc. are identified as hurdles in the growth of a woman Leader. However, a pertinent question to ask here would be: Is that all which holds back a woman to unleash her competence as a Leader? In reality, there exist an array of internal factors as well which?does not allow her to blossom to full potential. This is what the Breakthrough Leadership for Women Masterclass is meant for. It is systematically designed to help women identify, observe, and analyse ten internal factors that hold the aspiring women leaders back. It provides a platform where the participants learn tangible tools and techniques to overcome such barriers sequentially and develop their own Personal Model of Breakthrough Leadership.??

Hundreds of women CEOs, Doctors, Engineers, Educators, Software Engineers, Lawyers, etc. across 27 countries and 7 continents of the world?have experienced the benefits of the Masterclass and some of the testimonials are being shared herewith.

Major Takeaways from Masterclass on Breakthrough Leadership for Women

After successful completion of the Masterclass, the participants will be able to:

●????Develop skills to identify ten internal factors that hold them back from achieving their full potential;

●????Engage in reflective exercises to overcome their personal barriers on the path of leadership;

●????Learn tangible tools and techniques to sequentially develop their own Personal Model of Breakthrough Leadership;

●????Free membership of Sri Sri University Women’s International Network which is a powerful network to inspire and empower women from diverse walks of life having different social and professional backgrounds located at different parts of the world.

Who can attend Masterclass on Breakthrough Leadership for Women

The Masterclass is open for all females: students, Faculty members from schools, colleges, Universities, working professionals, entrepreneurs, and all those who aspire to break through the barriers and become?leaders.

How to attend Masterclass on Breakthrough Leadership for Women

The next offering of the Masterclass on Breakthrough Leadership for Women starts on Sept 18, 2021

Schedule:?

Part-1 : 18 Sept 2021

Part-2 : 25 Sept 2021

Part-3 : 02 Oct 2021

Time : 06:00 PM to 08:00 PM IST

Registration link: https://tiny.cc/ssuprograms

Contact: +91-7381017016

Testimonials

“The Breakthrough Leadership for Women Masterclass by Rajita ji is full of Essence for Women of Today. It helped me Discover myself & Get more Clarity on my Shortcomings, helping me Grow both personally & professionally. Learning under Rajita ji’s Guidance is very Motivating as she naturally permeates positive energy through her interactions.”

Experience of the Masterclass shared by Samira Shah, Founder - Director Academics, Le Mark School of Art www.lemarkinstitute.com

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“Yet another brilliant session. I am in super introspection mode, there are many patterns that got highlighted today. I feel stirred up, about things I didn't want to face or whatever I had shoved under the rug. So grateful for this session.”

Experience of the Masterclass shared by Ms. Niru Rajagopal, Business Program Manager, Dell Technologies, PA, United States?

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“Loved the Session. Feeling of immense self renewal to dream big and not be complacent.”

Experience of the Masterclass shared by Ms. Shveta Sharma, Senior Technology Program Manager, Amazon, Ontario, United States

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“Very constructive Session.”

Experience of the Masterclass shared by Ms. Amal Hammoud, Realtor, Keller williams Preferred, United States

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