Empowering Women in a Digital Age: Tools and Strategies to Enhance Leadership

When you hear ‘leadership,’ what are the first characteristics that come to mind, and who comes to mind? What type of person do you picture, and how do they act? As I reflected on this question, I wondered who I could turn to for insights—until I realized what I could ask instead. For a quick, concise answer, I asked an AI chatbot, “Are men or women leaders?”

The AI responded with a list of characteristics typically associated with a male versus a female leader. According to the AI, men are decisive, assertive, confident, strategic, and resilient. Comparatively, the bot claimed women are empathetic, adaptive, and collaborative, all of which hold extensive value in the business world. The key for women, however, lies in determining how to harness the qualities society often assumes they possess.

As leaders, women face many labels, and the obstacles biases create are incredibly prevalent, as demonstrated by the human-coded AI system. Some of these biases are being overly emotional or not assertive enough. Yet if she is too assertive, she should know her place because it is difficult for society to harmonize confidence with the traditional expectations of femininity. These disparities need to be combatted, and in a world where technology shapes every facet of our lives, it is crucial women learn to leverage it to unlock unprecedented opportunities in leadership.

This can take classical shapes, including harnessing technology for networking, online learning, joint communities, and connecting mentors with mentees. Yet the boundary extends even further if used strategically to empower women. Technology has the potential to break ‘the glass ceiling’ and redefine the narrative of leadership. Especially as society continues to shift towards empowering women in leadership roles, with the digital revolution acting as a catalyst for change.

In today's digital world, social media has become an integral part of everyday life, with almost everyone using it regularly. It isn’t a new tool, but it can be a great outlet for self-expression. However, there are also ways to implement business into social media for the benefit of women. For example, LinkedIn is a professional networking platform where people can showcase their skills, connect with industry leaders, and participate in impactful discussions. It is essential in business, and when applying for a new job, applicants are often asked to provide a link to their LinkedIn account.

Despite LinkedIn’s apparent importance, “As of 2024, 56.4 percent?of people that use LinkedIn are male, while women represent 43.6 percent” (Oestreicher, 2024). These statistics are skewed towards males rather than females, which is different than other social media platforms, such as Instagram or Snapchat. Most social media platforms are dominated by women, so why aren’t women engaging on LinkedIn in the same manner (Duggan, 2013)?

It is because women tend to seek perfection, which causes them to lose confidence (Baker, 2022). When applying for jobs, women are much more selective in their job search, applying for 20% fewer jobs than men. Women are more inclined to apply when they feel 100% qualified, whereas males tend to apply after meeting just 60% of the requirements (Carreau, 2019). With this understanding, it becomes essential for women to harness social media platforms like LinkedIn to showcase their skills, empower themselves, and build their confidence. In doing so, women will adopt more realistic perceptions of their abilities and begin applying for impactful positions even if they do not feel one-hundred percent qualified.

Another way women can leverage technology for leadership advancement is through online learning. Nowadays, it is easier than ever for women to acquire new skills and knowledge to boost their careers. LinkedIn also offers online learning opportunities. However, there are additional platforms like Coursera and edX that are central to the online education business.

Coursera's Chief Content Officer stated, “Online learning and remote work have emerged as powerful equalizers, offering women unprecedented opportunities for education, career advancement, and participation in the workforce” (Stein, 2023). This highlights how online learning platforms have truly become pivotal because they ensure everybody has access to education. Women, specifically, have had growing enrollment rates.

According to enrollment trends on Coursera, “Globally, women made up 42% of online learners in 2022, compared to 38% in 2019. The numbers are even more promising in the United States, with women representing 49% of learners on Coursera” (Stein, 2023). This growth, paired with women-empowerment movements, explains why women are slowly shattering biases.?????

Today, women are learning new skills that foster creativity and turn their ideas into actionable results. The courses that are taken vary from leadership, public speaking, and negotiation,?to other important skills, such as how to fine-tune a chosen career path. By investing in their education, women can enhance their qualifications and confidence, positioning themselves for leadership roles.

While today’s technology has changed the way people learn, it has also opened several other doors for women that are critical to acknowledge. For example, online communities and forums can be incredibly compelling when utilized as supportive spaces for women leaders seeking career opportunities. SheWorks! is a global platform that is focused on helping women find remote jobs in various industries. It offers the opportunity to work worldwide, pursue further academics through an online academy, and connect with like-minded individuals.

SheWorks! and other resources alike are designed to support all women, offering valuable opportunities for remote work. Yet, these programs are particularly impactful in providing support for mothers. According to Hewlett in Harvard’s Business Review, “43% of women leave the labor market when they become mothers due to lack of flexibility” (Hewlett, 2019). Whether a woman is a mother or is young and hoping to become a mother one day, having children is something employers weigh more heavily against female applicants than males. There are often questions of employee retention, productivity, or reliability that fall upon women, especially when a woman already has motherhood as her second job. Mothers must separate themselves from this bias and prove it incorrect. With the power of technology, women and mothers can enhance their skills, remain in the workforce due to increased flexibility, and foster leadership qualities.

Accepting these positive changes within our society are the key to conquering the several biases that women face. As demonstrated by the AI chatbot, women who are leaders are often associated with different qualities than men, which are weighed differently in a board room. Today, it is the job of up-and-coming women in business to utilize technology as a resource that helps place them ahead of bias. As we navigate this digital age, let’s commit to using technology as a means of empowerment and self-advocacy, fostering a world where women can lead with strength and confidence.

Works Cited

Baker, D. T., & Bourke, J. (2022, October 20). How confidence is weaponized against women. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/10/how-confidence-is-weaponized-against-women

Carreau, D. (2019, March 8). The ugly truth behind why men are more likely to get noticed by Job Recruiters, according to New Linkedin Study. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/08/linkedin-study-reveals-why-men-are-more-likely-to-get-noticed-by-job-recruiters-than-women.html#:~:text=Men%20and%20women%20each%20undertake%20their%20job%20searches,their%20chances%20of%20attracting%20a%20diverse%20talent%20pool.?msockid=12124f83379d65112d505ced3684644c

Duggan, M. (2013, September 12). It’s a woman’s (Social Media) World. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2013/09/12/its-a-womans-social-media-world/

Hewlett, S. A., & Luce, C. B. (2019, October 15). Off-ramps and on-ramps: Keeping talented women on the road to Success. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2005/03/off-ramps-and-on-ramps-keeping-talented-women-on-the-road-to-success

Oestreicher, G. (2024, August 2). 50 linkedin statistics for social media marketers in 2024. Metricool. https://metricool.com/linkedin-statistics/#:~:text=Linked%20has%20about%20310%20million%20monthly%20active%20users.,are%20between%20the%20ages%20of%2025%20and%2034.

Stein, M. (2023, June 22). E-learning and remote work offer women educational and career opportunities they might not otherwise have had. . World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/06/online-learning-remote-work-gender-gap/