Five ways female leadership benefits us all

International Women’s Day 2022 and the theme of #BreakTheBias inspired me to reflect some more on the bias I identified, ‘only women can support women.’??

I’m a huge believer in the power of women role models. Throughout my career I’ve consistently relied on female mentors for advice, guidance and inspiration when faced with challenges. But I’ve often thought how women in leadership are perceived to only positively impact other women, when really, the qualities brought by female leaders can be felt by anybody in the organisation, or even the industry.??

While everyone is different and every trend has its exceptions, I’ve been interested to read about how women can offer leadership elements that we often see little of in male dominated teams or industries – based on well-backed research and expert opinions.??

In the spirit of continuing to reflect on the important topics International Women’s Day highlights, I’ve pulled together five ways female leadership benefits everyone.??

Take a read through and tell me if there is another way you’ve benefited from a female leader. Diversity is so important to bringing a whole host of varied, lived experiences to the table – which ultimately benefits us all.?

1.Women leadership is good for business

The Gender Equity Insights 2020 Report found links between more women in leadership positions and a higher likelihood of organisations outperforming their sector, with one of the key arguments being improved gender diversity will raise the cognitive variety in the office, allowing for a greater range of solutions to problems and deeper debates. The report also found having a female CEO leads to a five per cent increase in an organisation’s market value.??

Diversity in all its forms has consistently driven innovation in all the teams I’ve been a part of in my career, resulting in superior outcomes for both the business and for the people too.??

2. Women leadership drives diversity and empathy

A Women in the Workplace 2021 report showed women put more effort towards workplace diversity, equity and inclusion. The same report finds women leaders are consistently doing more to promote employee well-being—including checking on team members, helping them manage workloads, and providing support for those who are dealing with burnout or navigating work/life challenges.?

According to the team at BusinessDepot Australia, women are generally better collaborators and are good at driving employee engagement and dynamics.?I couldn’t agree more that women tend to be more sensitive to others, foster a better working environment and are empathetic leaders as girls are nurtured and conditioned by society to learn empathy from a young age.?

3. Women lead well during a crisis

The Harvard Business Review revealed during the first phase of the Covid-19 crisis, women were found to be significantly more effective leaders than their male counterparts, with the difference being more pronounced than in that of pre-COVID studies, suggesting that women perform well amid crises.?

I’ve also been interested to read about the glass cliff phenomenon, which refers to the trend where women leaders are often placed in leadership positions with an increased risk of negative consequences. Having been placed on the glass cliff several times, women take challenges in our stride and find effective solutions to counter them.??

4. Women leaders can create excellent environments for innovation

Women are often seen as innovative and creative, and female leaders provide a “top-down” effect by spreading aspects of innovation throughout the organisation, according to an article by the Ohio State University’s, Fisher College of Business.??

I’ve seen throughout my career, when you have female leaders creating a safe space that empowers all employees to speak up and contribute their thoughts, you’ll get the wide range of ideas and perspectives needed to drive innovation.??

5. Female leaders are redefining work-life balance

I believe women tend to have clear and open communication styles, enabling meaningful conversations between employees and gaining a better understanding of colleagues’ personal needs and situations, while providing strong mentorship.??

Experts across the globe say women are good at focusing on their own needs, renegotiating expectations at home and at work, and setting realistic boundaries and expectations for themselves and those around them.??

When I was pregnant with my second and third daughters, it was the female leaders around me, many with similar experiences to mine, who gave me their support, advice and understanding. With them around, I juggled pregnancy, childcare and full-time work, making it to where I am today.??